Common Name Black Ruby Barb, Purple Headed Barb Scientific Name Barbus Nigrofasciatus Origin Sri Lanka Adult Size 2 1/2 inches Life Span 5 years or longer Sexual Identification Male: Brighter in color than the female and much larger in size. Female: Fuller and rounder in body. Behavior Black-Ruby Barbs are peaceful, energetic, schooling fish that require a minimum size aquarium of 40 gallons long, dense vegetation throughout the aquarium, regular hood lighting, soft sand/mulm substrate, floating vegetation, a broad mixture of both thin leaved and flat leaved plants, ample hiding places, driftwood/bogwood, rocks, slate, lots of swimming space, slow moving current coming into the aquarium. This is a lively fish that loves to be kept in schools of 9 or more and can easily be kept with other fish with similar characteristics. This fish is not a picky eater and will gladly take a wide variety of foods. This species is very hardy and robust, which makes them very easy to care for. Water Environment pH: 6.5-7.0, Temperature: 72-79º F, Hardness: up to 12 dGH, Water: slightly soft/acidic to neutral, Substrate: soft, sandy/mulm. Diet Omnivorous: Small live foods, freeze dried foods, black worms, white worms, Tubifex worms, frozen foods, insect larvae, frozen blood worms, algae wafers, flake foods, mosquito larvae, flake foods, vegetation, algae wafers. Reproduction Egglayer: Male will begin his courtship and swim around the female. The eggs will fall among the vegetation and there they will stay until they hatch within 24 hours. Parents should be removed since barbs will eat their young/eggs. The fry should become free swimming within a week or so. Plant Compatibility Java Moss, Echinordorus, Vallisneria, Cabomba, Anacharis, Hornwort - fine leaved plants are suitable, as well as wide leafed plants such as: Crypts, Swords, Aponogetons, Anubias, Anubias Nana, Tiger lotus, Nomaphila plants, Ludwigia Peruensis, Rotala Macranda, Telanthera Rosefolia. Tips Sometimes you may run into the problem of unfertilized eggs from a certain male. This is why it is best to keep them in large numbers.

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