Striped Barb 5cm

Striped Barb

The Puntius Lineatus, commonly referred to as the Striped Barb, is a hidden gem in the freshwater aquarium hobby. These sleek, energetic fish add some great activity, especially into larger aquariums and whilst they may not have the bold colours of some other freshwater species, their peaceful nature makes them an excellent choice for mid-sized community tanks.

The Striped Barb is quite simplistic in its looks with a metallic gold body colour contrasted by prominent black stripes that run the length of its sides. The face area tends to be a darker coffee brown with an equally metallic almost pearl-white belly. Just near the gill place, there is a splash of jade green as well, when smaller these colours tend to be more muted however this is a fish that really shines with age. This patterning provides excellent camouflage amongst the densely planted streams these fish come from, they will make for a fantastic species to add to a river or black water biotope. 

Breeding Striped 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 Striped Barb

Striped 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

Striped 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 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 the Oscars, Jaguar Cichlids, African Cichlids, and Shrimp.

Feeding your Striped Barb

Striped 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.