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Aquarium Fish Remarks Datafish

Barbus_pentazona_s.jpg picture

Family: Cyprinidae

Species: Barbus pentazona johorensis

Size: 2 in (5 cm)

Diet: Omnivorous

Temperament: Schooling

TankConditions: 74-79°F; pH 6.0-7.0; dH 4-10

TankLevels: Middle and Lower

Five Banded Barb

If given a large enough school, they will typically not bother any other fish in the aquarium. It is best when trying to breed the Hexazon Barb to provide coarse gravel in the breeding tank and after the eggs have been laid, remove the parents. In most cases, 200 eggs will hatch after a little over one full day, and the fry should be fed baby brine shrimp until large enough to accept crushed flake food.

The Hexazon Barb needs to be fed a variety of foods including vegetable-based as well as meaty foods. Feed a quality flake food as well as freeze-dried bloodworms, tubifex, and brine shrimp.

Most barbs are happy with a tank that provides plenty of swimming room with some plants or other decoration to provide shelter.

Barbs are generally peaceful, schooling fish, although some (e.g. Rosy barb, Tiger barb) are prone to be nippy. Any aggression is minimized by keeping them in a school of four to six fish, and they can then be mixed with most community fish. However it is not recommended to mix most of the larger-sized barbs with timid, very tiny, or fancy-finned fish. Larger barbs are lively, active and can be boisterous, so timid fish may become shy even if they are not being bullied. Many of the bigger species can be kept with quite large community fish or with cichlids. On the other hand, many barbs, and particularly small species such as the cherry barb, are extremely peaceful fish, sometimes inclined to be timid themselves.

Apart from a few plant-eating species that are not readily available, barbs are quite well-suited to planted aquaria.

Breeding: Barbs are egg scatterers that do not tend their eggs or fry and so a separate spawning/fry tank is needed. Spawning usually occurs between pairs, but in some species, one male may spawn with a group of two to three females.

In some species there are few visual differences between males and females, but in many males are more colourful than females and not as plump. To bring the adults into breeding condition, plenty of frozen foods should be included in the diet, and the water should be kept soft, slightly acid and with blackwater extract added. Fine leaved plants or an artificial spawning mop should be used to collect the eggs. A bare bottom is recommended so that the tank can be kept very clean. After spawning the parents should be removed.

The eggs take between 1 and 2 days to hatch. Very fine live foods, e.g. infusoria, are usually needed to raise the fry. Frequent feeding is important, as are daily water changes to keep water quality high.

Compatibility: Tetras, some Barbs, Gouramis, Livebearers, Rainbowfish, Discus, Angelfish, some Dwarf Cichlids, Plecos, Catfish, and Loaches.

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Cichlids: Articles and pictures on Cichlids, including care and tips for breeding popular aquarium species from Lake Tanganyika and Lake Malawi.

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