Cherry barb (Puntius titteya) care guide

Group
Freshwater fish
Other names
Cherry barb, Red cherry barb, Super red cherry barb, Albino cherry barb, Tittaya
Family
Cyprinidae (Smiliogastrinae, barbs)
Origin
Endemic to the wet zone of south-western Sri Lanka (Kelani to Nilwala basins); shaded, shallow, slow streams with leaf litter over sand or silt and dense bankside plants.
Water
freshwater
Maximum size
5 cm
Temperature
20–27°C
pH
6–8
Hardness
Soft to hard, 2–20 dGH
Minimum tank
54 litres
Care level
beginner
Temperament
peaceful
Lifespan
4–7 years years

Care

The cherry barb is a small, peaceful barb and one of the best choices for a beginner's community tank. It is a loose schooling fish: keep at least 6–10, ideally with more females than males, as males spar with each other and chase females when in breeding colour. A tank with a base of at least 60 × 30 cm (around 54 litres) is a sensible minimum. It is naturally rather shy and looks and behaves best in a well-planted tank with some floating plants to soften the light, a dark sandy substrate, driftwood and some leaf litter, while still leaving open water to swim in. In the wild it lives in shaded forest streams with clear or slightly stained water. It adapts to a wide range of water: about 20–27 °C, pH roughly 6–8 and soft to hard water (2–20 dGH). Wild-caught fish do best at the softer, slightly acidic end. Males are slimmer, smaller and much redder than females, turning deep cherry red when displaying or spawning. Females are plumper and fawn to brownish with a darker stripe along the side. Selectively bred strains include albino and 'super red' forms. The scientific name changed in 2023, when the species was moved from Puntius into its own new genus, Rohanella; it is still widely sold as Puntius titteya. The species name comes from 'tittaya', its Sinhala name. Almost all fish in the trade are farmed. Wild populations have been hit by deforestation and habitat loss, and the species is listed as Vulnerable by the IUCN; export of wild fish from Sri Lanka is prohibited, so buy captive-bred stock. Sources: Seriously Fish (seriouslyfish.com/species/puntius-titteya/); FishBase (fishbase.se/summary/Puntius-titteya.html); Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cherrybarb). Checked October 2026.

Diet

In the wild it grazes on diatoms, algae and detritus and picks off small insects, worms and zooplankton. In the aquarium give a good small flake or granule plus regular small live or frozen foods such as bloodworm, Daphnia and Artemia, which bring out the males' red colour.

Breeding

An egg-scattering free spawner that gives no parental care and will eat its eggs. Use a separate breeding tank with fine-leaved plants or spawning mops (or mesh over the base), soft slightly acidic water and a well-conditioned pair or small group. The female scatters a few hundred eggs among the plants; remove the adults once spawning ends. Eggs hatch in 24–48 hours and the fry become free-swimming a day or two later. Feed infusoria-sized foods first, then microworm and newly hatched brine shrimp.

Compatibility and tank mates

Very peaceful and suits most community tanks of small, calm fish: tetras, rasboras, livebearers, small rainbowfish, small anabantoids such as gouramis, Corydoras and other catfish, and loaches. Avoid large or boisterous fish that may bully or eat it, and very active fin-nippers that will out-compete it at feeding time.

Last updated 5 October 2026. Community-edited care guide on Aquatic-Auctions.

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