A peaceful, easygoing barb in which breeding males flush a deep cherry-red. Hardy and undemanding, it is one of the calmest barbs for planted community aquariums.
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South Asia (Sri Lanka; introduced populations elsewhere)
Origin
Old World
Climate
🌴 Tropical
Water type
💧 Freshwater
Family
Cyprinidae
Genus
Puntius
Part of the Barbs
Active, social cyprinids that thrive in schools and bring constant motion to a planted community tank. Most are hardy and beginner-friendly but appreciate swimming room and the security of a proper group.
From the minimum an animal needs to be kept humanely, up to the ideal setup. Bigger is almost always better — minimums are floors, not targets.
Photo coming soon
Minimum
Shoal planted tank
20 gal / 76 L planted
Puntius titteya schools peacefully in groups of 6+. A 20-gallon planted tank with soft slightly acidic water, driftwood, and dense planting suits a small shoal. More females than males minimises chasing.
Photo coming soon
Recommended
Planted community
29 gal / 110 L long planted
29-gal long planted community with a shoal of 8–10 (2:1 female:male), peaceful tankmates, and moderate light. Males colour up dramatically when displaying.
Photo coming soon
Ideal
Sri Lankan biotope
40 gal+ / 151 L+ biotope
Sri Lankan stream biotope with leaf litter, driftwood, fine gravel, and a shoal of 10+. Mature tanks show the deepest reds in dominant males.
Life & growth stages
How this animal changes through its life — each stage often has its own care, diet and space needs.
Photo coming soon
Egg
Fish eggs are small, translucent spheres, often laid in clutches on plants, substrate, or in a nest — or carried/brooded by a parent in livebearing and mouth-brooding species. A dark eye spot and the curled embryo become visible inside as development progresses.
Photo coming soon
Fry
Newly hatched fry are tiny and semi-transparent, frequently still carrying a yolk sac that fuels them before they feed freely. They lack full fin structure and adult coloration, staying near cover until they can swim and forage on their own.
Photo coming soon
Juvenile
Juveniles look like miniature adults but with developing fins and muted or different markings; many species shift pattern and color as they mature. Growth is rapid at this stage given clean water and steady feeding.
Adult
Adults show the species' full size, finnage, and mature coloration, and are sexually mature. Many fish develop sex-specific differences in size, color, or fin shape, which can intensify during breeding.
Color & pattern variants
Natural variants occur in the wild; selectively bred (man-made) variants were developed in captivity.
A group is well suited to a planted aquarium of at least 60-75 L (around 15-20 gallons). Provide a dark substrate, driftwood, leaf litter, and dense planting with some open swimming space; subdued lighting and shade encourage males to color up and make the fish feel secure.
Cherry barbs are adaptable, accepting a pH of about 6.0-7.5, soft to moderately hard water, and a temperature of roughly 23-27 C (73-81 F). Stable, clean, well-filtered water in a mature tank is all they need to thrive.
Substrate
Use a dark, fine gravel or sand substrate, which makes the male's red coloration pop and reduces stress in these shy fish. A darker bottom paired with dense planting helps them feel secure and display naturally.
Equipment & setup
A 15-20 gallon (or larger) tank with a gentle filter (sponge or low-flow hang-on-back) suits their preference for calm water; keep them at 73-81F with a standard heater and provide subdued lighting filtered through floating plants. No specialized lighting or CO2 is required, though live plants and driftwood greatly improve their comfort.
Diet
Cherry barbs are omnivores and unfussy eaters. Offer quality flakes and micro-pellets as a base, supplemented with live and frozen foods such as daphnia, brine shrimp, bloodworms, and mosquito larvae, plus occasional vegetable matter.
Feed small portions once or twice daily. A varied diet, especially live and frozen foods, intensifies the males' cherry-red breeding coloration.
Behavior & temperament
Unlike many barbs, cherry barbs are shy and peaceful rather than nippy. They should be kept in groups of at least 6-8, ideally with more females than males, which reduces male sparring and brings out the best color. A proper group makes them far bolder and more visible.
They are excellent, non-aggressive community fish that mix well with other small, calm species. Dense planting provides cover, security, and enrichment, and helps shier individuals settle in.
Health
Cherry barbs are hardy and long-lived when well maintained. Standard freshwater ailments apply, mainly ich, fin rot, and bacterial infections, almost always linked to stress, chilling, or poor water quality.
Quarantine new arrivals, acclimate slowly, and keep water clean and stable. Providing enough cover and an adequate, female-skewed group reduces stress and supports their long natural lifespan.
Tips, DIY & hacks
Keep them in a group of at least 6-8 to disperse aggression and bring out the males' breeding color; a heavily planted scape with java moss doubles as fry cover if you let them breed. Wild-type cherry barbs are far hardier and more colorful than some inbred lines, so source from reputable breeders.
