Aquarium with fishes of the Cyprinidae family.
Large barbs: Barbonymus schwanenfeldii, Balantiocheilos melanopterus, Cyclocheilichthys apogon, Hypsibarbus pierrei, Leptobarbus hoevenii, Labiobarbus leptocheilus. They are very active and need enough space for swimming. They grow very quickly even in small aquariums, reaching up to 12 cm in length within a year.
Large, peaceful, highly active fish that attract aquarists’ attention not so much by the brightness of their attire, but by the dynamism and cohesion of group movements. The aquarium should be spacious, at least 1.5 meters long and 50 cm wide. When aquascaping, the fish’s dynamism should be taken into account, trying not to overload the tank with decorative elements so there is enough swimming space. They love open space, bright light, and clean water.
They look best against the background of dark substrate and a dark back wall. As additional decorations, several large stones, driftwood, and synthetic vegetation can be used. These fish like to dig in the substrate, so use coarse washed gravel and avoid plants, as these barbs love to nibble on them. If desired, you can plant hard-leaved plants with a powerful root system or replace them with artificial ones.
These are schooling fish. In a school (from 4 individuals), they get along well with other barbs, loaches, catfish, and calm cichlids. They prefer a community similar in size and temperament. Single individuals often become pugnacious, and in this case, tank mates find themselves stressed. The fish they live with should be large and robust. Keeping them with small neighbors is unacceptable. When they grow up, they can sometimes feed on small fish living in the same aquarium. They are excellent jumpers, and if the aquarium is not covered with a lid, they will constantly jump out of the water.
Given the large size of the fish, the aquarium must be equipped with a powerful filter. For better development and growth, it is advisable to create a water current using a water pump to simulate their natural environment. Frequent and substantial water changes, efficient filtration, water current, and aeration if necessary. They do not like cold water; the lower limit is 20°C.
These barbs are always hungry. Live, frozen, and dry foods can be used, and plant-based products must be included in the diet. With age, their fantastic appetite increases, and the fish begin to eat more and even hard-leaved aquatic vegetation. They prefer live foods such as Artemia, bloodworms, and white worms, although they can also eat flake food. They prefer taking food from the water column and are less willing to pick it up from the bottom.
Usually, imported fish are kept. They are susceptible to a disease resembling carp redpest, which is treated with salt baths (5 g/l) and biomycin (1 tablet per 25 l). Treatment should be carried out with caution, as fish easily go into shock. They live up to 10 years.
Fishes of the genus Barbus, Puntius. They inhabit the water bodies of South and Southeast Asia, Africa, and Europe. The body is elongated, and the caudal fin is two-lobed. Their small size, lively movements, and beautiful coloration make them one of the most interesting inhabitants of the home aquarium. Maintaining most species in an aquarium is not difficult.
An aquarium with a sufficient number of hiding places and vegetation will allow weaker individuals some respite from dominant conspecifics. Somewhat timid, they spend most of their time in the middle and lower layers of water, prefer dim lighting, and like to hide in plant thickets. They should be kept in groups of 6-8 individuals; in small groups or when kept singly, they are timid and aggressive. Barbs of different species, provided their sizes are comparable, get along well with each other and are therefore well-suited for community tanks.
Males can quarrel with each other: brightly colored, they rub against their sides and circle in place back and forth. Unable to withstand the pressure, the weaker rival leaves the “battlefield,” and the victor completely shifts his attention to the females. In both cases, the fish do not cause any harm to each other. Swimming throughout the aquarium, these schooling fish like to make a short stop among dense plantings. Therefore, the vegetation along the edges of the tank can be truly lush. To dim the light, a few floating plants can be used. In very bright and un-decorated aquariums, fish become timid. A soft, sandy substrate with the addition of a few pieces of driftwood and stones arranged to create plenty of shady spots is ideal.
These are small, rather unpretentious fish with a sociable disposition, constantly darting around the aquarium. It is worth noting that when kept in small numbers (2-3 fish), these barbs can show strong aggression both towards each other and towards other aquarium inhabitants. In addition, a school of tiger barbs moving rapidly around the aquarium can cause constant stress and discomfort to other less active inhabitants. For slow, timid, and small fish, these barbs are a poor company, as they can nip fins, especially in veil-tail forms. They can be kept in a community tank, but not with fish that have elongated or veil fins, because barbs can tear them. Barbs are energetic and agile fish, excellent jumpers, which must be taken into account by covering the aquarium with a lid.
They are undemanding regarding water quality and live well in medium-hard water. They prefer slightly soft, acidic water. Coloration fades when kept in water that is too hard or alkaline; do not keep fish in alkaline water, as they will get sick. Filtration and regular water changes are necessary. Water movement from filtration should not be too strong. The water should be mature with periodic partial changes. The most important thing that should never be forgotten: absolutely all species of barbs love clean and well-oxygenated water.
They are sensitive to low oxygen levels. This circumstance must be taken into account when choosing equipment for a barb tank. Constant aeration and filtration are desirable for the well-being of the fish. Water hardness is not critical for most species (preferably 8-15°), pH at 6.7-7.0, and temperature within 22-26°C. Barbs do not like overly acidic water (pH 6.0-6.2); they develop scale protrusion, fin splitting, movements become restless, and the fish rise to the surface and try to jump out of the aquarium.
Feeding barbs should not cause any difficulties. Preferring bloodworms, tubifex, and other live food, the fish also readily eat dry foods; individual species need plant-based supplements. Almost all species are very calm regarding plants in the aquarium, provided they have a balanced diet of plant and animal foods. Barbs are very unpretentious in their choice of food – they eat what they are given (dry, live, and frozen foods, and they love plant foods). Feeding should be varied, changing their diet as often as possible. They pounce on the offered food with greed, catching it in the water column, and later gladly pick it up from the bottom. Fish should be slightly underfed, as overeating leads to obesity and even death. The lifespan of the fish is 3-6 years.
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