Java Barb

About

The Java barb (Barbonymus gonionotus) is a sizeable cyprinid from the river systems of mainland Southeast Asia and the surrounding islands, where it moves through rivers, floodplains, and seasonally flooded forests in large schools. In the wild it undertakes local migrations, pushing into smaller waterways and inundated forest areas when the rains arrive, then retreating back to main channels as water levels drop. It is a genuinely large fish by aquarium standards, and only keepers with substantial tank space should consider it. Appearance-wise, it is a fairly plain silver barb with grey dorsal and caudal fins and pale yellowish pelvic and anal fins. Not a flashy fish, but one that looks impressive when a healthy group moves together. Despite being peaceful in the sense that it is not predatory toward similar-sized fish, it is boisterous at feeding time and will absolutely consume anything small enough to fit in its mouth. Slow, timid tankmates will find it stressful to live with. Robust cichlids, large catfish, and other big cyprinids tend to be the best companions. Keep a group of at least six. Individuals kept in smaller numbers can become nervous or oddly snappy. It has rarely appeared in the hobby outside specialist circles, and breeding it in home aquaria is not a realistic prospect.