Not furry, but we like them anyway.
Golden Dwarf Barb
Pethia gelius
Also called Golden barb, Dwarf barb, Puntius gelius (former name), Cyprinus gelius (former name)
From South Asia: the Ganges and Brahmaputra drainages of northern India, Nepal and Bangladesh, with reports from Pakistan and possibly Myanmar.12
At a glance the quick version
Looks how to spot one
Small scaled barb
A tiny, slim barb with a pale golden-yellow body marked by two or three dark blotches and small dark spots near the fin bases. The dorsal, pelvic and anal fins glow a brighter yellow. Females are a little larger and rounder, males more vividly coloured.1
Personality what they are like
Gentle and a little shy. It settles and shows its best colours when kept in a decent-sized group alongside other small, calm fish such as small danios, loaches or dwarf shrimp.1
Daily activity how busy a day looks
An active schooling fish that likes open swimming space plus planted cover to retreat into.1
Grooming and care the hands-on bits
Keep water clean and stable with regular partial water changes; suits a cooler, subtropical tank. Water: about 18-24 C, pH 6.0-7.0, soft to moderately hard (up to about 10-15 dGH).123
Home where they are happiest
A tank with a base of at least about 60 x 30 cm (roughly 54 litres) with soft substrate, plants and gentle flow, reflecting its home in slow, silty streams and river margins.12
Food basics what goes in the bowl
Omnivore that eats small insects, worms and crustaceans in the wild. Accepts small dried foods, ideally with daily small live or frozen foods such as Daphnia and brine shrimp for best colour.12
Company who they like around
A schooling species; keep at least 8-10 together.1
The story where it all began
Described by Francis Hamilton in 1822 from the Ganges region, it was long placed in the genera Cyprinus and Puntius before moving to Pethia. A 2013 study by Knight helped separate it from close look-alikes such as Pethia canius and Pethia aurea.31
Fun facts for the dinner table
- 1
At around 4-5 cm long it is one of the smallest barbs kept in aquariums.1
- 2
It scatters its eggs in very shallow water, around 15 cm deep, and the parents do not guard them.2
- 3
Unlike many tropical barbs, it prefers fairly cool water, roughly 18-24 C.1
- 4
Its natural home is slow, murky streams that pass through farmland, where water depth changes with the seasons.1
Recognised by the official bits
- IUCN Red List
- Least Concern (assessed 2010).2
The care rhythm Furry Diary remembers it for you
A typical home-care rhythm for a Golden Dwarf Barb. It is our own starting plan, not a vet's advice, and you can change every line in the app.
- FeedingSmall amounts once or twice a dayevery day
- Temperature checkevery day
- Water changeAbout 25% of the waterevery week
- Water testevery week
- Glass cleanevery week
- Filter rinseRinse in old tank water, never tap waterevery month
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Where this comes from
Every breed page shows where each fact comes from. If we got something wrong, sorry, we are pet people, not a science magazine. Tell us at [email protected] and we will fix it.
- Seriously Fish: Pethia gelius seriouslyfish.comused for origin, size, care, water, diet, behaviour, description, history
- FishBase: Pethia gelius fishbase.seused for distribution, length, weight, water, IUCN, spawning
- Wikipedia: Pethia gelius en.wikipedia.orgused for describer and year, water hardness
Checked 2026-09-30. Text is written in our own words from these sources.