Javanese Barbus

The Javan barb, scientific name Systomus rubripinnis, belongs to the Cyprinidae family. Rather large fish, differs in endurance and relative unpretentiousness. Rarely found in the aquarium trade, except in the Southeast Asian region.

Habitat

Comes from Southeast Asia. Despite the name, it is found not only on the island of Java in Indonesia, but also in vast territories from Myanmar to Malaysia. It inhabits the basins of such large rivers as the Maeklong, Chao Phraya and Mekong. Inhabits the main riverbeds. During the rainy season, as the water level rises, it swims to flooded areas of tropical forests for spawning.

Brief information:

• The volume of the aquarium – from 500 liters.
• Temperature – 18-26°C
• Value pH — 6.0–8.0
• Water hardness – 2–21 dGH
• Substrate type – any
• Lighting – subdued
• Brackish water – no
• Water movement – moderate or strong
• The size of the fish is 20–25 cm.
• Food – any food
• Temperament – conditionally peaceful
• Keeping in a group of 8-10 individuals

Description

Adults reach a length of up to 25 cm. The color is silvery with a greenish tint. The fins and tail are red, the latter has black edges. A characteristic feature of the species is also the red markings on the gill cover. Sexual dimorphism is weakly expressed. Males, unlike females, are somewhat smaller and look brighter, and during the mating season, small tubercles develop on their heads, which are practically invisible the rest of the time.

Presented from different regions, such as Thailand and Vietnam, may vary slightly from each other.

Food

An omnivorous species, it will accept most popular aquarium fish foods. For normal growth and development, plant additives should be provided in the composition of the products, otherwise it is likely that ornamental aquatic plants will suffer.

Maintenance and care, arrangement of the aquarium

Tank sizes for a small flock of these fish should start at 500-600 liters. The design is arbitrary, if possible, it is desirable to arrange an aquarium in the likeness of the bottom of the river: rocky soil with boulders, several large snags. The lighting is subdued. The presence of an internal flow is welcome. Unpretentious mosses and ferns, Anubias, capable of attaching to any surface, are suitable as aquatic plants. The remaining plants are unlikely to take root, and are likely to be eaten.

Successful keeping of Javanese Barbs is possible only in conditions of very clean water rich in oxygen. To maintain such conditions, a productive filtration system will be required along with several mandatory maintenance procedures: weekly replacement of part of the water with fresh water and regular cleaning of organic waste (excrement, leftover feed).

Behavior and Compatibility

Active schooling fish, does not mix well with smaller species. The latter may become an accidental victim or become too intimidated. As neighbors in the aquarium, it is recommended to purchase fish of similar size that live in the bottom layer, for example, catfish, loaches.

Breeding / breeding

At the time of this writing, there is no reliable information about the breeding of this species in a home aquarium. However, the lack of information is due to the low prevalence of the Javan barb in the aquarium hobby. In its natural habitat, it is often bred as a forage fish.

Fish diseases

In a balanced aquarium ecosystem with species-specific conditions, diseases rarely occur. Diseases are caused by environmental degradation, contact with sick fish, and injuries. If this could not be avoided, then more about the symptoms and methods of treatment in the section “Diseases of aquarium fish”.