Checker barb care
Oliotius oligolepis · Creeks, rivers and lakes of Sumatra, Indonesia
Checker barbs are small, mild barbs with a checkerboard of dark-edged scales; males color up with red, black-edged fins.
- Tank size
- 20 US gal or larger
- Temperature
- 64 to 77 °F (18 to 25 °C)
- Group size
- 6 or more
- Temperament
- Peaceful
- Adult size
- 2 in
- pH
- 5.5 to 7.5
- Hardness (GH)
- 2 to 10 dGH
- Lifespan
- 4 to 6 years
- Diet
- Omnivore
- Care level
- Easy
In a 20 gallon long
30¼ × 12½ × 12¾ in outsideHow to keep checker barbs
Checker barbs are small, mild barbs with a checkerboard of dark-edged scales; males color up with red, black-edged fins. Keep six or more in a 20 gallon or larger planted tank at 64 to 77 °F; they suit a calm community better than most barbs.
Diet: Omnivore: flakes, small pellets, frozen foods. Fish food types compared · how often to feed.
Where they swim: Middle of the tank.
Checker 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.
Zebra danio
2 in · 10+ gal · 64–77 °F
Honey gourami
2 in · 10+ gal · 72–82 °F
Panda corydoras
2 in · 15+ gal · 68–77 °F
Otocinclus
2 in · 20+ gal · 72–79 °F
Forktail blue-eye rainbowfish
2 in · 10+ gal · 72–80 °F
Amano shrimp
2 in · 10+ gal · 68–80 °F
Ghost shrimp
2 in · 5+ gal · 65–80 °F
Mystery snail
2 in · 10+ gal · 68–82 °F
Keep apart
German blue ram: No shared temperature: checker barbs need 64 to 77 °F, German blue rams 78 to 85 °F.
Pea puffer: Pea puffers belong in a tank of their own.
Convict cichlid: Convict cichlids are aggressive towards peaceful fish such as checker barbs.
Zebra pleco: No shared temperature: checker barbs need 64 to 77 °F, zebra plecos 79 to 86 °F.
Jewel cichlid: Jewel cichlids are aggressive towards peaceful fish such as checker barbs.
Saulosi cichlid: Saulosi cichlids belong with other Lake Malawi cichlids, not with checker barbs.
What a checker barb tank needs
A tank of 20 US gallons or more (such as the 20 gallon long) with a cover, and the equipment below. Checker barbs are comfortable at room temperature, so a heater is optional in a normal home.
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Aquarium Co-Op Easy Flow Sponge Filter, Small
A sponge filter gives gentle flow and cannot pull in small fish. It runs from an air pump, with airline tubing and a check valve, all sold separately.
Aqueon PRO QuietFlow Power Filter 10
Rated by the maker for up to 20 US gal, which covers a 20 gallon checker 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 20 gallon checker barb tank without being built for a far bigger one.
API Freshwater Master Test Kit
Tests ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and pH, the readings that matter most before and after adding checker 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 64 to 77 °F.
More choices, each with the reason it is in or out: Filters for a 20 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 checker barb problems
- In too small a group they hide; six to ten show their best color.
- Like other barbs, they eat eggs and very small fry.
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: Oliotius oligolepis. 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.
- Checker barb Dodoni, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Zebra danio Roundish, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Honey gourami Antoon Dommerholt (Dutch Wikipedia), CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Panda corydoras Chronotopian, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Otocinclus CHUCAO, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Forktail blue-eye rainbowfish Dirk Godlinski, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Amano shrimp Stefanie Leuker, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Ghost shrimp Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Mystery snail Gabriel Resende Veiga, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- German blue ram Eric Mengel, 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
- Zebra pleco Peaceinpianos, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Jewel cichlid NasserHalaweh, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Saulosi cichlid Gerard Delany, CC BY-SA 2.5, 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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