Red Line Torpedo Barb

[totally tropical]

I have just bought 6 of these wonderful fish just a few days ago and they are doing very well in my 300 litre tank. I have looked up info on the internet prior to the expensive purchase! and the conditions that are already set up in my tank fortunately replicate their conditions in the wild.

Any tips on keeping this fish, compatibility, diet etc - anything would be greatly appreciated. They are currently in a tank with Platies, Clown loaches and Bristlenose plecs - tank not fully stocked.

Cheers.

 

[crazychris]

Hi. Was just about to start a thread about these! Think you're in the UK. If so do you mind me asking how much you paid for them. Did you get a deal for buying a few? Reason I ask is I want some. One LFS here has them at £15.95 each or 3 for £40 which seems expensive but they are nice and quite deep in the body. Another place has them much smaller and slimmer in the body at £7.95 each or 2 for £15. Lovely fish aren't they but I can't decide which to go for! How long are yours? The store with the expensive ones has about 10 big fully grown ones in a display tank and they're awesome.

 

[Davo86]

Hi. Was just about to start a thread about these! Think you're in the UK. If so do you mind me asking how much you paid for them. Did you get a deal for buying a few? Reason I ask is I want some. One LFS here has them at £15.95 each or 3 for £40 which seems expensive but they are nice and quite deep in the body. Another place has them much smaller and slimmer in the body at £7.95 each or 2 for £15. Lovely fish aren't they but I can't decide which to go for! How long are yours? The store with the expensive ones has about 10 big fully grown ones in a display tank and they're awesome.

This species is a relatively new find in the natural world, yet have been fished so excessively that there has been a ban on fishing these for three months each year.

At my workplace these sell for £15 or £18 depending on size (2-3" and 3-4") fully grown fish get to 6"

Depending on the size they are these can be sensitive IME but no more so than clown loach so if the environment is fine for these, the barbs should also do well.

My two that i owned briefly weren't fussy and would take flake, cichlid pellets, frozen and dried foods as well as any catfish or algae pellets added for my bottom feeders.

Torpedo barbs also like very well filtered and well oxygenated setups

 

[totally tropical]

Hi. Was just about to start a thread about these! Think you're in the UK. If so do you mind me asking how much you paid for them. Did you get a deal for buying a few? Reason I ask is I want some. One LFS here has them at £15.95 each or 3 for £40 which seems expensive but they are nice and quite deep in the body. Another place has them much smaller and slimmer in the body at £7.95 each or 2 for £15. Lovely fish aren't they but I can't decide which to go for! How long are yours? The store with the expensive ones has about 10 big fully grown ones in a display tank and they're awesome.

This species is a relatively new find in the natural world, yet have been fished so excessively that there has been a ban on fishing these for three months each year.

At my workplace these sell for £15 or £18 depending on size (2-3" and 3-4") fully grown fish get to 6"

Depending on the size they are these can be sensitive IME but no more so than clown loach so if the environment is fine for these, the barbs should also do well.

My two that i owned briefly weren't fussy and would take flake, cichlid pellets, frozen and dried foods as well as any catfish or algae pellets added for my bottom feeders.

Torpedo barbs also like very well filtered and well oxygenated setups

Yes, I reside in the UK.

My tank is really well filtered, oxygenated with plenty of plants so I think they will do really well. The six red torpedo's I own are around 2-3 inches and they were on sale at my LFS at £12 each or two for £20. In my view I would go for the smaller and cheaper ones and enjoy them growing into full size specimens. As I purchased six (being a shoaling fish), I bartered and got them for £50 - still very expensive fish, but I feel that they will be worth every penny.

As you are well aware these are stunning fish and I am so pleased to get them - their red lines are so much more vivid and striking now that they are settled. It was the very first time my LFS has stocked them and I do not expect to see them any time soon so if I were you I would purchase asap!

Put it this way, I do not intend to ever have a tropical aquarium without these beauties.

 

[crazychris]

Thanks. Yeah I don't see them around here very often. I'm understocked now so think I'll get some of the £7.95 ones as they're a decent size, 3" I'd say, and I'll try to negotiate more discount than just 2 for £15. Would 4 be the minimum to keep would you say?

 

[totally tropical]

Thanks. Yeah I don't see them around here very often. I'm understocked now so think I'll get some of the £7.95 ones as they're a decent size, 3" I'd say, and I'll try to negotiate more discount than just 2 for £15. Would 4 be the minimum to keep would you say?

Most articles on the internet state that the minimum should be at least 3, and one site stating at least 6, though in my opinion the more the merrier depending on your pocket. I pushed the boat out and got 6 and glad I did.

Best of luck Chris with however many you buy - if you let me know on this forum how you get on with them I would really appreciate it, it would be great to pass on any of your knowledge and experience.

In my short experience with these fish they take flake food and like frozen brine shrimp, daphnia and particulary bloodworm. I have just purchased a brine shrimp hatching kit (purchased on the net and awaiting delivery) and will enjoy watching the torpedo's darting in all directions for the live food.

 

[crazychris]

I'm getting 4 tomorrow. Yes, will post in this thread and tell you how they're getting on and we'll compare notes.