Cherry Barb (Puntius Titteya)

2023 Author: Molly Page | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-11-27 22:49

Cherry barb, or cherry puntius, or titteia got its name from the bright cherry color of males during the spawning period. One of the most popular aquarium fish that combines beauty, endurance, high adaptation, peaceful behavior, small size, low price and ease of spawning. An excellent choice for beginner aquarists. For a pair of puntiuses, an aquarium with a volume of 15-20 liters is suitable.

Distribution: India (Sri Lanka and Ceylon).

Habitat: river valleys, where they adhere to shaded shallow streams and small rivers with a muddy bottom with a significant amount of plant material.

Description: the body is elongated, the back profile is strongly curved, the lateral line is incomplete. Lower mouth, one pair of antennae.

Color: varies depending on conditions of detention. The back is greenish-brown, the sides are yellowish, reddish or crimson-red. The iris of the eye above is blood red. The fins are yellowish to red.

Size: 2.5-5 cm.

Lifespan: 4-7 years.

Related article Scarlet Barbus (Pethia ticto)

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

Sizes: for a couple, an aquarium with a volume of 15-20 liters is suitable, for a flock of 5-8 individuals - from 30 liters or more.

Water: dH 10-18 °, pH 6.5-7.5, powerful filtration (preferably a peat filter), aeration and weekly water changes up to 30%. The cherry barbus loves clean, well-settled water.

Temperature: 23-26 ° C. Withstand a temperature drop to 18 ° C.

Lighting: top, diffused.

Soil: coarse river sand or small pebbles.

Plants: thickets of living plants, including floating ones. Unlike other types of barbs - cherry plants do not spoil.

Registration:driftwood, roots, stones and other decor that creates secluded places. Free swimming space required.

Feeding: in nature it feeds on diatoms and green algae, invertebrates and detritus. In aquariums, it takes live (daphnia, plankton, beef heart, bloodworms, coretra), combined and vegetable (detritus, green and diatom algae, spinach, zucchini, lettuce, peas) feed. Adult cherry barbs are fed 1-2 times a day in small portions, and juveniles 3-4 times a day. He is inclined to gluttony, so once a week the fish are given a fasting day.

Behavior: gregarious, active fish, which are best kept in small groups of 6-12 individuals with a predominance of females. Males constantly compete with each other without causing damage. With age, the fish become faded and less mobile.

Personality: peaceful, timid. At the slightest danger, cherry puntiuses hide in thickets of plants.

Water zone: middle and bottom water layer.

Can be kept with: barbs, gourami, mollies, swordtails, catfish, loaches, rasbora, neons, gracilis, zebrafish, corridors.

Not to be kept with: large, aggressive fish and fish with veil fins.

Breeding of fish: spawning in pairs, nesting (there are 2 males per female) or in groups. Producers are seated for 7-10 days, and abundantly fed with live feed. Stimulates reproduction by changing part of the water and increasing its temperature. A spawning aquarium with a volume of 20 liters or more, a separator net and several bundles of small-leaved plants (Riccia, Javanese moss) are placed on the bottom, the water level is up to 20 cm, low aeration, natural light Water parameters: dH 4-15 °, pH 6-7, T 26-28 ° C.

The fish are planted in the spawning grounds in the evening, and in the morning spawning usually begins, which lasts 2-3 hours. When spawning, the fish swim to the surface of the water, turn their bellies up, and the female throws out several eggs, which are attached to the leaves of plants with the help of thin mucous threads. After spawning, the water level is lowered to 10 cm and up to 50% of the water volume is replaced with water of the same composition and temperature. The caviar aquarium is shaded. After 4-6 weeks, the fish can spawn again.

Sex differences: males are slimmer, their dorsal fin is red with two black arcuate stripes. Females have more faded coloration and yellow fins.

Puberty: begins at the age of 6-8 months.

Number of caviar: up to 300 pcs.

Incubation period: 24-40 hours.

Offspring: fry swim for 3-4 days.

Growth rate: uneven growth. Juveniles of cherry puntius are sorted periodically. At the age of three months, males and females can already be distinguished.

Feeding juveniles: starter food - "live dust", crustacean nauplii, rotifer, microworm, later - small cyclops and daphnia. The fry are fed 3-4 times a day.

Jigging from parents: after spawning, producers are jigged.

Related article Sumatran barb (Puntius tetrazona)

Comments: With closely related breeding, juveniles develop scoliosis.

There is an albino form of the cherry barbus.