Black Barbus: description, photo, content

Barbus black is a common aquarium fish. In Russia was first introduced in 1954. Pethia nigrofasciatus does not differ in size. His behavior, the shape of the body resembles the barb of Sumatran.

Habitat

The black barbeque lives naturally in Sri Lanka, most often found in the tributaries of the Nivala and Kelani rivers. They are characterized by an abundance of vegetation, a weak current and a cooler water than in other tropical ponds. It is sour and soft here, and the bottom covers fine gravel or sand. Algae and detritus are the basis of the diet of a barbeque in nature.

At present, the population of this fish has significantly decreased. This is explained by the excessive catch of black barbs for aquarists. For some time the species was considered to be dying out, but in recent years the population has increased slightly.

Nowadays it is forbidden to fish black barbs, therefore all the individuals that are found on sale are artificially withdrawn. With the help of hybridization, more bright, new colors of black barbs are being created today.

Black Barbus: description

As already mentioned, the fish's shape is very similar to its closest relatives - the mutant barboy and the Sumatran barb. His body is high, but it is rather short, the muzzle is pointy, the mustache is missing. Painted in yellow or yellow-gray color, with three black vertical stripes. Sexually mature fish have a purple-red hue. Males blush throughout the body, especially during spawning.

In males, the dorsal fin becomes completely black, and in the female, only its base is black. Anal and abdominal fins in males are red-black or black.

In the case of stress, when the fish are frightened, during the illness, under unsatisfactory conditions of detention, the representatives of both sexes pale. Because of this, they often look nondescript on the market in the aquarium, but having got into the home, a little accustomed to a new home, restore the color and become very beautiful.

The size of the barby is about 5.5 cm, the life expectancy is five years.

Features of the content

According to experienced aquarists, the black barbs, whose photo you can see below, refers to the medium in complexity of the content. He is demanding of clean water, which must have stable parameters.

This is a schooling, active fish - black barbs. Its content should not be in a pair, but in a flock, starting from 6 individuals. This is necessary to ensure that the barbs are not stressed, they are healthy, to create a hierarchy that distracts them from their neighbors in the aquarium and reduces aggression. It is desirable that the female in the aquarium was more than the male, about three times.

Compatibility

Barbus black - quite a peaceful fish. She gets along well with most fish. Very harmoniously looks in a flock with other barbs - mutant, Sumatran, fiery, cherry. It does not get along well with the Malabar, the zebrafish, the teresa, the Congo. It is advisable to select related species of fish, or at least similar in behavior, since they will scare the more sluggish neighbors.

Feeding

In natural conditions, the black barbus is mainly fed by detritus, if only because it is all that it can find on the bottom of the reservoir - algae, insects, invertebrates, plants. They are looking for food in the fallen leaves, which are in large numbers at the bottom of the rivers in Sri Lanka. The main part of their diet are herbal components.

Therefore, the black barb, contained in the aquarium, needs high fiber foods. It, first of all, flakes with spirulina, vegetables - zucchini, cucumbers, spinach, salad. With the same appetite the barbeque is eaten by black and protein feeds - bloodworm, daphnia, artemia. Otherwise, it will break off the young shoots of aquarium plants.

Reproduction

Like all spawners, which include barbs, these fish can reproduce both in pairs and in groups. Since the black barbs eat their eggs very greedily, they must be removed from spawning grounds after the spawning period ends.

The water in the aquarium should be acid and soft. Her temperature at the time of spawning is increased to +26 degrees. On the bottom should put some protective mesh, through which the caviar will be free to fall through, and parents will not be able to get it. For this, you can use various small-leaved plants - different types of moss (for example, Javanese). The lighting should be scattered, somewhat muffled. The aquarium must be removed from direct sunlight.

Selected for spawning individuals abundantly fed with live food for two weeks. If live food is not available, frozen bloodworm and Artemia will do. During this period males will acquire their most beautiful coloration. The females will not change the color, but they will become much more complete from the caviar.

As a rule, spawning begins with mating games - the male circling around the female circles. He spreads his fins, showing off his beautiful color to his chosen one. The process lasts for several hours. During this time the female manages to lay aside about a hundred eggs. After this, the aquarium is covered, as the caviar is very sensitive to light. Sometimes the caviar does not peck. Try the next time to feed the fish more diversely and abundantly before spawning. Usually such problems are associated with feeding.

The larva appears in a day, and after another twenty-four hours the male begins to swim. The first food for him is a microcracker and an infusoria. Approximately seven days later, you can give Artemia napilli.