Barbs get a bad rap. From fickle all the way to fin-nippers. And I agree. Most of them are subpar tankmates. But they’re usually housed wrong, and cherry barbs are no exception.
What about when they’re housed properly?
You’d be hard-pressed to find a cheaper, hardier, prettier, and more peaceful barb. Go ahead, try. I’ll be here waiting for you to admit defeat.
Cherry barbs can handle a variety of water parameters. They do great without a heater. These guys aren’t picky, fussy, or aggressive, and – best of all – they’re super active.
So, go ahead, do a happy dance. I won’t tell.
With all that said, you should learn how to take care of them before you go tossing them in a bucket of water. Because, like any living thing, they have some caveats.
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Table of contents
FAQ
Is my cherry barb pregnant?
Since they’re not livebearers, they literally can’t get pregnant. So you either have a super fat female on your hands.
Which is great, she’s probably ready to breed, and that means you did your job taking care of them!
Or you have a bloated cherry barb. Which is less than ideal. But I have a whole article on bloat if you don’t know what that is.
Can I put cherry barbs in outdoor pond?
Cherries do great in summer tubs! And, with any luck, you’ll get a good deal of fry out of it! (Yay!)
Are cherry barbs fin nippers?
Like most barbs, cherries get a bad rap for being nippy. Which is unfortunate because they’re not nippy if they’re housed properly.
If you’re seeing nipping behavior in your cherries, something is seriously wrong with your setup.
No worries, we can fix it.
Puntius titteya Classification
IUCN Status: Vulnerable – last assessed August 2019
Class: Actinopterygii are ray-finned fishes, which is a subcategory of boney fishes. These fish are characterized by the bony structures that support their webbed fins. This group makes up nearly half of all living vertebrates.
Order: Cypriniformes includes over 400 genera (the plural for genus) and more than 4,200 species of carp, minnow, loaches, and relatives.
Family: Cyprinidae, or collectively called cyprinids or the “carp family,” is composed of egg scattering species that exhibit no parental care.
Genus: Puntis is a genre of small cyprinid species from south and mainland Asia, as well as Twain.
Species: Puntius titteya
What Does Puntius titteya Mean?
Puntius and titteya both come from local terms for the fish. And sometimes, a word doesn’t have a deeply rooted meaning beyond what it is.
Which seems to be what we have here.
Find Other Fish
Looking for something specific? You can discover other fish with similar characteristics! They open in a new tab so you can keep reading too!
Cherry Barb Natural Habitat
Cherry barbs are endemic to Sri Lanka. Their habitat is restricted to the Kelani and Nilwala river basins in the southwestern ‘wet zone’ of the island. Endemic simply means they don’t live anywhere but there.
Now where it get particularly interesting is what their habitat looks like.
The majority of the tropical fauna on Shri Lanka inhabits the same wetland areas as the streams and lakes cherry barbs live in. So there’s a ton of opportunities for fun biotopes here.
From leaf litter to tropical marginal plants, flowers, logs, stone, dirt, sand, moss-carpeted stream beds, they live in a ton of different environments because life is so diverse here. Though, due to deforestation and human activity, the diversity is dropping off almost daily.
Sympatric fish species include Rasboroides vaterifloris, Puntius bimaculatus, P. kelumi, Pethia nigrofasciata, Dawkinsia singhala, Schistura notostigma, Mystus vittatus, Aplocheilus werneri, Channa orientalis, Malpulutta kretseri, and Mastacembelus armatus.
Aquarium Care
Difficulty: Beginner
Size: 2″ (5 cm) max
Lifespan: 5 years
Tank Size: 10 gallons (40 liters)
Diet: Omnivore – forager
Temperature: 68 – 81 F (20 – 26 C)
Despite their vulnerable status in the wild, these guys are widely available. They’re no longer legal to import or export from Shri Lanka, so the ones you’ll see are almost guaranteed to be captive-bred. Which is another great thing!
Tank Specs
You’ll want to keep a shoal of these guys in a 10-gallon as a minimum. If you want to go bigger than that, long is better than standard, and vastly better than tall.
Although they can cope with with ammonia and nitrites, you’ll still want to keep everything as low as you can. I suggest 25% water changes bi-weekly to be safe. But, depending on your setup, you could probably stretch it it monthly.
If you’re experienced and they’re going to be your only fish in the tank, you can definitely go down to a 5-gallon. It’s not something I would wholeheartedly recommend, but it’s an option if you have experience on your side.
As long as your house is reasonably warm, you won’t need a heater for these guys, either. But, if you want to see my favorite aquarium heaters, I have a whole article on that.
Stocking
In an ideal world, you’d want at least two females for every male and at least six cherry barbs total. If you happen to overstock on males, you’ll likely just end up with some additional color and displaying.
Even in high male to female ratios, these guys don’t get nippy or aggressive. But I don’t suggest going below six of them in your shoal as a bare minimum. Ten or more would be better.
If you’re experiencing issues with aggression or getting nippy, your shoal numbers or male to female ratio is likely the culprit. If your numbers look good, it’s likely a lack of cover in the tank.
Decor
I would lean into a biotope for these guys because there’s so much you can do – from flooded jungle streams to river basins. There’s a ton of fun opportunities.
If biotopes aren’t your thing, fear not.
Cherry barbs don’t seem to care as long as you have a decent amount of cover for them. Without cover, even in large numbers, they’re not going to behave naturally or color up as intensely.
From neon-colored gravel and spawning mops made of yarn to a fully planted biotope, you have carte blanche with cherry barbs.
Best Plants For Cherry Barbs
Since cherry barbs can tolerate a wide range of temperatures, parameters, flow rates, and lighting situations, your plant options are almost unlimited.
Since they’re mid to top water shoalers, you also have the opportunity to do a carpet without it affecting their natural behavior. Or a paludarium, which would look amazing.
But for most setups, I would suggest mosses and bushy plants. Not just for spawning purposes, but also to give them some cover as well as break up sightlines. Here are a few ideas to get you started – but it’s far from a definitive list:
Cryptocoryne wendtii
Crypts aren’t usually known for being easily adaptable. They have a tendency to die when conditions suddenly change, but they’re easy once they are established. They can take a wide variety of parameters and anything from high to low lighting. Again, just keeping things stable as it settles is your best chance of success.
Vallisneria
Vals come in a ton of varieties, but most of them are about the same to grow. They can grow rapidly, and quickly cover your tank with lush, kelp-like forests for your fish. Some species, however, do grow much shorter than others.
Lemon Bacopa (Bacopa Carolinia)
It’s as bulletproof as Java fern, but grows as fast as hornwort – Bacopa carolinia is truly the best of both worlds if you’re looking for a hardy species you can plant in the substrate. It grows up to 40″ (not a typo) and propagates quickly, which is great for larger tanks that need a ton of cover on the cheap.
Difficulty: Bulletproof
Growth: Fast
Temperature: 64 – 86F (18 – 30C)
Java Moss
Dwarf Aquarium Lily (Nymphaea stellata)
There are a few lilies that are called “dwarf aquarium lilies,” but Nymphaea stellata is probably the easiest to take care of. It usually comes from a bulb that quickly sprouts huge leaves. In a short time, it’ll grow to the top of your tank and block out most of your light. This is great for fish that need cover, but if you need to get light to your other pants, it can be trimmed as well.
Pennywort sp.
There are quite a few species of pennywort, but most have similar care requirements and grow quickly. Because they can be grown in or out of the water, in a variety of ways, and in a wide range of conditions, this makes them a super adaptable aquarium plant. They also make exceptional plants for summer tubs!
Sweet Potato
It’s hard to describe just how magnificent these root structures look once they get going, but you really can’t ask for a better or cheaper aquarium plant for keeping the water clean. Especially since you can pick it up on your next grocery shopping trip.
Bacopa sp.
Bacopa comes in a variety of species and variants – some more demanding than others – but the least demanding is Bacopa carolinia. It is banned in a few states because of its invasive species status, but it makes a wonderful addition to most aquariums if you can get it.
Vallisneria
Vals come in a ton of varieties, but most of them are about the same to grow. They can grow rapidly, and quickly cover your tank with lush, kelp-like forests for your fish. Some species, however, do grow much shorter than others.
Anubias (Anubias barteri)
The anubias barteri species has over 13 variants that call it home – so if you think you’ve seen them all, your probably wrong. They range in size, color, and shape, and are nearly guaranteed to be bulletproof. They don’t experience melt as often as most other immerse-grown aquarium plants and do well in low-tech setups – even with plant-munching fish.
Java Fern
Java fern is a nearly indestructible low light plant that can put up with tons of abuse. It doesn’t need Co2, fertilizers, or fancy soils. There are tons of lush, beautiful, jungle-like aquascapes you can create with it too!
Java Moss
Java moss is an almost bulletproof plant that requires almost no care. It doesn’t grow nearly as slowly as it’s java fern cousin, and can create lush moss beds that blow and billow in the current. They’re a great option for grazers, fry, or those of you with the blackest of thumbs.
Lighting & Filtration
Cherry barbs aren’t bothered by bright or dim light, so long as they have some cover. But filtration is where they get pickier. You going to need *drum roll*…
A sponge filter!
Seriously, could these guys get any easier?
If you have an HOB or a HMF, they’d do fine with either of those too. I don’t suggest a canister or a hillstream setup for these guys, but they could work in one of those as well.
If you don’t know where to start on filtration, I’ve included my favorite sponge filters and air pumps below. But, honestly, if you have a filter that came with a tank kit or a spare, it’ll probably work here.
Suggested lighting & filtration
Hikari sponge filter
Rating: 4.8 stars
Price: $7 – $12 *size dependent
Theses things have been around forever, and it’s because people love them. Most of the people who leave bad reviews on them are upset that they didn’t know they needed an air pump or hose and the directions suck – because there are none – which is fair enough.
Otherwise, I’ve heard complaints about these filters very rarely.
These Filters
Rating: 4.4 stars
Price: $5 – $7
I want to give you a name for these, really, I do. But the problem is that they change the name of these things every few weeks – which is insane and annoying.
Nonetheless, these name-swapping off-brand filters are super cheap and work amazingly.
Ziss Bubble Filter
Rating: 4.8 stars
Price: $25
Though not a sponge filter, this is a great filter that works well for tanks that need low flow. Cleaning them is slightly more involved, but they do make less of a mess coming out of the tank than normal sponge filters. They are, like HMFs, hard to find in the states and I’m not sure how long they’ll be at the place linked. (Great place to buy plants, by the way.)
Tetra Whisper Air Pump
Rating: 4.4 stars
Price: $5 – $24 *size dependent
These air pumps are super quiet and last forever – plus the price isn’t bad. I will say I haven’t been able to find them this cheap in person though.
Water Care
Like any fish, you’re going to want to keep up on their water quality the best you can. Again, I suggest at least 25% every other week.
If you don’t have dechlorinator, you’ll want to get some. Salt, on the other hand, doesn’t seem to be a huge factor one way or another for these guys.
But it does come in handy for bloat. So if you have $3, I suggest grabbing some because these guys are prone to bloat-related issues.
Aside from the basics, your basic meds should be able to get you through anything you encounter with your cherry barbs. I’ve included the minimalist’s guide to cherry barb medications below.
It’s a practical little med cabinet and it’s reasonably affordable.
Suggested water care & meds
Dechlorinator
My all time favorite is Prime, but it is on the expensive side. It can be a serious life saver in an emergency situation though, which is why I keep it handy. If you’re not into the price, I also use Stress Coat and API’s Tap Water Condition and they work just as well for most situations. If you have issues with your tap containing ammonia, nitrite, or nitrate, I highly suggest Prime.
Aquarium Salt
Rating: 4.9 stars
Price: $3 – $7 *size dependent
I’ve never noticed a major difference between one aquarium salt to another, to be honest, but I use API Aquarium Salt because it’s the most readily available. Aquarium salt is useful for a wide variety of situations and I always suggest you keep this on hand – especially if you’re skeptical of using medications.
API General Cure
Rating: 4.5 stars
Price: $20 for 20 packets
This stuff works great for a wide variety of illnesses you’ll encounter. If you’re going to buy it, you’ll want to buy more than one pack though.
Ich-X
Rating: 4.6 stars
Price: $16
Maracyn-2
Rating: 4.4 stars
Price: $14 for 24 packets
Maracyn-2 is the same thing as API’s Erythromycin. It works just as well as API’s on most fungal and some bacterial infections. This includes things like body fungus, cotton mouth, some cases of bacterial-related dropsy, and fin and body rot – but it works on tons of other oddball illnesses as well.
Feeding Cherry Barbs
Feeding cherry barbs is a breeze. I don’t suggest flakes for about 1,000 different reasons, but they will take them if that’s all you have for now.
If you want to get them to show that deep punchy red we all love so much, you’ll want to consider more quality foods. Particularly those with carotenoids, if you can.
White worms, blood worms, grindal worms, glass worms (mosquito larvae), scuds, daphnia, baby brine shrimp, wingless fruit flies, and other high-quality live foods would be perfect for these guys.
But it’s important to remember that they are foragers, so they’ll gladly accept plant matter too.
Even high-quality sinking foods will work here. Think Repashy, sinking flakes, frozen mysus, and frozen versions of the above list. If you can’t swing those, freeze-dried versions are okay.
Not into creepy crawlies? Golden pearls, decap baby brine shrimp eggs, and a variety of smaller pellets would work too.
But the most important thing is variety. Of course, I put together a handy little shopping list for you if you’re lost on where to start.
Food list
- Decap brine shrimp eggs
- Golden Pearls (300 – 500 micron & 500 – 800-micron set)
- Freeze-dried daphnia
- Freeze-dried brine shrimp
- Copepods
- Cobalt Fry Food (for adults – might be able to crumble for fry)
- Freeze-dried tubifex
- Freeze-dried blackworms
- Frozen (or freeze-dried) bloodworms
- Frozen (or freeze-dried) mysis shrimp
Diseases Cherry Barbs Typically Get
Cherry barbs, of course, can get almost any freshwater disease. However, there are a few diseases that people seem to encounter much more often than others. The biggest one is bloat.
Most of the time, it’s the female cherry barbs that seem to get it. It’s likely due to being egg bound, so keep an eye out.
With that, here’s everything you should be hyper-vigilant about in your shoal:
Bloat
Bloat certainly doesn’t have to be as severe as the picture, but you get the idea. Bloating is an accumulation of gas, fluids, or unpassed food present in the fish. Although I have no proof, I suspect this is why most people search “how to tell if [insert fish species] is pregnant” even if they can’t get pregnant. There is a difference between a bloated fish and a fish that’s eaten too much – the fish that ate too much will act normal whereas the other usually won’t.
Symptoms:
- Your fish’s stomach is distended without raised scales
- Fish may appear to be in some sort of discomfort and avoid swimming or other usual activities
- May not be pooping
Causes:
- Intestinal blockage
- Constipation
- Internal bacterial infection
- Internal growths/tumors
Columnaris (Cotton Mouth Disease)
Occasionally called false neon tetra disease or cottonmouth, this is caused by a gram-negative bacterium. it can also, quite understandable, be confused with fungal infections.
Symptoms:
- Discolored scales
- Scales appear to be popping off (not “pineconing”)
- Grey spots
- Lesions on the back
- Legions around the mouth
- May result in fuzzy patches due to secondary infections
Causes:
- Flavbacterium columnare (bacteria)
Ich (White Spot Disease)
Ich is caused by a parasite that, to many, looks like tiny white pimples across the fish. It can attach to the mouth, fins, body, and gills. You can usually see fish scraping themselves against objects (likely because parasites are itchy!) before white spots even appear.
Symptoms:
- White spots
- Scratching
- Redness or bloody streaks
Causes:
- Ichthyophthirius multifilis (parasite)
Bacterial Infection
Bacterial infection is a broad term, the bacteria family can cause a wide range of symptoms and come from varying causes. Generally, you can treat them with a broad spectrum antibacterial regardless of the particular bacteria at hand. It’s diagnosing that’s usually the hard part.
Making matters even more difficult, fish can have an internal or external bacterial infection.
Symptoms:
- Red streaks
- Red ulcers
- Fuzzy growths
- Pop eye
- Bloating
Causes:
- Poor water quality
- Food that’s gone bad
- Keeping fish in inappropriate water parameters
- Stress
13 Great Tank Mates For Cherry Barbs
Now the fun part. What can you put with my cherry barbs? Anything peaceful, that doesn’t mind some activity, and doesn’t need an insane water movement. And something that won’t eat them, obviously.
Cherry barbs have hit or miss success with shrimp and bettas (betta splendens, not all betta species.)
So proceed with some caution if that’s your plan. And obviously most cichlids are out of the question here, but that still leaves a ton of options.
Your standard neon tetras, serpae tetras, black skirts, and the like will work here. But you didn’t come here for run-of-the-mill suggestions, did you?
Here are some options to get your creative juices flowing:
Celestial Pearl Danio (Danio margaritatus)
CPDs or Galaxy Rasbora (although they’re not a rasbora or a danio,) are small shoaling species. When stocking, buy as many as possible, 8 being the minimum I’d personally suggest. There have been reports that they’re hard to transition onto prepared foods, but this may be wild-caught specimens. There are numerous reports that they’ll take finely crushed flakes and micropellets.
Silvertip Tetra (Hasemania nana)
If you like fish that will follow your finger like ravenous sharks, these are your fish. They’re a nearly unspookable little shoaling fish that like to be kept in groups of six or more.
pH: 6.0 – 8.0
dKH: 5 – 20
Temp: 74 – 82F (23 – 28C)
Size: 2″ (5 cm)
Temperament: Active shoaling fish
Swimming: Mid to top
Celebes Rainbowfish (Marosatherina ladigesi)
Celebes rainbowfish can be difficult to find and tricky to keep if not kept properly. They need to be housed in groups of at least 6 and do best in a planted tank.
pH: 7.0 – 8.0
dKH: 10 – 20
Temp: 72 – 82 F (22 to 28 C )
Size: 3″ (7.5 cm)
Temperament: Peaceful and active
Swimming: Top to midwater shoaling
Kribs (Kribensis sp.)
There are a few species of kribs – Kribensis pulcher being the most common. They have fascinating behaviors and they’re relatively peaceful for a cichlid. They’re almost entirely herbivores and need dither fish to feel safe, but they can get aggressive when spawning.
pH: 5.0 – 7.5
dKH: 0 – 12
Temp: 75 – 81F (24 – 27C)
Size: 4″ (10cm) max
Temperament: Skittish
Swimming: Mid to bottom
Betta miniopinna (Coccina complex)
Betta miniopinna is critically endangered, which means it’s one small step away from being extinct in the wild. They’re tough fish to keep for water chemistry reasons, but feeding them and keeping them once they’re settled is pretty easy if you have experience with touchy water chemistry.
pH: 4.0 – 6.0
dKH: 1 – 5
Temp: 72 – 83 F (22 – 28 C)
Size: 1.3″ (4 cm)
Temperament: Peaceful and shy
Swimming: Everywhere
Pygmy Corydoras (Corydoras Pygmaeus)
The pygmy cory (corydoras pygmaeus) is the smallest of all the corydoras species and – possibly – the smallest catfish in the world. It’s a peaceful shoaler that appreciates sandbeds and at least six of their own kind.
pH: 6.2 – 7.4
dKH: 2 – 15
Temp: 60– 78F (15 – 25C)
Size: 1.3″ (3.5 cm) max
Temperament: Peaceful shoaling fish
Swimming: Everywhere
Rosy Loach (Petruichthys sp. ‘rosy’)
Rosy loaches are best kept in groups of at least 6 and they do best in planted setups. They’re often wild-caught, so most of them are in poor condition when you buy them. They also need to be added to a mature aquarium since they don’t do well with environmental swings.
pH: 6.5 – 8.5
dKH: 5 – 15
Temp: 68 – 79 F (20 – 26 C)
Size: 1.2″ (3 cm) max
Temperament: Peaceful and active
Swimming: Mid to bottom
Golden Dwarf Cichlid (Nannacara anomala)
Golden dwarf cichlids make a great addition to most well-planned community tanks. So long as they’re not spawning or protecting fry, they’re peaceful fish that aren’t bothered by other fish or easily intimidated.
pH: 5.5 – 7
dKH: 1 – 10
Temp: 72 – 77 F (22 – 25 C)
Size: 3″ (7.5 cm) max
Temperament: Peaceful and active
Swimming: Mid to bottom
Bolivian Ram (Mikrogeophagus altispinosus)
The underrated cousin to the German Blue Ram are often nearly colorless and shy in the store tanks. But provided with the right tank and dither fish, they’ll color up and exhibit fascinating behavior in your home aquarium!
Keep in mind these rams will also become territorial while spawning. However, there are some sparse reports of other tankmates going unnoticed during spawning.
pH: 6.0 – 7.5
dKH: 1 – 10
Temp: 68 – 83 F (20 – 28 C)
Size: 3″ (8 cm)
Temperament: Peaceful
Swimming: Bottom to mid-water
Ember Tetra (Hyphessobrycon amandae)
Ember tetras are bright, fun, tiny, shoaling fish that occur in South American black waters. They’re hardy, peaceful fish that are often described as active, bold, and playful. They also enjoy a planted tank, but be mindful that they do like to swim in open space, so be sure to include that in your layout. They enjoy their numbers a little higher than most shoaling species, 8 is recommended.
pH: 5.5 – 7
dKH: 1 – 10
Temp: 68 – 82 F (20 – 27 C)
Size: 3/4″ (2 cm)
Temperament: Peaceful and active
Swimming: Top to midwater shoaling
Sparkling gourami (Trichopsis pumila)
Little known fact about sparkling gouramis; they’re quite social and gregarious creatures! Although they don’t school or shoal, they do enjoy social interactions with their own kind – in fact, most gourami do! – and we suggest a four minimum to make sure they’re comfortable.
pH: 6 – 8
dKH: 5 – 18
Temp: 72 – 81 F (22 – 27 C)
Size: 1.5″ (4 cm)
Temperament: Peaceful, can be aggressive when spawning
Swimming: All water
Paradise Fish (Macropodus opercularis)
Paradise fish, unlike most other gouramis, do best alone or in pairs. If you want to keep them in a group, and an all-female group of six or more would be your best bet. They tend to only be aggressive with each other, other anabantoid species, or towards much smaller tank mates.
pH: 6.0 – 8.0
dKH: 5 – 20
Temp: 72 – 80 F (22 – 27 C)
Size: 3.9″ (10 cm)
Temperament: Semi-aggressive
Swimming: Everywhere
White Clouds (Tanichthys albonubes)
These fish are best kept in groups of eight or more, though 10 is better. There’s little information of just how far spread these fish are, but they’ve been observed slow-moving white and blackwater streams in and around China.
pH: 6.0 – 7.0
dKH: 5 – 20
Temp: 60 – 72F (15 – 22C)
Size: 1.5 – 2″ (3 – 5 cm)
Temperament: Peaceful shoaling fish
Swimming: Mid to top
Breeding Cherry Barbs
Breeding cherry barbs is a snap. The only reason they got an “average” score from me is because you’ll need a second tank. Which can become a bit of a chore.
You’ll obviously need several males and several females. If you have at least ten, you should be able to tell the difference between them just by looking in your tank.
If you’re struggling, here’s the difference:
Hard to mistake the two, right?
Spawning
If you have enough plant cover, you’ll likely see some spawning activity. But probably no babies.
The male will chase the female around and eventaully they’ll end up in a clump of plants, behind some dritfwood, or another area that seems secure. The female will scatter her eggs and the male will follow behind fertilizing them. To the untrained observer, it looks like a lot of flailing and twitching.
Not the most flattering comment for their romantic moment, I’m sure.
If you’re a visual learner, here’s what their spawning activity looks like:
If you want to get fry, your best chances of success are pulling out a group of adults and placing them in a smaller tank. A 5-gallon works well for this.
You can fill the bottom with lots of moss, mesh, marbles, plastic grass, or anything else that would prevent the adults from eating the eggs after they’ve been laid.
You can leave the adults in there for 24 – 48 hours, but I would remove them after that since the eggs will begin hatching and you’d risk your fry.
Egg & Fry Care
The fry will hatch roughly 48 hours after the eggs are laid. And roughly 72 hours after that, they’ll start swimming and will need to be fed tiny foods. Because, of course, they’re tiny – even by fry standard.
Infusoria is the most popular option, but probably the most difficult to culture. After the first week, they should be large enough to accept vinegar eels and microworms. Within two weeks, they should be able to eat baby brine shrimp.
Since they start so small, it does take considerably longer for them to reach a size where they’re safe around the adults. But, typically, two months should be large enough to live with their parents.
