Gold Barb

Looks how to spot one

Deep, arched-backed scaled cyprinid

A compact barb with a high, arched back and a pair of barbels on the upper jaw. The wild form is greenish-brown with a metallic green or yellow-green sheen and dark bars or spots, while the popular aquarium form is bright golden yellow with black markings. Mature males show red on the lower body.13

Personality what they are like

Generally very peaceful, it is a good fit for a well-planned community tank.1

Daily activity how busy a day looks

An active schooling fish that likes to swim and forage near the bottom.13

Grooming and care the hands-on bits

Easy to keep with regular partial water changes. It copes with cooler temperatures better than most tropical fish.13

Home where they are happiest

A tank with a base of at least 90 x 30 cm (about 81 litres); FishBase suggests at least 60 cm length. Temperature 16-24 °C, pH 6.0-8.0, hardness 2-20 °H. Plenty of plants suit it well.12

Food basics what goes in the bowl

An omnivorous forager that eats algae, detritus, worms, insects and small crustaceans. Offer small live or frozen foods such as bloodworm, Daphnia and Artemia alongside dried flakes.12

Company who they like around

Keep at least 8-10 together. Good companions are other peaceful cyprinids and loaches.1

The story where it all began

Albert Günther described the species in 1868. The golden form was developed by selective breeding in the 1960s by hobbyist Thomas Schubert of New Jersey, which is why it is sometimes sold as Barbus schuberti, a name that was never a real species.231

Recognised by the official bits

IUCN Red List

Assessed as Least Concern (September 2011)2

FishBase

Described by Günther in 1868; highly commercial in the aquarium trade2