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Walker's barb

Enteromius walkeri

Also known as Barbus walkeri

FreshwaterFish

Walker's barb (Enteromius walkeri)
The Wet Spot Tropical Fish · Used with permission

Care at a glance

Temperature
72–81°F
22–27°C
pH
6.0–7.5
Adult size
4.7 in
12 cm
Minimum tank
29 gal
110 L
Temperament
Peaceful
Social behavior
Schooling
Swim level
Middle
Diet
Omnivore
Difficulty
Easy
Breeding
No record
Rarity
Rare
Family
Cyprinidae
Origin
Ghana and Ivory Coast

Overview

Walker's barb is a peaceful, big-for-a-barb African schooling fish for the middle water of a long tank. It is easy to care for.

Did you know

Walker's barb carries a strange piece of growth arithmetic. Unlike most barbs, whose barbels keep pace with the body, it grows barbels that become proportionally shorter as the fish gets bigger.

Caring for the Walker's barb

Keep Walker's barbs in a group of at least six, with no upper limit on numbers. This larger barb has real swimming needs, so give it a long tank of 29 gal (110 L) or more. A river-style layout suits it, with open swimming space, a sand or fine gravel bed, driftwood, rounded stones and some current.

Walker's barb is adaptable and does well in soft to moderately hard water. Keep it at 72 to 81°F (22 to 27°C) with a pH of 6.0 to 7.5. Steady flow, good oxygen and clean water suit this shoaling fish.

It is an active mid-water swimmer that is always looking for food. Feed a varied omnivore diet of flakes, sinking pellets, and frozen foods like bloodworm and daphnia.

Walker's barb is peaceful and mixes well with other robust but peaceful fish, such as Congo tetras, larger rasboras and medium African species. It is a little fast and busy for very timid tank mates, but it is not aggressive. Its breeding behavior is not well recorded, and it is seldom if ever bred in the aquarium.

Good to know

Walker's barb, Enteromius walkeri, is a cyprinid in the family Cyprinidae and large for the African small-barb group. It is gold-toned, with a dark band along the side that darkens toward the tail.

In the wild

Walker's barb comes from rivers and streams of Ghana and the Ivory Coast in West Africa. It ranges through flowing coastal drainages there.

Weekly picks

Tank mates

The Walker's 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 Walker's barb need?

A Walker's barb needs at least 29 gal (110 L). It spends most of its time in the middle.

What temperature and pH does a Walker's barb need?

A Walker's barb is comfortable at 72–81°F (22–27°C) with a pH of 6.0–7.5.

What does a Walker's barb eat?

A Walker's barb eats a varied omnivore diet of flakes, sinking pellets, and frozen foods like bloodworm and daphnia. It is always looking for food.

How big does a Walker's barb get?

An adult Walker's barb reaches about 4.7 in (12 cm).

Does a Walker's barb need a group?

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

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