Care
The Barilioides Barb is a delicate, shy species best suited to quiet mature softwater aquaria. In the wild this species has a wide distribution and it is found in many heavily vegetated slow-moving bodies of water with high oxygen content. These timid fish are said to spend the brightest part of the day amongst the shady cover of the plant life, emerging during the early morning and late afternoon to feed.
The aquarium should replicate these conditions as closely as possible, with dark decor and heavy planting. Floating species can be useful to help diffuse the light. Water should be soft and acidic - with a gentle flow. Bogwood and Indian Almond Leaves (Terminalia catappa) can be very beneficial in releasing tannins into the water, both providing additional hiding places and imparting a more natural feel (the Indian Almond Leaves will require periodic replacement as they gradually decompose); Barilioides Barbs tend to show their best colours in tannin-stained water. This is a species that is best maintained in large groups (10+) in tanks over 3ft long. Loose shoaling will occur, but males can be a little antagonistic with each other, usually forming a hierarchy with the largest and colourful fish the most dominant. Ideally the tank will be aquascaped with so many hiding places amongst the planting and decor that visual barriers enable fish to get away from one another if needed. If the aquarium is too small or if hiding places are too sparse, the subservient males may be bullied by the dominant specimen. Having said this, Barilioides Barbs are generally very retiring and are peaceful towards other species; they should not be housed with any large, boisterous, aggressive fish. Ideal tankmates could include dwarf cichlids (Pelvicachromis sp. if you want to keep the African theme; Apistogramma or Mikrogeophagus sp. if this does not worry you), small catfish (again some of the diminutive Microsynodontis sp. for the African theme, or the South American Corydoras do make great companions), kuhli loaches etc. May also be seen on sale as African Banded Barb.
Feeding
Omnivorous. Should be offered a varied diet consisting of a good quality flake food, green/vegetable flake food, micropellets, small frozen foods such as mosquito larvae, baby brineshrimp, daphnia, cyclops etc.
Breeding
If left to their own devices in a quiet well-maintained heavily planted aquarium, Barilioides Barbs should spawn without any intervention. However, if you wish to raise a larger number of fry, it is best to use a separate spawning aquarium. This tank should be set up with peat-filtered softwater (pH <6.0, dH< 6) with the temperature set to 24-26 °C. Filtration must be gentle, an air driven filter is ideal. A substrate of sterilised marbles can be used, or else add a good amount of Java moss clumps. The well-conditioned pair should be carefully acclimatised to this aquarium and allowed to settle in to their new surroundings. Once ready to spawn, the female will scatter several hundred eggs, the male following behind, simultaneously fertilising them. Most of the eggs should fall to the safety of the moss/marbles, but the hungry parents should be removed as soon as spawning has ceased to prevent predation. The eggs should hatch within 36-48 hours and the fry will become free-swimming after a further few days. Infusoria should be offered as a first food, moving on to newly hatched brineshrimp as they grow. The fry are particularly sensitive to any deterioration in water quality, so excellent conditions must be maintained at all times. Ensure that any (dechlorinated) fresh water used in partial water changes is of the same temperature as the breeding aquarium water, of a similar chemistry, and added very slowly to avoid any unnecessary losses.
