Alternative species (click on the thumbnail to see the card)
Names
Scientific name
Puntius semifasciolatus
Puntius schuberti
Barbus semifasciolatus
Common name
Golden barb
Chinese barb
Schuberti barb
Origin
Origin: China, Malaysia, Laos, Vietnam
Biotope: Asian
Dimorphism
The male is slender and more colorful than the female
Group
Cyprinidae
Volume
300 L / 66 imp gal / 80 US gal
Parameters
T°: 18 à 24°C or 64 to 75°F
pH: 6 to 7.5
Hardness: 3 to 15°dGH
Difficulty
Easy
Size
8 to 10cm (3 to 4")
Longevity
7 years
Living zone
Middle and Depth
Individuals
10
Food
Food
How to feed the Golden barb?
Omnivorous, the Golden Barb accepts all forms of food. It is best to give it its daily ration in several times. Occasionally, have your fish fast. Its coloring will be improved with a varied food, mainly based on live or frozen food.
Behavior
Behavior
What kind of behavior does the Golden barb have?
Like most Barbus, it is very active and dynamic. Relations between individuals will be good if they are maintained by 10 minimum (gregarious fish). Note that males are aggressive and sometimes fight each other.
Fish will spend most of their time in the middle and at the bottom of the water.
Cohabitation
Cohabitation
Who can live with the Golden barb?
Pacific, it can be maintained in a community aquarium. In large volume aquariums, you can associate other peaceful Cyprinids with comparable size (which is the best choice of cohabitation). In general, no cohabitations with fish too small that could serve as a meal. Its restless temperament could also annoy calm fish. Finally, avoid the wing fish like the Guppy or the fighters of which it could come to nibble the fins. You can for example maintain them with Characidae of identical size, Loches, Crossocheilus or Garas.
Breeding
Breeding
How to breed the Golden barb?
The breeding protocol of the Golden Barb is quite similar to other Barbus. It is rather easy and can sometimes be triggered spontaneously.
However, if you want more fry to survive predation from their parents, plan for a specific laying. You can put a dark substrate, a protective grid and plant plants with thin leaves (Taxiphyllum or Java moss for example). Finally, place many floating plants to sift the lighting. The temperature will be 24°C or 75°F and the pH at 6.5/7. A few days before spawning, condition the chosen couple by feeding them a lot with live prey and then introduce them into the breeding tank.
The laying can go up to 300 eggs and the incubation lasts 30 / 36h. You can optionally treat eggs with methylene blue. When the fry begin to swim, remove the protective grill.
Fry food: nauplies of artemia and cyclops.
Its aquarium
Its aquarium
Which aquarium for the Golden barb?
A decoration composed of roots and branches will be very well adapted, with plants at the bottom of the aquarium. Be careful, however, of possible damage to soft plants (such as Cabomba or Elodea). Filtration does not have to be particularly powerful, even if the Golden Beard likes a slight current in its aquarium.
It does not like the light too bright.
Good To know
Good To know
Find all additional information!
Very resistant, this Barbus is recommended to beginners. Puntius semifasciolatus includes a variety called Barbus schuberti (Barbus schubert).
Females sexual maturity occurs when they reach 5 years old.
Paradoxically, the natural «green» form is very rare in aquariums, while the selected «golden» form is very widespread. There is also an Albino variety.
- Wild Puntius Semifasciolatus:
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