Tips on Feeding and Keeping Cherry Barbs
The cherry barb is a freshwater fish originating from Sri Lanka. It was introduced in Germany as early as the 1930s. Since then, the cherry barb has become a popular aquarium fish that is valued for its easy keeping and attractive appearance.
Cherry Barb Profile
- Scientific name: Puntius titteya
- Origin: Sri Lanka
- Size: up to 5 cm (2 inches)
- Life span: around 5 years
- Aquarium minimum size: 80 cm (31 inches) length
- Recommended water temperature: 22 - 26 °C (71.6 – 78.8 °F)
- Diet: omnivorous
Characteristics of the Cherry Barb
Cherry barbs can reach a length of around five centimetres. With an average of around 2.5 centimetres, however, most fish are significantly smaller.
The scales of the male cherry barb are usually almost entirely red. In young fish they can sometimes also be beige. Across the body of the Cherry barb a dark longitudinal band extends. This is usually more pronounced in female fish than in males.
Male specimens are more intense in colour and are also somewhat slimmer than their female counterparts. Female cherry barbs usually have yellowish scales. The red colour of the males is particularly evident during the mating season.
Cherry Barb Life Expectancy
If kept in good conditions, cherry barbs can be expected to live for around five years.
Cherry Barb Origin
The cherry barb, a carp fish, originates from Sri Lanka, where it lives in slowly flowing rivers and streams. In the wild it is considered endangered due to the increasing destruction of its habitat.
Cherry barbs have been very popular as ornamental fish for many decades. As they are endangered, only fish that are bred in captivity should be used when keeping them in an aquarium.
Keeping Cherry Barbs
Cherry barbs are fairly easy to keep and are therefore also suitable as aquarium fish for beginners. If a few things are kept in mind, they will usually be sturdy and not overly prone to certain fish diseases.
The water temperature for keeping cherry barbs should be 22 to 26 °C and the pH level between 6.5 and 7.5. In order to provide the fish with sufficient space to swim, it is advisable to use a fish tank with a length of at least 80 centimetres.
Setting up a Fish Tank for Cherry Barbs
Cherry barbs are active water dwellers and therefore need sufficient space to swim. At the same time, however, it is important to offer them plenty of hiding places. This can be ensured with densely planted areas as well as some roots or wood at the bottom of the tank.
Socialising Cherry Barbs
Cherry barbs should be kept in groups of at least six fish. However, male fish tend to be aggressive towards each other, especially during mating season. In order to avoid fighting, it is therefore advisable to ensure a balance between the two sexes or even better to keep more females than males.
Cherry barbs are generally peaceful and can be socialised very well with many other fish species. If they have significantly larger tank mates, however, they can become shy and will increasingly hide. This should be taken into account when choosing tank mates.
Breeding Cherry Barbs
Cherry barbs are free spawners and are usually quite easy to breed. For breeding, a pair that has been well fed the days before should be placed in a separate spawning pool. The breeding tank should be filled with slender plants. In addition, slightly acidic, soft water with a temperature of around 25 ° C is ideal to encourage the fish to spawn.
To prevent the parents from eating the eggs, the cherry barbs should be returned to the regular community tank as soon as possible after spawning. It takes about 24 hours for the offspring to hatch. After three days, the young cherry barbs finally swim free and can then be fed with Artemia larvae.
Cherry Barb Diseases
Cherry barbs are generally robust fish, which are not considered to be particularly susceptible to disease if the conditions in the tank are good. Nevertheless, of course the animals can get sick. This is especially the case if the quality of the water or food is inadequate.
Ascites, for example, is one of the possible diseases that can occur in cherry barbs. Apart from that, there is also a chance of an infestation with parasites such as worms. Depending on the disease, it is often necessary to move the affected cherry barbs to a quarantine tank in order to protect the other animals in the aquarium from infection.
Cherry Barb Diet
Cherry barbs are omnivores that do not have very high demands regarding their food. Nevertheless, care should of course be taken to ensure that the food is of good quality so that the fish receive all the essential nutrients they need.
An optimal supply of the fish is easy with a high-quality granulate or flake food. In addition, frozen and live food can occasionally be offered to make the diet of the cherry barb more varied.
Aquaris Fish Food for Cherry Barbs
When choosing Aquaris fish food, you are making the right decision for your cherry barbs. In our range you will find amongst others Aquaris Tropical Granulate and Aquaris Flakes, two high-quality products for feeding your aquarium fish.
Our ornamental fish food is fundamentally characterised by recipes made from carefully selected raw materials that meet all the nutritional needs of the fish. The food is wholesome and easy to digest. You can therefore rest assured that you are optimally supplying your cherry barbs with all essential nutrients and that the water in the aquarium will not be unnecessarily polluted by the excretions of the fish.