The Black Spot Barb is an active mid size freshwater barb. An ideal aquarium fish for a community tank with other medium sized and peaceful fish, but do best when kept in a group of 6 or more of their own kind. They are a hardy species and enjoy broad water conditions but require water to be clean and moderate flowing.
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Features of Black Spot Barb's:
- Silvery body with a dark spot towards the tail
- Colours brighten with hues of orange to pink as the fish matures
- Best kept in groups of 6 or more
- Lifespan up to 8 years
- Grows to 15cm
Black Spot Barb : Care, Diet and Tank Mates
The Best Aquarium Size for Black Spot Barbs:
Arulius barbs are very active and social fish that occupy the mid water column. They require a generous amount of swimming space and need at least 200L tank to keep a small group of them. If keeping a large group, consider a larger aquarium.
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Tank Mate Compatibility:
The best tank mates are species of similar peaceful and active nature. Avoid keeping Black Spot barbs in the same aquarium with docile, slow-moving, or long or flowing-finned fish, such as the angelfish, guppies or bettas. They can be mildy aggressive and display bullying behaviour if kept singularly or in too small of a school. They are best in a large group of their own species.
Here’s a list of some of the best tank mates for your Black Spot Barb:
Black Spot Barb Diet :
Black Spot barbs are omnivores and are accepting of almost any food, Black Spot barbs should be given a variety of foods. Feed a quality pelleted or flake food, in addition to live and frozen foods such as brine shrimp, bloodworms. They will also consume vegetable matter.
Black Spot Barb Tank Set-up
Aquarium Filtration for Black Spot Barbs
Black Spot barbs prefer clean water and moderate flowing water. When selecting an aquarium filter consider the size of your aquarium and ensure adequate volume to maintain clean water. They are a hardy species and tolerate broad water parameters but do best in clean water that is highly oxygenated. Sponge filters and hang on filters are suitable, cannister filters are a great option for medium to large aquariums.
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Aquarium Plants for Black Spot Barb:
They are active swimmers and look great darting in and around live aquarium plants. Silk and plastic plants are also a great option to add life to your aquarium.
Great aquarium plants to consider include:
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Aquarium Lighting for Black Spot Barbs
Black Spot barbs are not fussy when it comes to lighting and do not have specific requirements. Moderate lighting with some areas of shade to shelter in will keep the Black Spot Barb happy. Aquarium lighting is necessary for the photosynthesis required for healthy aquarium plants.
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Aquarium Substrate for Black Spot Barbs
Black Spot barbs occupy to middle water column and do not have substrate preferences. Aquarium gravel, sand and pebbles are all options. If planting live aquarium plants, aquarium soils can be used under a layer of gravel or sand for optimum plant fertilization and growth.
A variety of Substrates are available at Coburg Aquarium.
