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Cyprinds
/ Barbs / Tinfoil Barb
Tinfoil Barb, Schwanenfeld's Barb
Puntius schwanenfeldi | Pictures
Synonyms: Barbus
schwanenfeldi
Physical description: A high-backed fish with a laterally compressed body.
The mouth has two pairs of barbels The
body is silvery with a bluish to yellow iridescence.
The scales have a metallic look.
The dorsal, anal, and pectoral fins
are bright orange-red.
The tip of the dorsal fin is black and white, and the caudal fin is dark red.
The
iris of the eye is amber-gold.
Size/Length: To 16" (41 cm) in nature, although rarely larger than 13" (33 cm) in captivity.
Similar species: None
Habitat: Southeast Asia; Borneo, Malaysia, Sumatra, Thailand
S: bottom, middle
Aquarium: A tank measuring 48" (122 cm) with a capacity of 50 gallons (190 L) is sufficient
for fish to 5.5" (14 cm).
Adult fish require a much larger tank such as a 72" (183 cm) with a capacity of 100 gallons
(378 L).
This fish needs lots of large open swimming areas and as a result must be moved to larger tanks
as it grows.
Eventually the Tinfoil Barb should be donated to a public aquarium or a tank of the size recommended
above.
Use large, robust plants in the corners and rear of the tank.
Water chemistry: pH 6-7.7 (6.8), dH 2-15 (5), 70-77°F (21-25°C)
Social behavior: A lively and peaceful species that forms schools.
Combine this species with other large
fish including peaceful cichlids.
FOOD: Plant matter; spinach; lettuce; live; crustaceans, insects, insect larvae, fish fry;
pellets; flakes.
A greedy feeder.
Suggested companions: Giant Danios, Gouramis, Loaches, Doradids, Loricarids,
Epalzeorhynchus, Acaras, Eartheaters, Oscar,
Pacu, Leporinus, Anostomus.
SEX: No external signs can be seen.
Breeding techniques: This species is actually fairly easy to breed in a large tank, over 175 gallons.
Use
soft, neutral water with a temperature from 77-82°F (25-28°C).
Furnish the tank with bunches of plants
and coarse gravel or marbles.
The pairs will lay 2000-4000 eggs among plants.
Feed the pair abundantly during the
spawning so that they will not consume their eggs.
The adults should be removed right after spawning.
The eggs hatch after a couple days and
the fry are free-swimming about a week later.
Start feeding with
Artemia nauplii.
Breeding potential: 8.
The most difficult part in spawning this fish is obtaining a large enough tank.
Remarks:
This species is not recommended for private aquariums.
If this species is not fed enough vegetable
foods, it will attack plants.
The Tinfoil Barb grows very quickly.
Difficulty of care: 6.
This species reaches a large size, although it is very hardy.
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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