Five Banded Barb 2cm

Five Banded Barb 2cm Puntius pentazona

The fiveband barb is an interesting fish for small peaceful communities. Its scales often sport an iridescent sparkling, which adds to the fish's attractiveness. The fish is very timid and easily frightened so must be kept in aquaria with plenty of hiding spots, preferably amongst vegetation. Keeping the fish in groups with other slow moving fish will increase their confidence. Prefers soft acidic water but will adapt to conditions outside this range. In nature the fish pick at small creatures amongst substrate and vegetation, and will do much better in the aquarium if they are fed a varied diet.

Family Cyprinidae (Carps & Minnows) |

Synonyms Barbus pentazona, Barbodes pentazona, Capoeta pentazona, Puntius hexazona, Barbus hexazona | Other names Pentazona barb, Five Banded Barb, Five-Band Barb |

Origin Asia; Malay Peninsula, Sumatra |

Breeding Difficult to breed. Open water egg scatterers, eggs hatch after 1-1.5 days |

Natural Water Conditions pH 5-7 Very soft to hard |

Natural Habitat Calm, low lying waterways |

Sexing Males are smaller, slender and a brighter red colour