TankBud

Spotscale barb

Barbus holotaenia

Also known as African Spotscale Barb

FreshwaterFish

Spotscale barb (Barbus holotaenia)
Jonathan (Jon) Armbruster · CC BY 2.0

Care at a glance

Temperature
75–86°F
24–30°C
pH
6.0–7.0
Adult size
4.7 in
12 cm
Minimum tank
63 gal
240 L
Temperament
Peaceful
Social behavior
Schooling
Swim level
Middle
Difficulty
Medium
Breeding
No record
Rarity
Rare
Family
Cyprinidae
Origin
Africa

Overview

The Spotscale barb is a peaceful, active African barb for the middle water of a spacious community tank. It suits a keeper with a little experience.

Did you know

The Spotscale barb's species name, holotaenia, comes from words meaning whole band. It refers to the single dark stripe that runs the entire length of the body without a break. That continuous line, rather than the spots the common name suggests, is the easiest way to pick it out from its relatives.

Caring for the Spotscale barb

A tank of 63 gal (240 L) or larger keeps an active shoal of Spotscale barbs content. Give them a gentle current over a base of sand and fine gravel, with driftwood and leaf litter to soften and shade the water. Add some hardy planting, but leave open swimming space.

Keep the water warm and soft, at 75 to 86°F (24 to 30°C) and an acidic to neutral pH of 6.0 to 7.0. They are easy to feed and take flake, pellets and frozen or live foods. Add some vegetable matter to round out the diet.

Keep them in a group of at least six, and more if you have room. A good shoal keeps them settled and out in the open. A larger group also keeps their focus on one another rather than on smaller tank mates. They are peaceful, so choose calm, similarly sized fish that enjoy warm, soft water.

Like their relatives, Spotscale barbs are presumed to scatter their eggs and not guard them. There is no established record of them breeding in home aquariums.

Good to know

The Spotscale barb, Barbus holotaenia, is an African member of the family Cyprinidae. It has a streamlined, silvery body.

In the wild

The Spotscale barb is native to the warm rivers and streams of the Congo basin and nearby waters in central Africa. It lives there in soft, often tannin-stained water.

Weekly picks

Tank mates

The Spotscale barb is a peaceful, schooling species that keeps to the middle. These picks share a community profile with it, are safe together in both directions, and overlap on water type, temperature and pH.

Check the full mix in the stocking calculator

Common questions

What size tank does a Spotscale barb need?

A Spotscale barb needs at least 63 gal (240 L). It spends most of its time in the middle.

What temperature and pH does a Spotscale barb need?

A Spotscale barb is comfortable at 75–86°F (24–30°C) with a pH of 6.0–7.0.

What does a Spotscale barb eat?

A Spotscale barb eats flake, pellets and frozen or live foods. Add some vegetable matter to round out its diet.

How big does a Spotscale barb get?

An adult Spotscale barb reaches about 4.7 in (12 cm).

Does a Spotscale barb need a group?

Yes. A Spotscale barb is a schooling species and should be kept in a group, not singly.

How does a Spotscale barb breed?

Spotscale barbs have no established record of breeding in home aquariums. Like their relatives, they are presumed to scatter their eggs and not guard them.

Related species