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Just as a cherry or two beautifully tops off a scrumptious sundae, the Cherry Barb makes an exquisite addition to any fish room. I acquired a healthy, energetic trio of Cherry Barbs a few months ago and soon discovered how appropriately they are named. A fish native to Sri Lanka, this barb is a member of one of the largest fish families, the Cyprinids. Their length typically ranges from 1.5” to 2”. They prefer slightly soft, acidic water and temperatures in the 70 to 80 degree range. The females have a beautiful zigzag pattern running along their lateral line that separates a soft green colouring on their backs and sides. Their fins have a soft, reddish hue. The males (at least the one I had), have a dark streak along their midline, but are flushed from tip to tail with a subtle crimson shade. They seem to have small mouths. Swimming takes the form of a quick, darting motion, and when searching the aquarium for food, they suspend themselves at a 45 degree angle. Cherry Barbs are incredibly social fish. When I first brought mine home, I kept them in an isolation tank. Here, the male alternated between being peaceful and being very aggressive toward his female counterparts. The females often hid under and behind the filter. At times, the male was so aggressive that I had to remove him. Later, when I placed the barbs in with several pairs of guppies, the male became angelic. In fact, all the barbs really seem to enjoy the company of other fish. When I first acquired my barbs, the male was in full breeding red. A few days later I saw what looked like hundreds of minute eggs scattered across the bottom of the tank. I had read that the Cherry Barb is an egg scattering species and that it is a good idea to cover the bottom with some type of screen. Caught off guard, I raced to a local store and bought some plastic screen but, by the time I got the bottom covered, most of the eggs had disappeared from parental consumption. I only had three babies from that first batch, but they have survived to this day. Vowing to be better prepared for the next spawning, I placed the male in his own tank and fed the females plenty of brine shrimp and flake food to get them in breeding form. About four weeks later, the two females looked plump. I readied the breeding tank by fitting the bottom with a new plastic screen that I had purchased from a $1 Store. I sandwiched the screen between some thin filter tops (underneath) and some clay pot trays (on top) to keep the screen weighed down at the bottom of the tank but elevated enough for the eggs to drop through the screen to the bottom for protection. I re-introduced the male and my preparedness paid off. Within 24 hours the bottom of the tank was littered with miniscule eggs. The screen prevented the parents from indulging in a spawn snack. I removed the parents and within thirty hours noticed tiny filaments sticking out from some of the eggs. For several days after that, I did not see anything. But then, at about a week, I noticed tiny fry resting on top of some of the clay trays. Occasionally they would dart here and there around structure. The young grow quickly to about a half inch at eight weeks. Anyone who wants stunning colour, a gentle disposition, and high energy would do well to add the Cherry Barb to their fish room. They truly are the sundae topping of the fish hobbyist.
Article Source: http://www.articlefishtalk.com
David Fischer (reprinted from the May 2006 issue of 'tank talk') www.dras.ca
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