One more easy beginner fish for your tropical aquarium is the cherry barb. These fish can tolerate a wide range of water parameters. They are active and peaceful, and get along well with other fish — cherry barbs will mostly stay out of the way of bigger fish.
Also known as the crimson carplet, the cherry barb is a smaller fish — between one and a half and two inches long (up to five centimeters) when fully grown. Because they are on the smaller size, they can live a long and happy life in a smaller tank of five gallons or more. They will range all over the tank, and will appreciate some live plants or artificial caves for hiding. They are active swimmers in the middle and top of the tank, too.
Cherry barbs are nearly extinct in the wild (the come from the waters near Sri Lanka) but are thriving in captivity.
Keep your cherry barbs in schools of six or more. This will help them feel less shy. And get used to the company, because these fish can live between five and seven years.
Cherry barbs can be picky about food — especially at first. They are omnivores, and will do well with just about any food. Stick to a quality fish flake for the main diet and supplement with live or freeze dried foods like brine shrimp, blood worms, and daphnia.
The male cherry barb is usually bigger than the female, and will turn bright red when it is ready to spawn. Cherry barbs hang their eggs from aquarium plants with a thread-like material. If you do find eggs, remove the adults before the eggs get eaten.
Tank basics for the cherry barb:
- pH between 6 and 8
- Temperature between 72 and 82 degrees Fahrenheit (22 and 28 degrees Celsius)
- Water hardness between 5 and 25 degrees.