Black ruby barb care
Pethia nigrofasciata · Forest streams of southwestern Sri Lanka
Black ruby barbs are peaceful, deep-bodied barbs; the males turn a deep ruby red at the head, with black bands, when they court.
- Tank size
- 29 US gal or larger
- Temperature
- 72 to 79 °F (22 to 26 °C)
- Group size
- 6 or more
- Temperament
- Peaceful
- Adult size
- 3 in
- pH
- 6 to 7.5
- Hardness (GH)
- 5 to 12 dGH
- Lifespan
- 5 to 6 years
- Diet
- Omnivore
- Care level
- Easy
In a 29 gallon
30¼ × 12½ × 18¾ in outsideHow to keep black ruby barbs
Black ruby barbs are peaceful, deep-bodied barbs; the males turn a deep ruby red at the head, with black bands, when they court. Keep six or more in a 29 gallon or larger planted tank at 72 to 79 °F with some floating plants for shade.
Diet: Omnivore: flakes, small pellets, frozen foods, some greens. Fish food types compared · how often to feed.
Where they swim: Middle of the tank.
Black ruby barb tank mates
Share the temperature and water, and neither side eats, nips or bullies the other. Check the full group in the stocking checker.
Betta
3 in · 5+ gal · 76–82 °F
Cockatoo dwarf cichlid
3 in · 20+ gal · 75–84 °F
Reticulated hillstream loach
3 in · 20+ gal · 68–75 °F
Emerald corydoras
3 in · 29+ gal · 72–82 °F
Celebes rainbowfish
3 in · 29+ gal · 68–82 °F
Peacock gudgeon
3 in · 15+ gal · 72–79 °F
Bamboo shrimp
3 in · 20+ gal · 72–82 °F
Bolivian ram
3.2 in · 29+ gal · 72–80 °F
Keep apart
Discus: No shared temperature: black ruby barbs need 72 to 79 °F, discus 82 to 88 °F.
Pea puffer: Pea puffers belong in a tank of their own.
Convict cichlid: Convict cichlids are aggressive towards peaceful fish such as black ruby barbs.
Jewel cichlid: Jewel cichlids are aggressive towards peaceful fish such as black ruby barbs.
Demasoni cichlid: Demasoni cichlids are aggressive towards peaceful fish such as black ruby barbs.
Red zebra cichlid: Red zebra cichlids are aggressive towards peaceful fish such as black ruby barbs.
What a black ruby barb tank needs
A tank of 29 US gallons or more (such as the 29 gallon) with a cover, and the equipment below.
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Aqueon PRO QuietFlow Power Filter 20
Rated by the maker for up to 30 US gal, which covers a 29 gallon black ruby barb tank without being built for a far bigger one.
Aqueon QuietFlow Internal Power Filter 15–30 gal
Rated by the maker for 15–30 US gal, which covers a 29 gallon black ruby barb tank without being built for a far bigger one.
Cobalt Aquatics Neo-Therm Pro 100W
Black ruby barbs need 72 to 79 °F; most homes run cooler, so a heater holds the temperature.
API Freshwater Master Test Kit
Tests ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and pH, the readings that matter most before and after adding black ruby barbs.
Seachem Prime 100 mL
Removes chlorine and chloramine from tap water at every water change.
Fluval Edge Thermometer
Shows the water temperature at a glance, so you know it stays within 72 to 79 °F.
More choices, each with the reason it is in or out: Filters for a 29 gallon tank · Heaters for a 29 gallon tank. We don’t list fish food: any good brand of the foods under Diet will do. Plan the whole tank's equipment →
Common black ruby barb problems
- Males show their color only when settled and among females; a bare tank keeps them pale.
- Most sold today are bred in captivity, the better choice: wild populations have fallen with collecting for export.
Test the water first whenever fish look unwell: see what your readings mean, then match the symptom. For disease, a vet who treats fish can diagnose it and advise treatment.
More to compare
Sources
Name, origin and adult size checked against Wikipedia: Pethia nigrofasciata. Temperature, pH, hardness, group size, lifespan and minimum tank size are common hobby guidance, not figures from that article. Ranges are the range the species tolerates; aim for the middle. Minimum tank sizes are for an adult group. Drawings are our own; photo credits follow.
Photo credits
Real photographs from Wikimedia Commons, resized and cropped to fit; each is used under the license named.
- Black ruby barb Derek Ramsey (Ram-Man), CC BY-SA 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons
- Betta ivabalk (Pixabay), CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Cockatoo dwarf cichlid William Kreijkes, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Reticulated hillstream loach Spiketooth, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Emerald corydoras NonstickRon, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Celebes rainbowfish Brent Tibbatts, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Peacock gudgeon Dirk Godlinski, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Bamboo shrimp Faucon, CC BY-SA 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons
- Bolivian ram HenryC88, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Discus Patrick Farrelly, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
- Pea puffer Beta Mahatvaraj, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Convict cichlid S. Olkowicz, CC BY 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons
- Jewel cichlid NasserHalaweh, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Demasoni cichlid lee Nachtigal, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Red zebra cichlid Maha Dinesh, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Cherry barb Brian Gratwicke, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Tiger barb Faucon, CC BY-SA 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons
- Rosy barb Kkonstan, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Denison barb Anandarajkumar, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
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