Gold barb will certainly brighten up your aquarium. It impresses with its colors and shoaling behavior.
However, what makes them most popular is their ease of care. Perfect for beginner aquarists. If you are just starting your adventure, this will be the perfect fish for you.
In this article I will discuss everything you need to know to properly care for your gold barb.
| Common name(s) | Chinese Barb, Schuberti Barb. |
| Scientific name | Barbodes semifasciolatus |
| Care Level | Easy |
| Temperament | Peaceful |
| Size range – lenght | Up to3 inches |
| Water parameters | Temp 64–75°F pH 6.0–8.0 Hardness 6-16 dGH |
| Tank level | Middle and lower areas of the tank |
| Diet | Omnivore |
| Lifespan | 5-7 years |
| Breeding | Egglayer |
| Tank mates | Danios, Tetras, Guppies, Dwarf Gourami, Corydoras Catfish, Zebra Loaches |
Origin
This barb comes from south-eastern China. Generally, it can be found in the Hong River which flows through Southwest China to Vietnam. You may also find it under the name Chinese Barb or Schuberti Barb.
The golden barb comes from the family Cyprinidae . It is scientifically known as Barbodes semifasciolatus.
In the Cyprinidae family there are fish such as danios, rasbora , goldfish and other barbs .
The number of gold barbs in the wild is decreasing due to the destruction of their natural habitats.
Size
Typically, the size of a gold barb is 1.5 inches. Some large males can reach as much as 2.5 or 3 inches at maturity.
Availability
Barbs are very popular and you will have no problems getting them in a pet store. They are quite cheap, costing around $2-5.
In many stores you will be able to buy them in group of 6, 12 or more. Usually, in such sets, the price per one piece is even lower.
Appearance and Sex Differences
The body is sandy yellowish with several faint, intermittent vertical stripes. The fins are slightly yellow. Fish from the Hong River basin have a greenish tint. This is their natural color.
Nowadays, captive Gold Barb is much more common in aquariums. It is created as a result of selective breeding in captivity. You will probably find this variety in a pet store. It can be found under the name Schuberti barb.
It grows up to 3 inches long. The back and rear part of the body are golden-orange, while the belly is slightly paler.
There may be small irregular grayish spots along the lateral line. The fins are orange in color.
Until recently, it was believed that the variety living in captivity and the one in the wild were two different species. It has already been confirmed that they are both the same species.
Males differ from females in shape. These themselves are usually larger and have a more rounded belly. They can also be a darker color. Males that are ready to mate may develop red bellies.
Behavior
It is a compatible and sociable fish. They feel best in a group with others of their own kind.
They generally get along well with other peaceful fish that simply won’t want to eat them.
The most important behavior of these fish is shoaling. They swim with representatives of their species to ensure their safety.
To keep the stress level at a minimum, it is worth keeping a dozen or more individuals together. The larger the group, the better they will feel.
However, you must leave plenty of space in the aquarium for swimming. They spend most of their time in the lower and middle part of the tank.
Of course, when feeding, they like to swim in the upper parts of the tank.
Care
The tank for Gold Barbs should be not very brightly lit and partly covered with tall plants. The presence of floating plants and strong water aeration are recommended.
The aquarium should be designed around the natural environment to keep the fish happy and healthy. This is not difficult to do at all. The fish quickly adapt to aquarium conditions.
The pH of water in the wild environment is approximate to the natural depending on where the wild population occurs. There may also be differences in temperature, but it is worth using heating.
There should be a lot of plenty of vegetation in the aquarium with space left for swimming.
Generally speaking, caring for Gold Barbs is easy, which is why they are an excellent choice for beginners. They have simple requirements and can live up to 7 years if properly cared for.
Of course, you must regularly clean the aquarium, change the water, remove excess deaths and test its parameters.
Tank Requirements
Gold Barbs are shoaling species, so they should be kept in large groups with lots of plants.
They will feel best in a group of 6 or more. For this group, a 20-gallon aquarium will be perfect. You should provide about 3 gallons of water for each additional fish. Of course, the more space the better.
You can keep a fish tank only with Gold Barbs, but leave room for a larger school. This will highlight their wonderful shoaling behavior.
At the bottom of the tank you should use a soft substrate, preferably fine-grained. Gold barbs often venture to the bottom of the tank and the gravel may be too sharp for them.
The tank should be planted with plants that occupy different areas. Grasses should be at lower levels, long-stemmed plants against the background. This is important to leave enough free space for swimming.
The pH of the water should be close to neutral, but it may fluctuate slightly. A range of 6 to 8 will be ideal.
Similarly, it is also temperature. Temperature between 64 and 75 Fahrenheit is perfect.
In the case of Gold Barbs, it is enough to use standard lighting. You won’t need an air pump either. You will definitely need a heater and a good filter.
Diseases
Golden barbs are not susceptible to any particular diseases. However, you should pay attention to Ich – White Spot Disease , which is a popular disease among fish available in the pest stores.
White spots on the fish’s body are a sign of disease. In such a situation, the fish should be isolated in a quarantine tank.
In this tank, you should raise the temperature slightly and use an appropriate parasite treatment that will allow the fish to recover.
Tank Mates
These are cool fish and there should be no problem with compatibility with other species. They can have problems with noisy or aggressive companions that can pester your barbs. Also avoid fish that are large enough to simply eat them.
Of course, check whether the tank parameters are compatible with the Gold Barbs. From the available companion options, we can choose:
Small invertebrates will also make great companions for the golden barb. In most cases, they will be ignored by our fish.
Diet
They eat any live, frozen or dry food. The addition of plant food is necessary. There are many choices when it comes to diet design.
Remember to provide them with nutrients from various sources. Therefore, you should avoid a diet consisting solely of dry foods such as pellets and flakes.
Dry food is fine as long as we also enrich their diet with live frozen foods such as brine shrimp , daphnia or bloodworms .
Give them as much food as they can eat in 2 minutes. You should feed Gold Barbs 2-3 times a day.
Breeding
To breed these fish, it is best to setup a 10 gallon aquarium with a sandy substrate and clumps of plants.
If the conditions in the tank are ideal, you can also breed them in the main tank. When ready to spawn, female will be more rounded and the male will have a red belly.
The pair lays 10 to 30 eggs in stages. Usually over 300 of them. It is important to have a large number of plants in the tank because this is where the fish lay their eggs.
After spawning, you should remove adult barbs. The young hatch after approximately 36 hours.
At the beginning, they should be given freshly baby brine shrimp larvae. If you do not have them, feed them liquid fry food.
In conclusion
If you are looking for a calm and colorful fish for your aquarium, the Gold Barb will be the perfect choice. Ease of care makes it perfect for beginners.
However, even experienced aquarists will appreciate their beauty. By maintaining appropriate conditions, they will remain healthy and give your aquarium a beautiful character.
The best effect will be achieved by keeping them in large schools. You will see that you will be impressed by their colors and amazing shoaling movements.
Do you have Gold Barbs in your aquarium? Or maybe you are planning to buy them? Let me know in the comment.
