How to Care for Arulius Barb Fish

The Arulius Barb (Barbus Arulius) belongs to the Family Cyprinidae and is native to the waters of Southern India. It grows up to 4 inches long in captivity. This active tropical freshwater fish has three ill-defined, vertical black bands that reach halfway down the flanks of its blue-gray body. The beginnings of a fourth band appears at the base of its dorsal fin. The top half of the body is green-yellow, accentuated by attractive iridescence quality. The male has long extensions on its dorsal fin, though these are not as pronounced in the female.

Things You'll Need

  • 36 gallon tank
  • Filter and heater
  • Basic test kits for pH, dH and temperature
  • Substrate such as gravel
  • Decorations (fake and live plants, driftwood, rocks, caves, hiding places, etc.)
  • Tropical fish food
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Instructions

    • 1

      Set up home for your Arulius Barb in a 36 gallon tank. Clean your tank by scrubbing it with hot water and a dishcloth or towel. Fill it up with room temperature water and let this sit for at least 24 hours before you put your Arulius Barb fish into the tank.

    • 2

      Attach your filter and heater. Maintain your Barb's ideal water temperature between 70 to 77 degrees Fahrenheit (21-25 degrees C). To reproduce well in captivity, this fish needs soft, acidic water of 6.0 to 7.5 pH and dH of about 9 to 12.

    • 3

      Expect this egg laying fish to produce about 100 fry from a single spawning. Take care, however, to protect the eggs once laid. Arulius Barb fish will eat its own eggs after spawning is complete.

    • 4

      Add your substrate into the tank. These fish enjoy digging around in gravel, so this is a good choice for a substrate material. Be sure to clean the gravel with hot water before you add it to the tank. Add you aquarium decorations – these fish like to swim around and under decorations such as driftwood, caves and the like.

    • 5

      Plant some hardy aquatic plants and some fake plants. The Arulius Barb is happy in a planted aquarium, and loves to nibble on soft-leaved plants.

    • 6

      Feed your Arulius Barb with a diet good-quality tropical flakes or floating pellets. Supplement this with some plant material as well as live foods such as bloodworms and crustaceans. Live food is especially good for breeding purposes.

    • 7

      Keep schools of at least four or more Arulius Barb in your aquarium at a time. This is a shoaling species, and will not be happy on its own, but rather in a community tank with some company to swim around with. It is safe around smaller fish, although the latter may not be very comfortable with the barb's constant movement. They swim around the middle level of the tank.