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Cyprinds
/ Barbs / Cherry Barb
Cherry Barb
Puntius titteya | Pictures
Synonyms: Barbus
titteya, B. frenatus
Physical description: Has one pair of barbels on the upper jaw near the corners of the mouth. The back is
brownish red in color with a green iridescence. Fins are red in color. A black broken line extends from the snout
through the eye and through the center of the tail. Above this marking in an iridescent yellow stripe that also
runs the length of the body. The upper half of the iris is gold while the lower, red.
Size/Length: To 2" (5 cm)
Similar species: None
Habitat: Well-shaded rainforest creeks and rivers with slow moving water in Sri Lanka.
Usually
in grassy or bushy areas.
S: bottom, middle
Aquarium: A tank measuring 20 (51 cm) with a capacity of 10 gallons (39 L) is recommended.
The
tank should be well-planted and have a partial cover of floating plants.
Provide a fine gravel bottom for burrowing
and leave open swimming areas.
Water chemistry: pH 6-7.5 (6.5), 4-18 dH (8), 73-81°F (23-27°C)
Social behavior: A peaceful, timid, schooling fish that can be kept with other small peaceful tank mates.
Will
sometimes become nervous around other active fish.
Suggested companions: Gouramis, Loaches, Doradids, Loricarids,
Epalzeorhynchus, tetras, hatchetfish.
FOOD: Live; insect larvae, flying insects,
Tubifex, Brine Shrimp; pellets; flakes.
SEX: Males are slimmer, smaller, more colorful, and more elaborate fins.
Breeding techniques: Use water with the following values: 78-81°F (26-27°C), a pH of 6.0-6.5, and
a water hardness of 4-10 dH. Place a pair in a heavily planted breeding tank. One to three eggs are laid at each
pairing until 200-300 eggs are laid. The eggs are attached to threads that are attached to plants. Feed the parents
white worms during spawning to insure that they do not eat their eggs. After spawning has been completed, remove
the pair. The fry hatch after 24 hours and are free swimming after 2-3 days. Start feeding with newly hatched brine
shrimp and crushed flakes.
Breeding potential: 5.
An easily bred species.
Remarks: A popular barb. Somewhat susceptible to Velvet disease, but regular partial water changes
greatly reduce chances of getting it.
This species is nearly extinct in nature.
Difficulty of care: 2. A robust and colorful fish recommended for community tanks.
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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