Cherry Barb

Why should I choose Cherry Barbs?

Cherry Barbs are pretty little fish, with a gentle but playful nature. They are easy very easy to keep,and fairly tolerant of most UK water conditions.

What Size do Cherry Barbs Grow and How Many Cherry Barbs Should I Keep?

We recommend keeping at least 4 Cherry Barbs, but groups of 6 or more ar best . Cherry barbs constantly exibit breeding behavior in the community tank, although the eggs always get eaten by other fish.

What Can I Feed Cherry Barbs in the Aquarium?

Cherry Barbs will eat flake food, but also love live and frozen foods. They really aren't fussy.

Where Does the Cherry Barb Live in the Wild?

The Cherry Barb comes from Sri Lanka. They're quite rare and a threatened species in the wild, but very easy to breed. All Cherry Barbs for sale in Aquarium stores are captive bred.

How can I tell Male and Female Cherry Barbs Apart?

Male Cherry Barbs are slightly smaller, slimmer and a much deeper red colour. Female Cherry Barbs are slightly larger, paler and have more rounded bellies

Can I Breed Cherry Barbs?

In the community aquarium the Cherry Barbs are continually breeding, but their eggs get immediately eaten. The eggs stick to plants

To breed Cherry Barbs, you will need a small breeding tank. This tank should should contain for lots of Java Moss. Fill the breeding tank and have the water (declorinated of course) at about 77 f. Before you move your Cherry Barbs from your community tank to the breeding tank, condition them to breed by feeding live and frozen foods such as daphnia, but also start a culture of brine shrimp so the fry have food when they hatch.

Place four Cherry Barbs in the breeding tank in the early evening (2 males, 2 females). The following morning the light of dawn should trigger them to spawn. The female Cherry Barbs lay 2 to 3 eggs at a times, and keep spawning typically until they've layed 2 to 3 hundred eggs. Cherry barb's eggs hang from plantrs on a tiny thread. The eggs will hatch after 24 hours. Once they are free swimming, feed them with a brine shrinp nauplii, then subsequently brine shrimp. Once they are about 3/4 cm, feed powdered flake, and once big enough not to fit in the mouth of your other fish, move to the community tank.