Black Ruby Barb

Common name: Black Ruby Barb, Purple-Headed Barb, Ruby Barb

Scientific name: Puntius Nigrofasciatus

Average Adult Size:  2.8 inches  /  7 cm

Origin: Mountain streams in Sri Lanka

Suggested Tank setup: A well planted aquarium with rock work and driftwood / bogwood. Plants will give the weaker individuals a place to hide, until the pecking order of the school is established.

Minimum Aquarium Capacity: 30 gallon / 120 litre

Compatibility: The Black Ruby Barb needs to be kept in schools. The larger the school the better with 9 fish a good minimum amount. If kept in smaller schools the weaker individuals will be harassed continuously by the more aggressive individuals until they die.  

Temperature: 68 – 79 Deg F / 20 – 26 Deg C

Water chemistry: pH 6.0 – 8.0

Feeding: Omnivorous. The Black Ruby Barb should be fed a varied diet of flakes, small pellets, frozen and live foods such as daphnia and brine shrimp.  

Sexing: The male Black Ruby Barb is larger and more brilliantly coloured the female particularly during spawning season. The fins of the males are darker. Females have a rounder belly and may be longer in overall length. 

Breeding: Black Ruby Barbs are egg-scatterers that may be bred in pairs or in groups. This species readily eats their own eggs, and must be removed from the spawning tank once the eggs have been laid and fertilized.