Breeding Checker Barb (Puntius Oligolepis) In The Aquarium

Location

This freshwater fish lives in standing waters and in slow-flowing rivers, creeks in Indonesia and Sumatra.

Body description

Colour of the body is silvery-olive with darker scales and light lower part of the body. Colour of the fins is yellowish-red with a black border. Female is thicker and less colourful than male. Her fins are yellowish.

Temperament and behaviour

This is an active, and shoal fish. Fish prefers to live in a group of 8-10 minimum and then fish are less shy, have brighter colors, and any aggressive behaviours stays within the group. These fish usually swims at the bottom water level where it looks for food. This species doesn't nibble other fish fins. It may be kept with other friendly and peaceful species e.g. danios, rasboras, tetras, corydoras, and viviparous species.

Aquarium decoration

This fish prefers a specious tanks with place to swim, a lot of places to hide among roots, rocks, plants, and floating plants. Dark substrate and dimmed light cause the colours of the fish to become brighter. This species is sensitive to water conditions. You need to use an effective filtration system and perform systematic partial water changes.

Breeding

This is an oviparous species. Breeding should be made in a separate tank. The aquarium should have dimmed light, fine-leaved plants, soft water, neutral pH, increased temperature. You may use a fish hatchery too. Several weeks before spawning you should separate males from females and feed them with plenty of food. The thickest female and most colourful male you should transfer to the breeding tank, in the evening. They should spawn next day, in the morning, after vehement courtships. Female spreads eggs among plants and male immediately fertilizes them. You have to remove the parents after laying the roe because they eat the eggs. The eggs hatch after 1-2 days. The fry starts to swim and feed one day later.