Barbus Butterfly (Enteromius Hulstaerti)

2023 Author: Molly Page | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-07-31 03:34

The butterfly barb, or moth barb, is a colorful and active fish. Despite its small size, it is not recommended to keep it in nano aquariums. Group maintenance is required (at least 6-12 individuals). Hierarchical relationships are built between males. An excellent fish for an unheated aquarium - it feels good in water with a temperature of 19-24 ° C. Unpretentious in food. Dislikes alkaline water.

Habitat: Africa - Angola, Zaire (lower reaches of the Congo River).

Habitat: shallow flat, shady and relatively cool jungle reservoirs with dense vegetation along the banks. In such reservoirs there is a sandy bottom, "black" water and a slow current.

Description: the body is elongated. The back profile is more arched than the abdomen. The lateral line is full. The head is rounded, with a terminal mouth and one pair of short antennae. The eyes are large. The caudal fin is two-lobed.

Color: the back is brown, the sides are from light yellow to light brown or copper, the belly is yellowish-white. There are several shiny black spots on the side. The fins are yellow to pale brown.

Size: up to 3.5 cm.

Life expectancy: 5-6 years.

Aquarium: general, oblong, tightly closed with a lid on top.

Dimensions: for a flock, an aquarium with a volume of 60 liters and a length of 80 cm is required. The approximate calculation of the volume is 6-8 liters per individual.

Water: dH 3-7 °, pH 5.8-7, aeration, powerful filtration (preferably using a biofilter), low flow. Weekly water changes up to 20-30%. The butterfly barbus loves clean water, but alkaline water does not. You can add a couple of handfuls of dry beech, oak or Indian almond leaves to the water. The leaves are changed every two weeks.

Temperature: 19-24 ° C.

Lighting: dim, diffused.

Soil: river sand.

Plants:thickets of living plants with leaves reaching the surface of the water (Anubias, Thai fern, Javanese moss, Bolbitis Gedeloti) and several bushes of floating plants.

Decoration: Roots, stones, driftwood, various decor, dark background, requires a lot of space for swimming.

Feeding: in nature, the moth barb eats the larvae of aquatic insects and small crustaceans. In aquariums, it takes live (bloodworms, daphnia, koretra, occasionally a tubule), vegetable (algae, scalded lettuce, spinach, dandelion and nettle leaves, green peas) and high-quality dry flaky food. When fed only with dry food, fish lose color and become more susceptible to disease.

Behavior: the butterfly barb is a mobile, schooling fish, which must be kept in small groups of 6-12 or more individuals. When kept alone or in pairs, the fish become more susceptible to disease.

Personality: peaceful. According to some sources, these fish are not recommended to be kept in nano-aquariums, since males are territorial and a hierarchy is built between them. Having chosen a place for himself in the aquarium, the male actively protects him, and the defeated one (in the absence of places to hide), the winner may even kill.

Water zone: middle layer of water.

May be kept with: small schooling fish, as well as shrimps and other peaceful invertebrates.

Cannot be contained with:aggressive and sedentary fish, as well as fish with wide or long fins.

Related article Barbus clown (Puntius everetti)

Breeding fish:nesting spawning (1 female and 2-3 males). Producers are seated for 7-10 days and abundantly fed with live and plant food. A gradual increase in temperature and replacement of part of the water stimulates reproduction. A spawning aquarium with a volume of about 100 liters, a separator mesh and several bushes of small-leaved plants are placed on the bottom (you can also add a few dry oak or beech leaves), a cave or snag is placed from the decor. Weak aeration, natural lighting, water level up to 15 cm. Water parameters: peat water (settled for several days), T 25-28 ° C, dH 1-3 °, pH 6.5-7. The aquarium is installed near the window so that it is illuminated by the rays of the rising sun. Fish are planted for spawning in the evening, and spawning usually begins in the morning. After spawning, the water level is lowered to 10 cm, up to 50% of the water volume is replaced with the same parameters and temperature.

Sexual differences: the male is slimmer, brighter colored, behind the operculum there is a crescent-shaped spot, a dorsal fin with a black tip. The female has a round spot behind the operculum.

Puberty: begins at the age of 4-5 months.

Number of caviar: up to 80 eggs.

Incubation period: 1-2 days.

Offspring: large fry, swim for 3-5 days. The fry stay in schools in open water and actively swim in search of food. When fry are raised at temperatures above 22 ° C, more males grow, at temperatures around 21 ° C and a pH of slightly less than 7, more females grow; for an equal number of males and females, a temperature of 18-20 ° C is recommended.

Growth rate:fast. At one week of age, the fry have their first large spot. Two weeks later - the second, at 6 weeks of age the fry grow up to 1 cm. The growth is uneven, so the fry are periodically sorted.

Feeding juveniles: starter feed - "live dust", ciliates. A week later - brine shrimp nauplii, even later - small cyclops and daphnia. Feeding the fry should be varied.

Jigging from parents: after spawning, producers are jigged.

Comments: The clown barb should not be placed in an aquarium with "immature" water.