Black Ruby Barb (Pair)

In breeding colour, the male turns velvet-black with a ruby face. Most of the time a Black Ruby Barb is a gold-and-black striped fish. When a male is in condition and displaying, the stripes merge into velvety black and the whole head and front of the body flood deep ruby red. It is one of the most dramatic colour changes in any small community fish.

This is a Sri Lankan barb that is far more peaceful than its tiger-barb cousins. Males jostle each other for the attention of females, which is exactly what produces the colour, but they leave other fish largely alone. A planted tank with a group of six to ten, more females than males, is how you get the ruby red to show up regularly.

Care Snapshot

Setting Up For It

• Dense planting with open space. Plants give females cover from courting males; open space lets the group swim.
• Dark substrate and moderate light. The ruby red and black show strongest against dark tones.
• Moderate flow and clean water. Stream fish that appreciate well-oxygenated water.
• Driftwood and leaf litter. Softer, tannin-tinted water brings out the colour.
• Lid recommended. Barbs can jump when startled.

Tank Mates

Mild nipping is only usually a problem when they are kept in too small a group.

Feeding — Varied For Colour

Black Ruby Barbs are unfussy omnivores, but the ruby red depends on a varied, carotenoid-rich diet.

Feed twice a day. From the AQA range, a small colour granule or flake as the staple, with frozen foods and blanched vegetables through the week.

Foods they enjoy: frozen bloodworm, brine shrimp, daphnia, mosquito larvae, blanched spinach.

Sexing & Breeding

Males develop the black body and ruby-red head when mature and displaying. Females keep their gold-and-black stripes and are rounder. Easy to sex once adult.

An egg-scatterer that spawns among fine-leaved plants or a spawning mop. Adults eat eggs, so remove them after spawning. Fry hatch in a day or two and need infusoria.

Keeping It In Indian Conditions

• A near-neighbour. Sri Lankan in origin, this barb is comfortable at most Indian room temperatures without a heater outside the north and hill stations.
• Summer: above 28 °C add aeration and a fan — they are stream fish that need oxygen.
• Water: copes with moderately hard municipal water; very hard borewell water benefits from blending.
• Monsoon: keep changes regular and dechlorinated.
• Food supply is easy with standard dry foods and frozen extras.