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Rosy Barb Cuming's Barb Black Ruby Barb / Purple-Headed Barb Checker Barb, Island Barb Tinfoil Barb, Goldfoil Barb Tiger Barb Cherry Barb Pearl Danio Leopard Danio Zebra Danio Giant Danio White Cloud Mountain Minnow Harlequin Fish Pigmy Rasbora, Spotted Rasbora Scissortail Flying Fox Red-tailed Black Shark Originating in Eurasia, Africa, Asia and North America, the Cyprinidae family includes a wide choice of moderately sized, hardy, undemanding, colourful fishes. Cyprinids have a unique feature: they have no teeth in their jaws; instead they grind up their food using teeth in their throats (known as "pharyngeal" teeth). There are three aquarium-suitable groups in the family — Barbs, Danios and Rasboras. However, there are also many Cyprinid species which don't fall into any one of these categories. In general, Barbs are very active, midwater and bottom-dwelling fishes. The common name is taken from the generic name Barbzis, the Latin for bearded. This refers to the "barbels" — whisker-like growths which many Barbs carry at the side of the mouth. These help the fish to search for food on the riverbed or aquarium floor. Most Danios are active fishes, swim in the upper levels of the aquarium and feed at the water surface. Whereas Barbs are quite happy in still water, Danios are native to faster-flowing, slightly cooler waters, and so they appreciate well-filtered, well-oxygenated water in their tank. Being naturally gregarious, they thrive better when kept in shoals. Rasboras combine both Barb and Danio characteristics: they inhabit top and midwater levels of the water, and are very active. Like Danios they are happier in shoals.
Barbus conchonius (Rosy Barb)
Pair of Rosy Barbs (female below)
An aquarist's dream, the Rosy Barb is hardy, active, colourful, and a very ready breeder. Mature males change to a deep pink colour when they are ready to breed (hence their common name). Recently, long-finned varieties have been developed. SPECIES DETAILS: Size: 100 mm long Origin: N. India Sexing: Males have black fins, and a deep copper-pink body at breeding time Ease of keeping: Easy Food: All foods Breeding method: Egg-scatterer, will guard eggs Breeding potential: Easy; very prolific
AQUARIUM CONDITIONS Water: Soft, medium-hard Temperature: 24°C Tank type: Community Swimming level: Midwater and lower levels
Male Cuming's Barb
This small, neat-looking Barb is golden-brown in colour, with two distinct black blotches on each side. The leading edges of its scales are dark, creating a net-like pattern all over its body. This species lacks barbels. There are two local variants of Cuming's Barb: one with red fins, the other with yellow. SPECIES DETAILS Size: 50 mm long Origin: Sri Lanka Sexing: Females are duller and, at breeding time, plumper Ease of keeping: Easy Food: All foods, including vegetable matter Breeding method: Egg-scatterer Breeding potential: Moderately easy
AQUARIUM CONDITIONS Water: Soft, medium-hard Temperature: 24°C Tank type: Community Swimming level: Midwater and lower levels
Barbus nigrofasciatus (Black Ruby Barb / Purple-Headed Barb)
Male Black Ruby Barb
Like the Rosy Barb, the Black Ruby male undergoes a dramatic colour change at breeding time. His body turns a deep black-red colour, and his head becomes deep purple. When out of breeding colours, the male is a similar colour to the female — pale yellow with dark stripes — but he has more traces of black on his body, and his fins are black, whereas the female's are clear. SPECIES DETAILS Size: 65 mm long Origin: Sri Lanka Ease of keeping: Easy Food: All foods Breeding method: Egg-scatterer
AQUARIUM CONDITIONS Water: Soft, medium-hard Temperature: 24°C Sexing: Males are black-red at breeding time; females plumper Breeding potential: Easy; may need higher temperature Tank type: Community Swimming level: Midwater and lower levels
Barbus oligolepis (Checker Barb, Island Barb)
Female Checker Barb The common name describes this small, reddish Barb
exactly - each scale has a dark edge which gives the fish a checkerboard pattern. It
differs from the usual shape of the Barb group (see p.36) by having a SPECIES DETAILS AQUARIUM CONDITIONS Water: Soft, medium-hard Barbus schwanenfeldi (Tinfoil Barb, Goldfoil Barb)
Group of Tinfoil Barbs
This very large fish has a ''chromium-plated'
appearance to its scales, hence its common name. The metallic colouring covers the whole
fish, but for its red dorsal fin. Although the Tinfoil Barb is a peaceful species, its
sheer bulk may intimidate or disturb smaller fishes. It has a voracious appetite for
vegetation. SPECIES DETAILS AQUARIUM CONDITIONS
Group of Tiger Barbs
SPECIES DETAILS AQUARIUM CONDITIONS Barbus titteya (Cherry Barb)
Pair of Cherry Barbs (female above)
AQUARIUM CONDITIONS Brachydanio albolineatus (Pearl Danio)
Pair of Pearl Danios (female above)
The Pearl's delicate colours of pastel-blue marked with gold lines are best seen in natural sunlight, particularly if the light enters through the front glass of the aquarium. The fast-moving Pearl Danio usually keeps to the upper levels, where it is constantly active, looking for food. It is therefore a good idea to fit a lid to prevent jumping. SPECIES DETAILS Size: 57 mm long Origin: S.E. Asia Sexing: Females are duller and plumper Ease of keeping: Easy Food: All foods Breeding method: Egg-scatterer; will spawn either in a group or as a pair Breeding potential: Easy
AQUARIUM CONDITIONS Water: Soft, medium-hard Temperature: 24"C Tank type: Community Swimming level: Upper levels and midwater Special needs: Sunlight; space; lid
Brachydanio frankei (Leopard Danio)
Male Leopard Danio
The golden-coloured body of this fish is covered with tiny leopardskin-like spots, hence the common name. A slim, fast-swimming species, the Leopard Danio is very similar in shape to the Zebra Danio (see opposite top). And like the Zebra, its dorsal fin is set a long way back on its body. There is some confusion about the origins of the fish, simply because no-one is certain if it is a natural species or aquarium-developed. In either case this Danio's origins lie in the Far East — in mountain streams or in a fishbreeder's establishment.
SPECIES DETAILS Size: 57 mm long Origin: Far East Sexing: Females are plumper Ease of keeping: Easy Food: All foods Breeding method: Egg-scatterer Breeding potential: Easy
AQUARIUM CONDITIONS Water: Soft, medium-hard Temperature: 24°C Tank type: Community Swimming level Upper levels and midwater
Brachydanio rerio (Zebra Danio)
Female Zebra Danio
The slender body of the Zebra Danio is covered in alternating horizontal stripes of dark blue and silver or gold (depending on the light). The pattern continues on the anal fin, but the remaining fins are practically colourless. Being easy to breed, it is often recommended as the ideal beginner's breeding fish. This Danio will spawn as a large group as well as simple pairs, but it is an avid egg-eater so protect the eggs (see p. 248). A group of these active fishes will add movement and excitement to your aquarium. SPECIES DETAILS Size: 45 mm long Origin: Eastern India Sexing: Females are duller and plumper Ease of keeping: Easy Food: All foods Breeding method: Egg-scatterer Breeding potential: Easy; but protect eggs from hungry parents
AQUARIUM CONDITIONS Water: Soft, medium-hard Temperature: 24°C Tank type: Community Swimming level Upper levels and midwater Danio malabaricus (Giant Danio)
Male Giant Danio
As its name implies, the Giant Danio is the largest of the Danio group, and requires plenty of swimming room. The fish has a grey-blue back, but the colour fades to a pale pink on the belly. The sides are marked with narrow horizontal bands of blue and yellow, reminiscent of those of the Pearl Danio (see opposite top). This fish is best kept in a group. SPECIES DETAILS Size: 100 mm long Ease of keeping: Easy Origin: Sri Lanka, India Sexing: Females are deeper-bodied; central stripe runs horizontally on males, but turns up at base of caudal fin on females Breeding method: Egg scatterer Breeding potential: Easy
AQUARIUM CONDITIONS Water: Soft, medium-hard Food: All foods Temperature: 24°C Tank type: Community Swimming level: Upper levels
Tanichthys albonubes (White Cloud Mountain Minnow)
Pair of White Cloud Mountain Minnows (female above)
A very hardy, colourful species, the White Cloud Mountain Minnow
has an olive-brown body with a distinctive series of iridescent blue and red-brown bands
along the flanks. It has a slightly upturned mouth with no barbels. It tolerates cooler
temperatures than other Cyprinids, and can be kept outdoors during summer months (see p.
279). SPECIES DETAILS AQUARIUM CONDITIONS Temperature: 24°C in summer, lower in winter Rasbora heteromorpha (Harlequin Fish)
Female Harlequin fish
Basically silver in colour, the Harlequin Fish has gained its
common name. from the blue wedge-shaped marking which starts beneath its dorsal fin and
runs to its tail. Its method of breeding differs from that of many other Cyprinids as it SPECIES DETAILS Ease of keeping: Easy AQUARIUM CONDITIONS Temperature: 24'C Swimming level: All levels Special: needs Plants Rasbora maculata (Pigmy Rasbora, Spotted Rasbora)
Pigmy Rasbora
SPECIES DETAILS Sexing: No visible differences AQUARIUM CONDITIONS Temperature: 24°C Rasbora trilmeata (Scissortail)
Male Scissortail
This Rasbora is mostly silver in colour, with a black blotch in
each lobe of the caudal fin. It is considerably larger than other fishes in the same
group, but an aquarium-kept specimen will never grow as large as its wild counterparts. As
an active, shoaling fish, the Scissortail requires plenty of swimming space. When standing
still, it lives up to its common name by constantly twitching its forked caudal fin open
and shut like a pair of scissors. SPECIES DETAILS
Swimming level: Upper levels
Epalzeorhynchus kallopterus (Flying Fox)
Flying Fox
SPECIES DETAILS
Swimming level: Midwater and lower levels
Labeo bicolor (Red-tailed Black Shark)
SPECIES DETAILS Sexing: No visible differences Breeding potential: Not known to have bred in an aquarium
AQUARIUM CONDITIONS Tank type: Community Swimming level: Midwater and lower levels |
