All fish / Cyprinidae

Golden Barb

Pethia lutea

Also known as golden dwarf barb, gold barb, yellow barb, puntius luteus, puntius gelius luteus

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A small golden-yellow barb with dark blotches along the flank and at the base of the tail, quite like the dwarf barb Pethia gelius. People keep it as a hardy, peaceful shoaling fish for planted community tanks, and it copes well in water a little cooler than most tropicals like.

Care at a glance

Care level

Easy

Temperament

Peaceful

Adult size

4 cm

Temperature

18 to 26 °C

pH

6.5 to 7.5

Smallest tank

60 litres

Keep as

Shoal of 8 or more

Diet

Omnivore: small flakes and granules, bloodworm, daphnia, brine shrimp

Swims

Middle of the tank

Lifespan

3 to 5 years

Water

Freshwater

Wild range

Northern India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Pakistan (Ganges and Indus basins)

Breeding

It scatters eggs among fine-leaved plants and gives no parental care. Spawning in captivity is fairly easy if the tank is well conditioned and the adults are taken out afterwards so they do not eat the eggs.

Good to know

It is often sold as, or confused with, the dwarf golden barb Pethia gelius. Do not mix it with Chinese gold barb strains of Barbodes semifasciolatus.