All fish / Cyprinidae

Swamp barb

Puntius chola

Also known as chola barb, green barb, swamp punti, chola punti, puntius chola, 沼泽鲃

A silvery, deep-bodied barb with a greenish back, a dark spot near the base of the tail and another below the dorsal fin, and a pair of short barbels; males take on orange-red tones when breeding. It is hardy, active and tolerates cooler water, so it suits a roomy community tank with similar-sized fish.

Care at a glance

Care level

Easy

Temperament

Peaceful

Adult size

9 cm

Temperature

18 to 26 °C

pH

6.5 to 7.8

Smallest tank

110 litres

Keep as

Shoal of 6 or more

Diet

Omnivore: quality flakes and small pellets, frozen bloodworm and brine shrimp, blanched vegetables

Swims

Middle of the tank

Lifespan

4 to 6 years

Water

Freshwater

Wild range

South Asia and Myanmar: India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Myanmar

Breeding

An egg scatterer that spawns among fine-leaved plants and gives no parental care. Breeding is fairly easy in a separate tank with a fine mesh or dense plants, and the adults should be removed after spawning because they eat the eggs.

Good to know

It grows larger than many small barbs and is a lively swimmer, so give it space and avoid very slow or long-finned tankmates. It will graze on soft plants.