All fish / Cyprinidae

Six-banded barb

Desmopuntius hexazona

Also known as six banded barb, sixbanded barb, six-banded tiger barb, false tiger barb, puntius hexazona, barbus hexazona, hexazona barb, puntigrus hexazona, ヘクサゾナ・バルブ, ikan sumatra palsu, 六间鲃, 六带鲃

A small golden-brown barb with six dark vertical bands, including one through the eye and one on the tail base, and reddish fins in good condition. It resembles the tiger barb but is far calmer, making it a good choice for soft-water community or blackwater biotope tanks.

Care at a glance

Care level

Moderate

Temperament

Peaceful

Adult size

5 cm

Temperature

24 to 28 °C

pH

4.5 to 6.5

Smallest tank

80 litres

Keep as

Shoal of 8 or more

Diet

Omnivore: quality flakes and small granules, with live or frozen bloodworm, daphnia and brine shrimp

Swims

Middle of the tank

Lifespan

4 to 6 years

Water

Freshwater

Wild range

Malay Peninsula, Sumatra and Borneo (peat swamp blackwaters)

Breeding

An egg scatterer that spawns among fine-leaved plants or moss and gives no parental care. Breeding is possible in soft, acidic, warm water with the adults removed afterwards, but it is less often achieved than with tiger barbs.

Good to know

Comes from very soft, acidic peat swamp water and does poorly in hard alkaline conditions. Often confused with Desmopuntius pentazona and the tiger barb, Puntigrus tetrazona.