The Complete Denison Barb Care Guide
Denison barbs are one of the most attractive barbs that you could become for your aquarium. Their mix of color, size, and interesting behaviors makes them an excellent addition to whatever peaceful community.
They make excellent beginner fish because they are hardy, and their needs are easy to meet. You just need to maintain a large aquarium for these fish to live out a long and happy life.
This article will cover all the important data when it comes to caring for Denison Barbs. We'll talk y'all through their preferred water conditions, perfect tank mates, ideal nutrition, and much more…
Denison Barb Facts & Overview
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| Category | Rating |
| Care Level: | Like shooting fish in a barrel |
| Temperament: | Peaceful |
| Color: | Argent with patches of red and yellow |
| Lifespan: | Up to 5 years |
| Size: | Up to 6 inches |
| Diet: | Omnivore |
| Family: | Cyprinidae |
| Minimum Tank Size: | 55 gallons |
| Tank Setup: | Freshwater with plants and open swimming space |
| Compatibility: | Peaceful community |
The Denison Barb (Sahyadria denisonii) is a tropical freshwater species in the Cyprinidae family. You lot might come across it under a diverseness of other names, such as Denison's Barb, Rosaline Shark, Cherry-red-line Torpedo Affront, Bleeding Eye Barb, and Miss Kerala.
The family contains lots of famous fish, including carps, minnows, and other barb species. Perhaps the most popular member is the Goldfish.
Denison Barbs are native to India. They occupy fast-flowing rivers and streams in the Western Ghats.
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These fish are very attractive and therefore very pop for keeping at home. They are often removed from their natural habitat for the aquarium trade.
Unfortunately, this exploitation has caused the species to become endangered in the wild, and it may exist at take a chance of going extinct.
The species is commonly sold in pet stores and then you should discover a stock most to you. They tin cost between $10 and $xx, depending on their size.
But buy fish that are visibly healthy. Go to a different pet store if any fish are showing signs of illness on their body or through their behavior.
A healthy fish will live for v years or more.
Typical Behavior
If the tank is set up properly with plenty of pond space, so this species is regarded as peaceful. They become on well with other peaceful fish of a similar size.
They are large and active mid-level swimmers, which can be intimidating and stressful for shy species. Aggressive tendencies may emerge if their tank is a fleck cramped.
They dart around in shoals, which helps to show off their bright colors. The movement in unison creates an impressive display.
Appearance
Denison Barbs are a colorful species. Their color is more subtle than most species though, equally they have small patches of bright color effectually their torso.
Their base of operations color is silver, which causes low-cal to shimmer when information technology hits their scales. On the center of their body is a backline, running horizontally along the lateral line from head to tail.
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A cerise stripe sits merely to a higher place this line, simply information technology only stretches beyond the front end half of the trunk. The aforementioned red can exist seen forth the top of the dorsal fin.
A brilliant yellow stripe sits next to a black stripe on each fork of the caudal fin. These are pocket-size and just cover the tips.
Where there isn't red, yellow, or black, the fins are transparent.
A mature individual may accept developed an emerald-green color on their head. At this point, they should have reached their average size of about 6 inches.
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Sexing Denison Barbs tin can exist difficult. The master indicator is size; Females tend to be slightly larger with duller colorations.
Habitat and Tank Atmospheric condition
Denison Barbs are endemic to India, meaning that they are just establish there.
They live in the fast-flowing Achankovil, Pamba, and Chaliyar rivers of the Western Ghats (a large mountain range).
Shoals of Denison Barbs grouping effectually rocky areas with thick vegetation. The combination of a strong current with vast amounts of vegetation creates a highly oxygenated environment.
The water would be warm with an alkaline pH.
These are the weather condition you lot could be trying to recreate in your aquarium. Fish exercise best when their home resembles their natural habitat.
Tank Atmospheric condition
Layer the bottom of the tank with sand or fine gravel. If other fish in your tank demand something a bit unlike, yous can alter this since Denison Barbs usually swim higher up in the water column.
You tin add decorations on top of the substrate forming some hiding space for when they are stressed.
More importantly, though, add plenty of live plants. Ensure there are some dense patches of vegetation dotted effectually the aquarium.
Leaving open space is but as valuable every bit adding things to the tank, if not more so. Denison Barbs need plenty of open swimming spaces for their active and social lifestyle.
The water temperature should be between threescore°F and 77°F. The pH should be 6.six-7.8.
A powerful filter outlet should create enough water movement, but you could utilize a water pump instead.
What Size Tank exercise they need?
Reaching 6 inches, these fish are quite large. Therefore, they need a large tank to conform them. Especially since they need plenty of swimming infinite.
The minimum tank size is 55 gallons.
How Many Can exist kept per gallon?
Denison Barbs are a shoaling species, so they need to exist in a group of at to the lowest degree 6. For each additional fish, make sure y'all have an extra five gallons of water.
Tank Mates
There are lots of possible tank mates for Denison Barbs. They are peaceful and social if they accept enough space.
Any fish you add should exist a similar size and be peaceful themselves. Avoid shy/delicate fish too, as they may struggle around your busy Denison Barbs.
Some popular options include rainbowfish, kribensis cichlids, danios, large tetras, or other barbs (cherry, rosy, tiger, etc.).
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Minor shrimps and snails will exist fine in the same tank as your Denison Barbs as well.
Tin You Keep Denison Barbs Together?
These fish should e'er exist kept in a group. If a fish is kept singly, it will become lone and stressed, choosing to hide away.
Brand sure you have at least 6, but the larger the group, the happier they volition exist. They feel safe when grouped upwards in large numbers.
Nutrition
These omnivores will eat the well-nigh mutual aquarium nutrient that you lot might want to give them.
The best options are live/frozen foods that are full of nutrients. Yous could try Daphnia, bloodworms, and brine shrimp.
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You can utilise stale foods (flake and pellets etc.) but they are less nutritional, so supplement them with something else.
Provide a varied diet to keep your fish as potent and healthy every bit possible. Information technology volition also help to maintain their bright colors.
Requite them an corporeality of food that they tin can easily stop within two minutes. Do this 2-3 times a twenty-four hours.
Intendance
Denison Barbs are easy to treat. They are hardy and can tolerate a range of conditions.
If you lot want them to alive out their lifespan though, you will demand to feed them a healthy nutrition and keep their environment clean – perform regular water changes and wipe abroad excess algae.
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Utilise a water testing kit each week so you can spot changes in the h2o conditions apace. Yous can then respond before your fish are afflicted.
Poor water conditions can atomic number 82 to disease. There aren't any species-specific diseases, simply in that location are some common pathogens that affect most species.
Ich is one famous instance. It is an ectoparasite that presents as white spots on a fish'due south body, which makes it very noticeable.
Separate a diseased fish into a quarantine tank to protect the residue of your fish. You tin can return it in one case the treatment is complete.
Breeding
Breeding Denison Barbs at abode are very catchy. Sometimes it will happen on its own, only there is not much that you tin do to influence the process.
Luckily, commercial breeders do not have the aforementioned trouble. They can create vast setups and use hormones to trigger spawning.
All we know is that Denison Barbs seem to prefer convenance in soft water towards the acidic side of their ideal pH range. Live plants are also essential for egg handful.
Are Denison Barbs Suitable for Your Aquarium?
Denison Barbs are suitable for anyone with a large plenty aquarium. They are easy to care for, but they abound quite large and need enough of open swimming space.
You may struggle to get them to breed, but otherwise looking after them is a cakewalk.
Plan a healthy and varied diet, and brand sure that all tank mates will be able to cope with the busy lifestyle of a shoal of Denison Barbs.
Their colors brand them an attractive option that fifty-fifty beginners tin enjoy. You will e'er have something to wait at equally their reds and yellows dart effectually the tank.
Do you keep Denison Barbs at home? Let us know about your setup in the comments below…
Source: https://www.fishkeepingworld.com/denison-barb/
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