Physical description: An elongated species with two pairs of barbels. The back is orange-brown to brown, and the belly is yellow to white. The sides are orange to red with several irregular bars. Usually four of these black markings can be found on the body. The fins are reddish-orange in color and the front part of the iris of the eye may be red. Size/Length: To 6" (15 cm) in nature, usually does not exceed 4.3" (11 cm) in aquaria Similar species: Cuming's Barb ( P. cumingi) Habitat: Found in still and slow-moving water. Southeast Asia; Borneo, Bunguran Islands, Singapore S: bottom, middle Aquarium: A tank measuring 32" (81 cm) with a capacity of 30 gallons (114 L) is adequate. Leave open swimming areas in the middle of the tank and place plantings along the edges. Use rocks, roots, and wood to create hiding places. Water chemistry: pH 6-7.2 (6.8), 2-11 dH (5), 75-86°F (24-30°C) Social behavior: An active species which tends to form schools. Adults have been known to nibble the leafs of softer leafed plants. Combine with similarly sized species. Suggested companions: Danios, Barbs, Gouramis, Loaches, Doradids, Loricarids, Corydoras, Epalzeorhynchus. FOOD: Plant material; vegetables; lettuce, spinach; oatmeal; vegetable flakes; tablets; live; crustaceans, insect larvae, Tubifex . SEX: Males are more slender and more brightly colored. Breeding techniques: Use a large tank with a water level of four to six inches deep. Use water with a temperature from 79-84°F (26-29°C), a water hardness from 2-6 dH, and a pH of 7.0. Use a substrate of marbles and plants the tank heavily with bunches of fine-leafed plants. Separate a healthy looking pair for three to four weeks prior to the intended spawning time. These should be conditioned separately on large amounts of bloodworms, mosquito larvae, white worms, and vegetable foods. Spawning is usually initiated by early morning sunlight. From 500-2000 eggs are scattered among the plants after an active courtship. The parents should be removed just following the spawning. The fry hatch after 20-30 days and are free-swimming several days later. The fry can be raised on roftiers, Infusoria, and powdered dry foods. The fry are sensitive to water pollutants and changes in water conditions. Thus it is important to make small, partial water changes on a regular basis. Breeding potential: 6. With proper conditioning, spawning comes fairly easily. Remarks: Males take 1.5 to 2 years to reach maturity, while female are mature at one year. Do not keep this species in alkaline water as this fish does very poorly. Difficulty of care: 4. A species that requires a varied diet and frequent partial water changes to prosper. Recent articles about fish Overfishing may hurt Amazon forest trees (2/5/2008) Overfishing is reducing the effectiveness of seed dispersal by fish in the Brazilian Pantanal, reports Nature. The research suggests that fishing practices can affect forest health. Scientists find fish that literally lives in trees (10/17/2007) Scientists have found a fish that literally lives in trees, according to research published in The American Naturalist and highlighted in New Scientist Magazine. Piranhas originated when Amazon was flooded by seawater (12/4/2007) South America's piranha family of fish -- notorious as eaters of flesh -- can be traced back to a single ancestor which dispersed when the Amazon was flooded by seawater some five million years ago, report researchers from the Institut de Recherche Pour le Developpement (IRD). Today piranhas are exclusively freshwater fish found from the Orinoco River basin in Venezuela to the Parana in Argentina. |
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Copyright Rhett Butler 1994-2009 The copy for fish.mongabay.com was written in 1994-1995. Therefore some information such as scientific names may be out of date. For this, I apologize. Feel free to send corrections to me. |
