Clown Barb 4cm

Clown Barb

 

The clown barb is a true hidden gem in the freshwater aquarium hobby. These sleek, energetic fish add some great activity especially into larger aquariums and whilst also having bright colours and a very peaceful nature making them an excellent choice for mid-sized community tanks.

 

The clown barb arguably might be the better looking tiger barb, these fish have a long, rounded body with a fantastic red hue which is especially bold in the fins. The belly carries a bight yellow streak which is contrasted by the vertical, tiger stripes that run from head to tail. These are ones that only get better with age especially once they settle into a planted aquarium. Due to the lack of awareness these fish have in the hobby they aren't commonly found in aquarium stores either and will be a great unique species to add into the tank.

 

Breeding clown barbs can be quite engaging as they are egg scatterers by nature. A separate breeding tank with fine-leaved plants or a spawning mop is ideal. The water should be slightly acidic to neutral, with a temperature maintained slightly higher than the main tank to encourage spawning. Identifying males from females is somewhat possible with slight body differences as males display brighter colours and are slimmer compared to the more rounded females when ready to spawn.

Tank Recommendations for Clown Barb
Clown Barbs are robust fish, and an adult group can be comfortably housed in a 120-litre tank. These fish are known for their swift swimming and shoaling behaviour, which is why a larger tank not only accommodates a decent-sized group but also provides the necessary space for their active nature. They are not particular about substrate but do appreciate the presence of live plants and driftwood that mimic their natural habitat. A temperature range of 22-26 degrees Celsius and slightly acidic to neutral pH would be the ideal parameters.

 

Suitable Tank Buddies

Clown barbs are versatile and can share their space with a variety of similarly sized and tempered fish.

 

Usually Compatible

Other cyprinids like danios, smaller rasboras, and loaches as well as a wide range of peaceful community aquarium fish which exceed the 5-6 cm size. Larger peaceful cichlids like Uaru or severums can also be considered.

 

Sometimes Compatible

Nano aquarium species such as endlers or guppies as well as neon tetras. Semi-aggressive species like fire mouth cichlids may coexist with Striped Barbs if the tank is spacious enough to dilute any territorial behaviour.

 

Rarely Compatible

Larger cichlids such as oscars, jaguar cichlids, African cichlids and shrimp.

 

Feeding your Clown Barb

Clown barbs like most common tropical aquarium fish are very easy to feed. They should be given a good quality, high protein pellet or flake food. They can also happily eat both floating or sinking pellets but a slow sinking pellet would offer the best of both worlds. This should also be supplemented with frozen foods such as black worms, blood worms or brine shrimp to bring out optimal health and colours in the fish.