Puntius titteya
Note: Due to variations within species, your item may not look identical
to the image provided
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Synonyms |
Barbus titteya, Capoeta titteya |
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Distribution |
Sri Lanka: Kelani to the Nilwala Basins. All
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Sexual Dimorphism |
Males with much deeper all over red body colour.
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Maximum Size |
5cm (2?) |
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Water Parameters |
Will acclimatise to a wide range of conditions.
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Temperature |
23-27 deg C (73-81 deg F) |
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Compatibility |
Community |
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Lighting |
No special requirements |
Care
Cherry Barbs are a great addition to the peaceful community
aquarium. Although they are not a tightly shoaling species, they are best kept
in groups of 6 or more, and mixed sex groups will help to bring out the males?
intense red colouration. They will appreciate a good amount of plant cover and
gentle water circulation. Sadly, in the wild, many populations of this species
have diminished due to deforestation, pollution and over-fishing, placing this
species on the IUCN red list. All specimens offered for sale in the trade are
now captive-bred in order to take the pressure off of these wild stocks.
Feeding
Offer a good quality flake, green flake, micropellets, and
small frozen foods such as daphnia, mosquito larvae and brineshrimp.
Breeding
A well-conditioned pair should be added to a separate
breeding tank that has been set up with softwater and plenty of fine-leaved
plants such as Cabomba. The male will wrap his body around the females and will
fertilise the eggs as she releases 3 or 4 at a time onto the fine-leaved
plants. Up to 200 eggs are deposited over the course of an hour or so, and it
can be useful to have clumps of Java moss on the substrate in order to catch
any eggs that miss or fall from the fine-leaved plants. The parent fish should
be removed once spawning has ceased as they will consume the eggs if they find
them. After 24-48 hours, the eggs will hatch, and after a further 48 hours will
become free-swimming.