Gold Barb Information

20 gallon or larger tank is recommended to keep your gold barb. The Gold Barb prefers many hiding places and requires an ample amount of swimming room. It does not do very well in planted aquariums because it may nip at the plants. The gold barb is an active, peaceful schooling species that spends most of its time in the mid-level and bottom of the water. It likes fairly soft, slightly acidic water but does well over a range of pH which ranges from 6.0 to 8.0. It tolerates a moderate amount of hardness in the water which ranges between 5° and 25° dH.

The Gold Barb is peaceful fish that can be kept with fish like Pristella Tetras, Rummy Nose Tetras, Harlequin Rasboras, Scissortail Rasboras, Lemon Tetras, Black Widow Tetras, Emperor Tetras, Head and Tail Light Tetras, Glass Bloodfin Tetras, Swordtails, Platies, Mollies, Zebra Danios, Glowlight Tetras, White Cloud Mountain Minnows and Cherry Barbs as well as the Corydoras catfish like the Peppered Catfish. It should not be put with large aggressive or predatory fish, Siamese fighting fish, Guppies and Endlers Guppies. Proper care should be taken and 25-50% of the tank water should be replaced at least once a month.

The gold barb is omnivorous type fish and in wild condition, it consumes both vegetable and meaty foods ranging from plant matter to insects and small worms. It should be fed with varied diet that should be designed for tropical omnivores mixed with algae or plant based flaked foods. The gold barb also takes frozen foods, blood worms, Tubifex worms and brine shrimp. It should be fed 2 to 3 times per day.

The Gold barb is an egg scatter fish which scatters their eggs over plants preferably fine leaved plants such as java moss. During breeding season the male becomes brighter in color body with an orange-red belly while the female becomes duller in color and plumper. Breeding tank should have 800 F water temperatures with pH 6.5 which tend to encourage them to breed. The tank should be at least two feet long. The actual spawning usually takes place when the tank starts to get light in the morning.  The female lays over 400 yellowish color eggs at one spawning. The eggs hatch in 2-3 days. After spawning, parents should be removed from tank to prevent eating the eggs. Fry should hatch in a couple days and then it should be fed with liquid fry food and baby brine shrimp or other good fry foods.

The gold barb is difficult to make differences between male and female. The male has usually smaller and more stream lined body and sometimes it turns a more golden/orange color during spawning period. The female has a stockier body shape with slightly duller coloration.

the goldfinned barb is an extremely popular aquarium fish which can be found in most aquarium trade. You can shop online vendors for gold Barbs and have them delivered right to your front door. Check out below online vendor for gold barbs for sale.