Gold Barbs

[LongS]

Whats the deal with these fish? Are they temperate or tropical? I have found mixed information. I'd quite like to get some, but there are some articles suggesting they should be kept in temperate hillstream type conditions.

I was hoping to add some to my Indochina jungle creek biotope along with my Botia Histrionica but i am not sure my tank is too warm. The temperature is around 27 degrees and the water movement is medium with plently of surface agitation (perhaps slightly too strong for a Betta).

I have tried to recreate a shallow creek bed/flooded river bank with a thick grassy bed of Vallisneria with some Crypts in amongst the heavily planted Vallis.

If they aren't suitable can somebody suggest anything else for the biotope?

I'm toying with the idea of reducing the water flow and surface agitation to try to mimic a more stagnant pool and maybe add a betta or gourami but am worried this might affect the spread of nutrients to the vallis (which at present is doing very well and spreading runners everywhere).

Any ideas? If i can find a suitable barb/danio/rasbora that suits the conditions and the region then i'll go for that first.

 

[thereverendturtle]

Any of the more torpedo shaped rasboras would do well. If your tank is 4'+ any of the danio/devario species would do well also.

 

[LongS]

I'll have a search now for some of them thanks. Unfortunately its not really big enough for them, its a 2.5' tank. big enough for a small group of Histrionica, nothing too much bigger.

I didn't want to create such a busy aquarium so i could hopefully view more natural behavior from the fish.

 

[N0body Of The Goat]

You are probably going to need something longer than 75cm long term, a 120cm tank would be far better for them, especially given they do better in groups close to 10+ rather than 6+. The longer tank would open up more tankmate options, two fish that immediately spring to mind are Garra flavatra and Parambassis pulcinella, if going for a Myanmar theme (although your loaches are also known to inhabit Indian and Chineese waters too). Other more general riverine possibilities would be fish like Giant Danios; Odessa Barbs; Black Ruby Barbs; Madagascan Rainbowfish.

 

[LongS]

Not planning on upgrading this biotope at all to be honest. I am planning on a bigger tank soon but not for this.

It probably is a Myanmar/South Thailand theme although i did originally want to make it more of a Laos/Cambodia/Vietnam theme but found it difficult to house fish of this region in this size tank.

I really like the look of the Odessa Barbs actually. They don't grow so big so i might look into them. Black Ruby Barbs look pretty active. Good suggestions i didn't even think of any of em.

The Garra are interesting looking fish, but am i right in thinking they need a Hillstream type set up to do well?

Do you think the Black ruby or Odessa would be suitable?

 

[LongS]

Saw some odessa barbs today at a fish show in Corby. Nice looking beasts. I'm considering adding these to the set up. would they be more suitable for a setup this size?

 

[N0body Of The Goat]

Odessa Barbs are too active for anything shorter than a 90cm long tank, they would do better in a 120+cm in my opinion.

 

[LongS]

Yeah, its an 80cm i have. I'm not too sure what else to put in. I'll have a little look through fishbase and see if i can find anything suitable that lives in the same waters. This Biotope stuff is interesting but a little bit challenging.