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Cyprinds
/ Barbs / Black Ruby Barb
Black Ruby Barb, Purple-headed Barb
Puntius nigrofasciatus | Pictures
Synonyms: Barbus
nigrofasciatus
Physical description: A high-backed, deep bodied fish that lacks barbels.
The head is dark crimson red in color
and the flanks are marked with three to four, dark transverse bars.
The first is located above the eye,
while the last is located near the caudal penuncle.
The back is usually dark copper brown.
The body coloration depends on the sex.
In
the spawning season, males have a bright crimson red body and a red caudal fin.
Females have yellowish orange-gray coloring
with a peach colored caudal fin.
The other fins on both sexes are black.
Males in normal dress resemble females, although
they are brighter in color.
Size/Length: To 2.4" (6 cm)
Similar species: Spanner Barb ( P.
laterstriga)
Habitat: Slow-flowing streams and rivers with abundant vegetation in Southern Sri Lanka.
S: bottom, middle
Aquarium: A tank measuring 30" (76 cm) with a volume of 20-30 gallons (75-114 L) is sufficient.
The
tank should be heavily planted with a cover of floating plants.
Use roots, wood, and rocks to create hiding places.
The
gravel should be fine and dark in color.
Water chemistry: pH 5.5-7 (6.5), dH 2-15 (6), 68-79°F (20-26°C)
Social behavior: An active, but peaceful schooling fish that forms schools.
A good candidate for a community tank.
Suggested companions: Danios, Barbs, Acaras, Eartheaters, Gouramis, Loaches, Doradids, Loricarids,
Epalzeorhynchus, Corydoras.
FOOD: Flakes, especially vegetable types; live; insects, insect larvae, worms, crustaceans;
plant matter.
SEX: The male attains a large size, although is more slender.
Males also have brighter colors, especially
around spawning times.
Breeding techniques: Use water with a temperature from 77-82°F (25-28°C), a water hardness from 4-10
dH, and a pH around 6.0.
Spawning is initiated by the rising of the morning sun, and occurs near fine-leafed plants.
Use
a marble substrate so that the eggs can fall out of reach of the parents.
From 300-500 eggs are laid over a period
of 1.5 to two hours.
The
parents should be removed following the spawning.
The eggs should be kept in a dark tank until they hatch 24-25 hours.
The
young can be first fed with Infusoria after they are free-swimming 6-7 days later.
Breeding potential: 6.
Breeding is fairly easy, although males may sometimes not be ready for spawning.
Remarks: This barb is sensitive to old water and pollutants, thus the water should be changed
on a regular basis.
When stressed, this fish is susceptible to "Ich" or white-spot disease.
Difficulty of care: 3.
A hardy species that can be kept in a community tank.
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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