Cherry barb
Rohanella titteya
Cherry barbs exhibit vibrant red-orange coloration with a distinct dark stripe running along their gold to silver sides.
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About the Cherry barb
Cherry barbs are small Sri Lankan barbs; males intensify to deep red (especially when breeding). They're generally peaceful and can be shy unless kept in a group, and they look best in planted aquariums with subdued lighting and darker substrate.
Also known as
Quick Facts
Size
8.1 cm SL
Temperament
Peaceful
Difficulty
Beginner
Min Tank Size
25 gallons
Lifespan
4-7 years
Origin
South Asia (Sri Lanka)
Diet
Omnivore - flakes/micro pellets plus frozen/live foods (small insects/larvae) and some plant matter
Water Parameters
22-26°C
6-8
5-18 dGH
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This species needs 22-26°C in a 25 gallon tank. Use our heater calculator to find the right wattage.
Calculate heater sizeCare Notes
- Keep cherry barbs in a group (6+). A lone one gets shy and hides all day, and a tiny group can turn nippy.
- A 25-gallon (or larger) is a safe starting point for a group of ~6; provide dense plants plus open swimming space. Dark substrate and floating plants help them feel secure and can enhance coloration.
- They're forgiving, but they look and breed best around 24-26°C, pH ~6.5-7.5, and medium-soft to medium water. What they hate is swings-do small, regular water changes instead of big random ones.
- Feed small amounts 1-2x/day and rotate foods: micro pellets/flakes as the base, plus frozen/brine shrimp/daphnia a few times a week. They'll also graze soft algae and tiny bits off plants, which is normal.
- Great with other calm community fish (tetras, rasboras, corys, peaceful gouramis). Skip long-finned slowpokes like fancy guppies or bettas if your barbs get tempted to nip, and avoid big aggressive cichlids.
- If you want more males without drama, go heavier on females (roughly 1 male to 2-3 females). Males color up and chase, but it stays pretty mellow when the ratio's right.
- Breeding is easy: add a clump of java moss or a spawning mop and keep them well-fed, and they'll scatter eggs at dawn. Pull the adults or move the eggs-parents will snack on them.
- Watch for faded color and clamped fins as your early "something's off" signs (usually stress, temp swings, or poor water). Also keep an eye out for ich after a new fish addition-quarantine saves headaches.
Compatibility
Good Tankmates
- Small, chill tetras (neons, embers, glowlights) - they match the cherry barbs' vibe and nobody's trying to boss the tank around.
- Corydoras catfish - peaceful bottom crew that keeps to themselves, and cherry barbs mostly ignore them.
- Kuhli loaches - goofy, gentle noodles that hang low and don't compete for the same space much.
- Small rasboras (harlequins, chili rasboras) - similar temperament and speed, makes a really smooth community mix.
- Honey gourami (or other calmer gourami species) - usually fine as long as the tank isn't cramped and everyone has some plant cover.
- Other peaceful barbs like gold barbs/odessa barbs (in a roomy tank) - cherry barbs do best when the whole tank isn't full of jerkfish.
- Odessa barbs (Pethia padamya) in a roomy tank
Avoid
- Tiger barbs - classic fin-nippers and they'll stress cherries out; cherries are chill and don't need that chaos.
- Big or pushy semi-aggressive stuff (cichlids like convicts, firemouths, etc.) - cherries just get bullied and hide all day.
- Slow fish with long fancy fins (bettas, fancy guppies) - cherries aren't the worst, but in real tanks they can get curious and start picking at fins, especially if the group is small.
Where they come from
Cherry barbs come from Sri Lanka, mostly slow, warm streams and shaded forest waterways. Think leaf litter, roots, and lots of plants—more “cozy tea-stained creek” than wide-open river.
That shaded, planty background is why they look and act best in a planted tank with darker areas to retreat into.
Setting up their tank
If you want cherry barbs to actually show their color and stay confident, give them space to school and plenty of cover to duck into. They’re not picky fish, but they really do appreciate a tank that isn’t bare.
- Tank size: 20 gallons is a sweet spot for a proper group; you can do smaller, but they’re way nicer to watch with room
- Group size: 8+ is where they start acting natural (and the shyer ones stop hugging the corners)
- Plants: any easy stuff works—crypts, java fern, anubias, vallisneria, floating plants for dappled light
- Hardscape: a bit of driftwood/rocks and some leaf litter (optional) makes them feel secure
- Flow: moderate; they don’t need a torrent
- Temperature: mid-70s°F is perfect; they handle a reasonable range as long as it’s stable
- Water: slightly acidic to neutral is fine; don’t chase numbers—steady and clean beats “perfect”
Give them a dark substrate if you can. Same fish, totally different vibe—colors pop and they’re bolder.
They’re pretty forgiving, but they don’t love sudden swings. If you’re new, just focus on a cycled tank, regular water changes, and not overfeeding. That’s 90% of success with cherry barbs.
What to feed them
Cherry barbs eat like little vacuum cleaners, but they look their best with variety. I treat them like “small omnivores with a sweet tooth for tiny meaty foods.”
- Daily staple: a decent micro pellet or small flake
- Color/condition boosters: frozen or live baby brine shrimp, daphnia, cyclops, bloodworms (sparingly)
- Plant matter: spirulina flakes, blanched zucchini/spinach now and then (they’ll pick at it)
Two small feedings beats one big dump. If food hits the bottom untouched, you’re feeding too much.
Behavior and tankmates
These are genuinely chill fish. Males do a bit of sparring and showing off (especially in the morning), but it’s more posturing than fighting. In a good-sized group, the energy spreads out and nobody gets singled out.
- Best vibe: peaceful community tanks with other calm fish
- Great tankmates: harlequin rasboras, ember/neon tetras, corydoras, otocinclus, kuhli loaches, honey gourami
- Shrimp: usually fine with adults, but expect baby shrimp to disappear if they can fit in a barb mouth
Skip slow, fancy-finned fish (long-fin bettas, fancy guppies) if your barbs start getting curious. Most cherry barbs behave, but fin-nipping is a risk when they’re under-grouped or bored.
If you want maximum red on the males, keep more females than males. In my tanks, a 2–3 females per male ratio keeps the males showing color without constantly pestering one girl.
Breeding tips (if you want to try it)
Cherry barbs are egg scatterers, and they’ll absolutely eat their own eggs if given the chance. Breeding is very doable, you just need a little plan.
- Set up a separate breeding tank (10 gallons is plenty) with a sponge filter
- Use a spawning mop, dense java moss, or a mesh/marble bottom so eggs fall out of reach
- Condition the pair or small group with live/frozen foods for a week
- Put them in the breeding tank in the evening; spawning often happens early morning
- Remove adults after you see spawning/eggs
- First foods for fry: infusoria/liquid fry food, then baby brine shrimp as they grow
Dim light helps. In a bright bare tank they get shy and you’ll wonder why nothing happens.
Common problems to watch for
Most issues I’ve seen with cherry barbs come from the usual beginner stuff: too few fish, not enough cover, overfeeding, or a tank that isn’t fully cycled yet.
- Faded color: usually stress, too-bright tank, no plants, or they’re kept in a tiny group
- Fin-nipping: often boredom/too small a group, or tankmates with tempting fins
- Ich after adding new fish: quarantine if you can; barbs often show spots fast when stressed
- Bloat/constipation: from overfeeding or too much rich food—cut back and offer daphnia/veg
- Wasting/skinny fish: can be internal parasites, especially in new arrivals—watch for stringy poop and poor appetite
New cherry barbs can look “fine” at the store and then crash from stress in an uncycled tank. If ammonia/nitrite are showing at all, fix that first—these guys don’t tolerate dirty water for long.
If you keep them in a planted, stable community tank and feed a mix of pellet + frozen/live a couple times a week, cherry barbs are one of those fish that just quietly make your aquarium better.
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