▷ Shark Barbs in the Aquarium | All info

Shark barb data sheet

German name:
Shark Barbs

Scientific name:
Balantiocheilos melanopterus

Origin:
Asia

Size:
30 – 50 cm

Aquarium

Length:
at least 250 cm edge length

Contents:
from 600 liters

water values

Temperature:
23°C to 27°C degrees

pH:
6.0 to 7.5

GH:
5 to 12 degrees

Behave

Area:
everywhere in the aquarium

Lining:
Live food (mosquito larvae, Tubifex), frozen food, dry food

Behave:
Schooling fish, calm, willing to swim, sometimes skittish

Number:
Group of at least 10 animals

Difficulty level:
beginner fish

© Raimond Spekking / CC BY-SA 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons), Sharkfish (Balantiocheilos melanopterus), CC BY-SA 4.0

Shark barbs, Balantiocheilos melanopterus, grow to a size of 30 to 50 centimeters in nature. Sizes between 22 and 30 centimeters are reported from aquariums. According to this, they were 30 centimeters long and 30 centimeters long in a 150 centimeter long aquarium after a year

about 200 grams heavy. Shark barbs can live more than 20 years. Sharkfish are edible fish in their native India.

Because sharkfish are very fond of swimming, the available swimming distance must be 10 times the body length. So that’s about 2.50 meters of aquarium length.

The repeated argument that fish adapt to the size of the aquarium must be viewed critically. These are growth disorders, which of course are not species-appropriate.

Sharkfish swim frantically, jump and are very sensitive to movement outside the aquarium if the stress becomes too great because there is not enough space.

Sharkfish Source: Image on Wikimedia Commons License: CC Attr. SA 3.0 Author: Lerdsuwa

Because shark barbs are good at jumping, the aquarium must be covered. Pool: The lighting should be rather dim. At least 50 liters of water should be available for each sharkfish. A powerful circulation pump should provide a current against which these fast and persistent swimmers can swim. The large eyes indicate that shark barbs prefer to live in deep water layers. Sharkfish are sociable when young. A swarm of shark barbs probably only feels comfortable in a dark aquarium from 300 centimeters in length.

Because sharkfish are very active, they need a lot of oxygen. according to one report, shark barbs suffocated in the summer because the water got over 30 degrees.

Food for Shark Barbs

Sharkfish are omnivores and eat e.g. B. duckweed, Riccia, potatoes, peas, rice, corn and uncooked pasta. Soft floating plants, e.g. B. Lemna or Pistia. The barbels swim on their backs. Young fish are also eaten. Snails are sucked empty. However, sharkfish are not pronounced hunters and tend to hit by chance. Shark barbs do not get full with food flakes. An adult shark barb will easily eat eight tetra food tablets at a time every day.

Behavior and appearance of shark barbs

Sharkfish Source: Image on Wikimedia Commons License: CC Attr. SA 3.0 Copyright: Alia 2005

Shark barbs become solitary as they age. You then need additional space. The eyes get a lot bigger. So in nature they live in deep or dark water or are nocturnal.

Accordingly, they hide in the dark corners of the aquarium. They only come out when it is also dark outside the aquarium and nothing is moving. If someone gets closer than 2 meters to the aquarium, the shark barbs will scoot away in the corner.

The shark-like shape almost completely disappears in adulthood. The flat belly of the young fish bulges. The deeply forked caudal fin remains. It is a feature of all fish that swim fast and persistent, e.g. B. also from tuna. Shark barbs stand effortlessly in strong currents in the aquarium. To do this, the room must be completely dark and nobody is allowed to move. Otherwise the barbels will disappear in their corner.

Note on keeping in the aquarium

Overall shark barbs are not suitable as aquarium fish. Above all, they get much too big and too shy in old age.