The Cherry Barb is a popular freshwater fish for tropical aquarium owners. It is quite small, reaching about 5cm in length and is known for its distinct horizontal stripe that runs from the tip of the snout to the caudal fin. The males have a red colour which becomes a deeper red when breeding, and the females show a brownish colour consistently. They also have two distinct pinkish stripes which become darker during breeding.
How to Set-Up Your Tank for a Cherry Barb
If you have a refugium, it can be highly beneficial to use the Freshwater Refugium Packs available at Aquatic Live Food. These packs contain everything you need to set-up a self-sufficient tank for your Cherry Barb and any other freshwater fish you may have. It is important to ensure usual tropical tank care is maintained, including; filtration, lighting, substrate, decorations and plant maintenance. Cherry Barb’s enjoy a shaded habitat that is shallow and has calm water.
What to Feed Cherry Barb’s
These species are known to enjoy Blackworm’s and Brine Shrimp. To feed Blackworms, ensure you have the Blackworm Feeder Cone on hand for easy transfer. You can buy Blackworms here and Brine Shrimp Eggs here on the Aquatic Live Food website.
Cherry Barb’s also eat a range of algae and aquarium plankton. The first step to ensure they have adequate algae needs is to add a phytoplankton to the tank. This can be purchased either by itself in the Freshwater MicroMagic product or it is also included in the Freshwater Refugium Packs.
