Scarlet barbus - care and maintenance in the aquarium

Barbaras are very lively, unpredictable and funny fish. They are very interesting to watch in the aquarium, which is why they are very popular today. Another great advantage of these pets is their simplicity in terms of maintenance and nutrition. Basically, at the word barbaruses, everyone recalls the Sumatran species, however, in this family this is not the only variety of fish. Scarlet barberries are no less interesting and beautiful, however, they are not as common and popular as Sumatran ones.

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In nature, this species of carp is found in many territories. You can even find them in the Himalayan mountain range, in the state of Bangladesh, in the territories of India and China, on the island of Sri Lanka, in Burma, Thailand, Nepal and Pakistan. In these areas, barbaras settle in the backwaters of rivers of various sizes. These fish are common in the waters of Irrawaddy, Meklong and Mekong. In these reservoirs, the flow is rather slow, and the bottom is covered with silt. In Europe, this type of barbus appeared only in 1903.

The appearance of the scarlet barbus

Scarlet barberries are very small fish that reach a maximum of 6 centimeters in length. It is extremely rare to meet individuals whose length will be 10 centimeters. The body shape of barberries is, in principle, standard, somewhat elongated in length and flattened laterally.

The color is very interesting in this species of fish. The back is presented in greenish and grayish shades. On the sides, the color gradually turns into silver, but the abdomen is already acquiring a completely light shade. The fins located on the back are covered with dark dots, and those located on the abdomen are red.

In the area of ​​the tail, as well as above the fins located on the breast, you can notice dark spots with a golden border around it. Scales also stand out strongly, forming a grid pattern on the body. Along the body is a distinctive feature of red barberries - a red stripe.

There are some differences between males and females. The male representatives are smaller, but brighter in color. Quite often you can meet males with a bright pink color. The red stripe on the side becomes most noticeable during the laying of eggs.

Variety of barberry with a red stripe

In addition to the traditional and well-known variety of scarlet barbus, there is also a hybrid form, which is called Odessa barbus. The original name of this species is unknown today, they began to call it Odessa only because when it was brought from Vietnam, it was transported through Odessa. This species of fish does not differ in bright color, as a rule, they have greenish and brown shades. All fins except the tail also contain dots.

There is also some evidence today of the presence of yet another variety of red barberry. They call it the tikto of the little capital. Such a subspecies can be distinguished by a fin on the back of a bright red color, which also contains dots on itself.

Behavior and compatibility with other individuals

These small and beautiful fish are very active, which is their main feature. For this reason, keeping them alone is highly discouraged; it is best to place at least 6 individuals in one tank. Such an amount will allow creating the necessary hierarchy in the group, which will significantly reduce the stress of the fish and the number of conflicts.Under these conditions, the behavior of the fish also changes; they fully reveal their characters. As a result, it becomes very interesting to observe them. Moreover, barberries are becoming more vivid in the group. It is not recommended to put a couple of barberries in the aquarium, because under such conditions they begin to be shy and nervous, as a result of which they lose their brightness and often get sick.

Despite the fact that barberries are non-aggressive fish, it is still not recommended to populate them in the same tank with fish having long and wide fins or tails. Barberries can very easily bite and eat them.

Large predatory individuals should not be placed in the same aquarium with these individuals, as they will harm weaker fish and simply eat them. It is best to add fish from their family, the Sumatran barberries, as well as cherry and mutants, to the scarlet barberries.

How to arrange conditions for barberries?

These fish representatives are not too demanding on the conditions of detention, therefore, to ensure proper care, you need to perform only a few points:

1. It is best to choose a spacious container. A great option would be a volume of about 60 liters, but at the same time, the length should be 60 centimeters.
2. Water must always be clean, it must be controlled, changes must be made regularly. A prerequisite for the aquarium is the installation of an aerator and filter. If a small current is created due to the operation of these systems, there is nothing wrong with that. Water temperature should be in the range of 20-25 degrees. Maximum acidity should not exceed 7 units, and hardness 15.
3. Lighting in the aquarium is too bright is not required, it is better if it is slightly muffled. You can even pick up bluish lighting in this case, it’s better to place it at the top, next to the front wall of the aquarium.
4. Soil is best to choose large, gravel or large pebbles will work well.
5. Plants must be present in the aquarium, and plants need to be planted at the bottom with roots, as well as floating plants.
6. Decorative elements should also be present in the container. Various driftwood, stones and other elements are perfect.

Feeding

So that the fish do not lose their beautiful bright color, it is recommended to add artificial additives containing carotenoids to their diet.

Breeding

The breeding process in these fish is, in principle, not complicated. Before breeding, you must first prepare a separate tank with a volume of up to 20 liters. At the bottom it is worth placing a grid and various small plants. This is necessary in order to protect the eggs from male and female, as they can eat it. It is also necessary to provide the necessary conditions for keeping individuals, the water level should not exceed 20 centimeters.

Spawning in most cases begins early in the morning. At this time, the male begins to chase the female, as a result of which she lays eggs on various surfaces in the aquarium. The male immediately fertilizes the eggs. After that, future parents are removed from the tank, returned back to the general aquarium.

Video: aquarium fish scarlet barbus