May 01
Information will be coming soon
May 01
Information will be coming soon
May 01
Family: Cyprinidae
Distribution: Puntius lineatus, better known as Striped Barb, is an Asian freshwater species distributed in Malaysia and Indonesia, particularly in swamps, submerged grasses and in clear, black waters.
PH: 6.0 – 6.5
Temperature: 23°C – 26C (73 – 79F)
Hardness: 10 – 14 dH
Description: Puntius lineatus can reach a length of around 5 – 6 cm. Adult females have thicker bodies, while males have more obvious markings on their bodies.
Diet: Puntius lineatus, an omnivorous species, will eat most foods, but has a definite preference for live food. It enjoys worms, insects, plant matter, crustaceans in the wild, but will also take quality flakes and granules in an aquarium environment.
Breeding: This egg-scattering species has very similar breeding requirements to Puntius lateristriga. It can be spawned in a group or in pairs. You should condition the adults with live foods and move a male and a female to a separate, dimly lit breeding tank if choosing to spawn in pairs. It might be a good idea to cover the base of the tank with mesh; the eggs will fall through the mesh and therefore cannibalisation can be avoided. Another option is to put Java moss plants or spawning mops in your tank to give the fish a spot to deposit the eggs. The fry will probably hatch in 24 – 48 hours and the fry, which will be free swimming 24 hours later, can be fed on Infusoria before moving on to microworm or nauplii.
Comments: You should tank a small group of Puntius lineatus in at least a 70 litre tank. Puntius lateristriga will need a well-oxygenated tank, dim lighting, bogwood, roots and surface vegetation to simulate its natural environment. Include a gravel or sand substrate so you can see this species’ bright colours properly. This species is suitable for newcomers to the hobby.
Article/Books:
Recommended Compatible Species: The Striped Barb is a schooling species that should be kept in groups of at least 8 – 10. Do not house it with larger, aggressive species; it can be kept with other Puntius fish, Rasboras, loaches, Gouramis and some members of the Trichogaster species.
May 01
Family: Cyprinidae
Distribution: Puntius conchonius, better known as Rosy Barb, is an Asian freshwater species found in Pakistan, Afghanistan, India, Nepal, Bangladesh, and has been reported in Myanmar. It is distributed in lakes and fast-flowing hill streams.
PH: 6.0 – 8.0
Temperature: 18°C – 22C (64 – 72F)
Hardness: 5 – 19 dH
Description: Puntius conchonius can reach a maximum length of 14 cm. This barbel-less species has a slight lateral compression and a black spot near its caudal peduncle. It has a copper to green-gold back and metallic, bright orange to red flanks. Males, during spawning, turn a deep, bright red colour. Females are slightly larger than males; this species is beautiful and undemanding, which makes it one of the most desirable aquarium fish available.
Diet: The Rosy Barb is an omnivorous species that feeds upon worms, insects and crustaceans in the wild. In an aquarium environment, Puntius conchonius could be fed a variety of flake foods in addition to this live-food diet.
Breeding: Puntius conchonius is an egg scatterer and does not display parental care; remove the adults immediately once the eggs appear. The Rosy Barb will drop its eggs in densely planted areas. Provide a marble substrate and a water level of 3 – 8 inches when attempting to breed. This species can be spawned in a ratio of one male to two females; you should feed the adults up on live-foods to increase chances of effective spawning. Eggs – hundreds of them – will hatch in 24 – 30 hours and the fry can be fed roftiers, liquid food and powdered flake food after the yolk sac stage has finished.
Comments: You should tank this species in a tank with a capacity of at least 20 gallons. Add plenty of plant life to the corners of your tank and leave large open swimming spaces. The main tank’s substrate should be either a fine gravel or sand. You should make frequent partial water changes as opposed to large amounts of new water. This is one of the easiest species to keep and is highly recommended to beginners.
Article/Books:
Recommended Compatible Species: Puntius conchonius is a lively schooling fish that should be kept in groups of at least 8 – 10. Avoid housing this boisterous species with quiet, shy fish. Danios, Gouramis, Doradids, Loricariids and Loaches will all make excellent tank mates for this robust species.
May 01
Information will be coming soon
May 01
Family: Cyprinidae
Distribution: Puntius ticto, commonly known as Ticto Barb, is an Asian species found in India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Thailand and Bangladesh, among still, shallow, muddy-bottomed rivers.
PH: 6.5 – 7.0
Temperature: 14°C – 22C (57 – 72F)
Hardness: 3 – 10 dH
Description: Puntius ticto can reach a maximum length of around 10 cm. It is a golden-silver colour and has a black spot just above the pectoral fin, with a second spot near the caudal. Males have a brighter colouration and spotted dorsal, pelvic and anal fins; females, in contrast, are fatter and have a drabber colouration.
Diet: This omnivore eats anything you give it in an aquarium environment. A quality dried food product can serve as a base diet, but supplement this with live and frozen foods such as Daphnia and Artemia.
Breeding: Feed Puntius ticto on live foods before attempting to spawn them. This egg-scattering species is easy to breed – best done in pairs – and will spawn in the morning time. Don’t leave the adults alone with the eggs as they will eat them if given the chance. The eggs will hatch in 24 – 30 hours and the fry will be swimming freely in a further 24 hours. You should make small daily water changes – 10 to 20 per cent should be sufficient – until the fry has reached 3 – 4 months of age.
Comments: You should house a small group of Puntius ticto in an 89 litre tank. Provide a heavily-planted tank – twisted roots, smooth rocks and stones – and a dark substrate. It is advised you provide some surface vegetation, along with plenty of open area for swimming.
Article/Books:
Recommended Compatible Species: Puntius ticto should be kept in groups of at least 8 – 10. It is a friendly species that works very well in a community tank, and can be kept with Danios, Gouramis, Rasboras, Loricariids and Corydoras. Puntius ticto, unlike other Puntius, does not nip at the fins of longer-finned tank mates.
May 01
Family: Cyprinidae
Distribution: Puntius cumingii, commonly known as Two-spot Barb, is a Sri Lankan freshwater species found mainly from Kelani to the Gin basins. It was introduced into the Mahaweli basin and is now well distributed between Gampola and Ginigathena. Yellow-finned species usually occur in flowing waters, close to the substrate, while red-finned species are found in the marshes of the Kelani Valley foothills.
PH: 6.0 – 8.0
Temperature: 22°C – 27C (72 – 81F)
Hardness: 4 – 18 dH
Description: Puntius cumingii can reach a maximum length of 5 cm. There are two types of Puntius cumingii: the red-finned and yellow-finned varieties. The red-finned species will prefer a lower water current and will spend more time in the substrate than the yellow-fin. Males are slimmer than females and have a brighter coloration. The Two-spot Barb can live up to six years.
Diet: The Two-spot Barb is an omnivorous species that will feed on algae, detritus and plankton. In an aquarium environment, you should add some sinking wafers as a supplement to these foods.
Breeding: Puntius cumingii, an egg scatterer, does not display parental care; remove the adults immediately once the eggs appear. Provide a spawning mop or fine-leaved plants when attempting to breed the species. This species can be spawned in groups if necessary. Eggs will hatch in 24 – 48 hours and the fry can be fed on Infusoria before switching to freshly hatched brine shrimp at a later date.
Comments: You should tank this species in a tank with a capacity of at least 27 gallons. Add plenty of driftwood branches, surface vegetation and hardy plant species to your tank, and leave large open swimming spaces. You will need a dark substrate and dim lighting in order to see this species’ true colours. The Two-spot Barb is fairly undemanding and is highly recommended to beginners.
Article/Books:
Recommended Compatible Species: Puntius cumingii is a lively schooling fish that should be kept in groups of at least 8 – 10. You could try housing this species with other Sri Lankan stream-dwellers, such as Devario aequipinnatus, Devario malabaricus, Puntius titteya, and Rasbora vaterifloris.
May 01
Family: Cyprinidae
Distribution: Puntius tetrazona, commonly known as Tiger Barb, is an Asian freshwater species found in Sumatra and Borneo, in still and slow-moving rivers.
PH: 6.5 – 7.5
Temperature: 20°C – 25C (68 – 77F)
Hardness: 3 – 10 dH
Description: Puntius tetrazona can reach a maximum length of around 8 cm. It is a high-backed, barbel-less species. Its back is brown to orange and the belly is white to silver in colour. It has four bands across its body: one running through the eye and the last running along the bottom of the light-orange, transparent caudal fin. Other fins, except for the black dorsal fin, are transparent with a tinge of orange.
Diet: This omnivore eats anything you give it; flakes, vegetable foods, insect larvae, brine shrimp, Tubifex worms and insects are all good options.
Breeding: Feed Puntius tetrazona on live foods before attempting to spawn them. This egg-scattering species is easy to breed, but don’t leave the adults alone with the eggs as they will eat them if given the chance; alternatively you could distract the adults by feeding them white worms. The eggs, which can number 500 – 1000, will hatch in 24 – 30 hours. Puntius tetrazona will prefer neutral to soft water when breeding.
Comments: You should house a small group of Puntius tetrazona in a 10 gallon tank; larger fish can be kept in a 20 gallon tank. Provide a sand or gravel substrate for burrowing, along with some smooth rocks and driftwood branches. It is advised you provide plenty of open areas for swimming. Puntius tetrazona is a sensitive species that requires a moderate level of care.
Article/Books:
Recommended Compatible Species: Puntius tetrazona can be kept with Danios, Gouramis, Doradids, Loricariids and loaches of a peaceful temperament. Avoid housing this species with fish with long, flowing fins; a large tank will reduce Puntius tetrazona’s aggressiveness.
Apr 29
Information will be coming soon
Apr 29
Family: Cyprinidae
Distribution: Puntius titteya, commonly known as Cherry Barb, is an Asian freshwater species found in Sri Lanka’s Kelani and Nilwala basins; it is distributed in shaded streams and has a preference for shallow, slow-flowing waters.
PH: 6.0 – 8.0
Temperature: 23°C – 27C (73 – 81F)
Hardness: 5 – 19 dH
Description: Puntius titteya can reach a maximum length of around 5 cm. This elongated species has a fawn-coloured, green-tinged top and a silver side and belly. It has a distinctive horizontal stripe – brown-black to deep blue-black – that goes from its snout to its caudal fin. Males are redder than females and become brightly coloured when breeding; females are lighter and have yellow fins.
Diet: This omnivore eats anything you give it in an aquarium environment; a quality dried food product can serve as a base diet, supplement this with live and frozen foods such as Daphnia and Artemia. You should feed this species the same diet as Puntius tinto.
Breeding: Condition Puntius titteya on live foods before attempting to spawn them. This egg-scattering species is easy to breed – best done in pairs – and you should provide a dim-lit tank and spawning mops so the females can deposit their eggs effectively. The eggs will hatch in 24 – 36 hours and the fry will be swimming freely in a further 3 – 4 days. Feed the fry on Infusoria before it is large enough to accept microworm or nauplii.
Comments: You should house a small group of Cherry Barb in a 70 litre tank. Provide a river sand substrate, dimmed lighting and some driftwood to simulate its natural environment. It is advised you provide some surface vegetation, along with plenty of open area for swimming. These fish are easy to keep and are therefore suitable for beginners.
Article/Books:
Recommended Compatible Species: Puntius titteya should be kept in groups of at least six. Keep it with small, community fish; Danios, Guppies and Glassfish are all good options.
