Cherry Barb

CHARACTERISTICS

The Cherry Barb (Puntius titteya) is a small, docile species of barb. They have pink bodies, with a couple stripes of brown scales going down the length of their bodies. They range from being bright hot red, to a more muted beige-pink tone. Males tend to be more colourful than the females of this species. 

These small barbs typically stay around 1-inch in length. They are a shoaling species of fish, and should be kept in schools of 3 or more. These fish do best in temperatures from the low 70's to high 70's. These fish will live 5 years on average if well cared for. A minimum tank size of 15 gallons is recommended for a small shoal of cherry barbs. 

Cherry Barbs are extremely easy to care for, and get along with a wide variety of community fish (unlike many other barb species). These fish are a little shy and don't do well in baren tanks. Make sure your shoal has a place to hide when feeling insecure. They do not harass other fish, and would be able to live with slow-moving or long-finned community fish without issue.