Cherry Barb
Puntius titteya
Cyprinidae
About
The cherry barb is a peaceful, slender barb endemic to shaded, slow-flowing forest streams in Sri Lanka. Unlike the notorious tiger barb it is gentle and not a fin-nipper, making it an excellent community fish. Males deepen to a striking cherry-red when displaying, especially in a well-planted tank with dark substrate. Somewhat shy by nature, it settles and colours up best when kept in a group with plenty of cover and a higher ratio of females.
Care
Keep in a group of 6+ with more females than males in a planted tank with cover. Peaceful, hardy and adaptable across a wide hardness range.
Diet
Easygoing omnivore; feed varied dry foods plus frozen/live foods to enhance male colour.
Tankmate compatibility
Gets along with (3)
Possible with care (84)
Avoid (22)
Computed by the AquaSage engine for a spacious reference tank — always check the full verdict for your exact setup in the calculator.