Need Info On Gold Barbs

[FishySarah]

I set up my 29 gallon tank four months ago, and I did careful research about which fish to get. I went to the pet store and got some lemon tetras. Then, after three months, I finally looked at a picture of a lemon tetra, and it looked nothing like my fish! I asked around and the four fish were finally identified as gold barbs.

I have them in with platys, mollies, black tetras and neons. I know absolutely nothing about these fish. They were peaceful when I first got them, but now they chase eachother around the tank and nip eachother sometimes. They ignore all my other fish.

Well...how big will these fish get, will they remain compatible with my other fish, will they become more aggressive as they get older? Any information would be appreciated.

 

[DarkEntity]

Is this the fish?

If so then its a gold barb/schuberts barb. They grow to about 8 cm and need to be kept in shoals of 6 or more.

 

[Lateral Line]

The fish normally sold as a "Gold/en Barb" is erroneously called Barbus schubertii, it is, in fact a colour sport of Barbus semifasciolatus, and has the same requirements and parameters.

They grow to around 100mm/4" in optimum conditions. The females are somewhat larger then the males, by as much as 10mm+. Females are also deeper in the body and noticeably wider when viewed from above. Females are yellow with a sprinkling of dark dots over their bodies, more concentrated on the upper parts. Males tend to develop their spots in more or less distinctive oblique bars usually sloping from top forward to bottom back, almost always limited to the upper flank of the fish.

In breeding condition, both sexes, more so the male, develop a pink colouration in the abdomen. It is useless to attempt spawning if that colour is absent.

Although growing quite large, these are a very peaceful fish and can be upset by smaller more boistrous fish. They very rarely bother anything else.

If the pink colouration is present, and the fish doing the chasing are smaller banded specimens chasing larger spotted specimens, then I suggest you are watching normal courting behaviour.

Given the info above, perhaps you could give us some more info.

 

[FishySarah]

The fish I have may be the same species, but they look quite different than the picture. Color is about right, and shape, but the dots run horizontally down the sides. Almost looking like a stripe of dots. There are no dots anywhere else on the fish. Is it possible I've got four males? That seems unlikely, but their coloration is different from the picture.

 

[Lateral Line]

horizontally down

An oxymoron surely!

I cannot see the picture, but male B. schubertii, (note comment on name above), do have their spots arranged in oblique rows on the upper part of the body, almost like stripes.

 

[xtremefishyfan]

Gold Barb

Tank Levels: Middle and Lower

Max Size: 10cm (4in)

Family: Cyprinidae

Diet: Omnivorous

Temperment: Peaceful but can be a bit nippy if not kept in shoals large enough.

Gender: Females are plumper

Habitat: Streams in Singapore.

Good luck!

 

[Lateral Line]

Habitat: Streams in Singapore.

I don't know where you got that from, this is a Chinese species.

Temperment: Peaceful but can be a bit nippy if not kept in shoals large enough.

That looks like generic advice as well. I've never seen any aggression from this species even in singleton situations.