Sixbelt Barb
Desmopuntius hexazona
A peaceful schooling barb native to Southeast Asian peat swamps, identified by a reddish-gold body and six black bands. Requires soft, acidic water and thrives in groups.
Température de l’eau
24 - 28 °C
Valeur du pH
6 - 7.5
Type d'eau
Eau douce
Niveau dans le bac
Fond et milieu
Taille adulte
5,5 cm
Volume minimal du bac
>= 80 L
Groupe minimal
>= 6
GH
3 - 12 dGH
KH
1 - 5 dKH
TDS
55 - 230 ppm
Conductivité
86 - 359 uS/cm
Description de l'espèce
Geographical Origin and Habitat: Native to Southeast Asia, across the Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, and Borneo. Inhabits peat swamp forests with slow-flowing, tannic, acidic blackwaters. This freshwater barb is native to blackwater streams and peat swamps in Malaysia, Sumatra, and Borneo.
Taxonomy and Morphology: A member of the Cyprinidae family. Often confused with the Tiger Barb but distinguished by its six vertical black bands. Grows to 5.5 cm. Part of the Cyprinidae family, it features a streamlined body shape and is smaller than the common tiger barb.
Social Behavior: Peaceful and shoaling. Keeps to the middle water layers. Keep in a group of 6-8 or more to ensure they feel secure and display natural behaviors. A peaceful schooling species that must be kept in groups of 8-10 to feel secure and display active behavior.
Coloration and Sexual Dimorphism: Reddish-gold body highlighted by six vertical black bars and red hues on the fins. Males are smaller and more intensely colored when mature. The golden-orange body is marked with six distinct, vertical black bands that extend across the flanks.
Soins, reproduction et cohabitation
Aquarium Setup: An 80-liter tank with dark substrate, peat filtration, and dense plants. Subdued lighting is recommended to mimic their peat swamp forest habitat. Provide a well-planted aquarium with dim lighting, floating plants, and driftwoods to simulate forest streams.
Diet and Feeding: Omnivorous. Readily accepts flakes and micro-pellets. Feed frozen or live foods like bloodworms, daphnia, and brine shrimp to promote health. Feed a varied diet of high-quality flakes, micro-pellets, and small frozen foods like daphnia and cyclops.
Water Quality: Prefers soft, acidic to neutral water. Keep temperature at 24-28 °C, pH at 6.0-7.5, and hardness at 3-12 dGH. Biweekly water changes are encouraged. Requires soft, acidic water conditions (pH 5.0-6.5) and benefits from the addition of natural peat or leaf litter.
Compatibility and Cohabitation: Very peaceful. Unlike Tiger Barbs, they do not nip fins and can be kept with peaceful fish, shrimp, and dwarf cichlids. Highly compatible with peaceful community fish; unlike the tiger barb, it is not an aggressive fin-nipper.
Aquarium Breeding: Egg scatterer. Requires a dedicated breeding tank with soft water and spawning grids or moss. Remove parent pair post-spawning. Egg scatterers that spawn among fine-leaved plants; adults must be separated post-spawning to save eggs.
Risks and Diseases: Susceptible to external parasites in stressful conditions or if nitrate levels are allowed to rise. Susceptible to freshwater ich and velvet if subjected to poor water conditions or sudden temperature drops.
Origine et répartition géographiques
Native to Southeast Asia, across the Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, and Borneo. Inhabits peat swamp forests with slow-flowing, tannic, acidic blackwaters. This freshwater barb is native to blackwater streams and peat swamps in Malaysia, Sumatra, and Borneo.
Origine
Asie du Sud et du Sud-EstAsie de l'Est
Profil de poisson
- Tempérament
- Peaceful
- Their temperament is extremely peaceful, timid, and highly social, making them a model citizen for blackwater community tanks. When kept in sufficient numbers, they focus all their attention on interacting harmlessly within their own school. Without the security of a group, however, they will become highly reclusive, stressed, and prone to illness.
- Régime alimentaire
- Omnivore
- This species is a versatile omnivore that readily accepts almost all commercially prepared aquarium foods. A high-quality staple flake or micro-pellet should be offered, alongside regular feedings of live or frozen bloodworms and daphnia. Including some spirulina or blanched vegetables occasionally will ensure their digestive system remains perfectly healthy.
- Espérance de vie
- 5-8 years
- Taille adulte
- 5.5 cm
- Ratio des sexes
- School
- This is a strictly schooling species that must be kept in groups of six or more to establish a natural hierarchy. A balanced sex ratio helps distribute any minor squabbling among the males as they display to females. In larger groups, their vibrant orange-red coloration becomes significantly bolder as they compete for attention.
- Fréquence d'alimentation
- Twice daily
- Adult Desmopuntius hexazona should be fed two small meals per day to match their active metabolism. They are enthusiastic eaters that eagerly feed from the middle and lower water column as food sinks. Care should be taken not to overfeed, as they will greedily consume more than they actually require.
- Charge biologique
- Low
- Desmopuntius hexazona, the six-banded barb, generates a moderate bioload consistent with mid-sized, active cyprinids. They consume a fair amount of food to fuel their continuous swimming, necessitating a robust biological filter. Maintaining excellent water quality with weekly water changes is vital to prevent bacterial infections to which they are sensitive.
- Courant
- Strong
- Hailing from the peat swamps and blackwater streams of Southeast Asia, they prefer sluggish, gentle water movements. A slow to moderate flow rate provided by a sponge filter or a baffled canister filter is absolutely ideal. Too much current will force them to expend unnecessary energy and prevent them from settling into a natural rhythm.
- Risque de saut
- No
- Reproduction
- Oviparous
- Breeding this species is challenging, as it requires very soft, acidic water (pH 5.0-6.0) to induce spawning. They are egg-scatterers that drop their eggs among fine-leaved plants, exhibiting zero parental care post-spawning. Prompt removal of the adults is critical, as they will immediately hunt down and devour their own eggs.
- Compatibilité et compagnons
- Peaceful
- Unlike the notorious tiger barb, the six-banded barb is remarkably peaceful and rarely exhibits fin-nipping behavior. They are superb community fish that can be kept with most peaceful species of similar size, including gouramis and tetras. They thrive in blackwater biotope setups populated with other calm, Southeast Asian species.
- Niveau dans le bac
- Middle/Bottom
- The six-banded barb is primarily a mid-water to bottom-dwelling species, favoring areas with dense cover. They rarely visit the surface unless food is present, preferring to dart among driftwood tangles and leaf litter. Providing a shaded environment with floating plants encourages them to swim confidently in the open mid-water.
Modèles et paramètres scientifiques
FishBase
Fenêtre sur les données scientifiques officielles de l’espèce
FishBase v25.04Données synchronisées le : 15/06/2026
- Niveau trophique
- 2,9 ± 0,3 se
- Résilience
- Élevée (moins de 15 mois)
- Singularité phylogénétique (PD50)
- 0.5039
- Relation bayésienne longueur-poids
- a = 0.01072, b = 3.02
- VulnérabilitéVulnérabilité faible (10 / 100)
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