▷ Sumatran Barbs | Puntigrus tetrazona | All info

Data sheet Sumatran barbs

German name:
Sumatran mullet

Scientific name:
Puntigrus tetrazona

Origin:
South East Asia

Size:
Up to 7cm

Aquarium

Length:
From 80 cm edge length

Contents:
From 112 liters

water values

Temperature:
22°C to 26°C degrees

pH:
6.0 to 8.0

GH:
5 to 19°

CH:
3 to 17°

Behave

Area:
middle pelvic area

Lining:
Omnivores, feed alternately with live food, flake food, granulated food, dry food and frozen food

Behave:
keen to swim, lively

Number:
Group of at least 10 animals

Difficulty level:
Beginner

Sumatran barbs are hardy fish

Mirko Rosenau – stock.adobe.com

gender differences

• The snouts of the males are significantly more colorful than those of the females.
• The females are significantly fuller than the males at spawning time.

Food for Sumatran mullet

Almost every common food is eaten. They eat a lot, so when in doubt it is better to feed a little too little than too much.

Aggressive social behavior

While some aquarists describe Sumatran barbs as aggressive, other aquarists speak at most of annoyance due to the great play instinct. Unfortunately, all slightly livelier species are increasingly being labeled as aggressive. For this reason they are also known as Asian piranhas.

additives in the aquarium

Sumatran barbs can harm other tank residents, e.g. B. catfish, occasionally bother. They also like to tug at the threads of angelfish and gourami. Armored catfish like to have their dorsal fins nibbled on. Fish with pulled out fins, threads etc. should therefore not be kept together with Sumatran barbs. They should also not be kept together with calm fish. Other barbs or fish with short fins are suitable for socializing with Sumatran barbs.

Other species of fish are particularly bothered when there are too few Sumatran barbs in the aquarium. Fewer than 10 should therefore not be maintained. Because they otherwise lack company and get bored, they like to play with other fish. When the other fish show a startle or flight reaction, the Sumatran barbs usually stop bothering them.

Source: Image on Wikimedia Commons License: Public domain Author: Hutsch

If fish in an aquarium are bothered by tiger barbs, consideration should therefore be given to increasing the stock of tiger barbs.

A newly introduced Siamese Algae Eater was reportedly attacked and killed by 3 Sumatran Barbs. It is unclear whether the algae eater was healthy. It is possible that he was ill or severely weakened by the stress of moving. It cannot be ruled out that the nuisance caused by the Sumatran barbs caused additional stress, so that the algae eater did not survive the onset. A second algae eater was nibbled at the tail fin. There were only three Sumatran barbs in the aquarium. Play instinct and boredom in the Sumatran barbs and stress in the algae eaters probably played a major role.

Before introducing new fish, the existing aquarium inhabitants should be fed. The new fish should later be placed in a different corner of the aquarium.

Normally, Sumatran barbs are just playful and only pluck or nibble on other fish, but do not eat them maliciously. They sometimes pull the hair on their arms or nibble on their arms when you reach into the aquarium.

However, apple snails are eaten according to one report. (this cannot be confirmed yet)

Breeding of Sumatran barbs

Breeding water should be soft and have a low pH.

Young fish that are 4 to 5 months old are definitely sexually mature. The females are noticeably round during the spawning season. Because Sumatran barbs are strong spawn predators, the parents should be placed in a breeding tank. A small aquarium with a volume of approx. 10 liters is sufficient.

With a spawning grid the tank is divided into an upper part for the parents and a lower part for the spawn. Alternatively, two thick layers of glass marbles can be filled into the tank as the bottom. The eggs fall between the marbles and are thus protected from being eaten by the parents.

Source: Image on Wikimedia Commons License: CC Attr. SA 2.5 Author: Derek Ramsey

The pool is filled with water from the Original basin filled and the breeding pair used. The water is aerated with an oxygen stone. Then 1 cup of fresh and cold tap water is added. A cup has proven its worth. If more water is added, the males will float so hard that spawning will not occur. The Sumatran barbs should spawn the next day. If not spawning, try 2 cups of cold water.

When mating, Sumatran barbs briefly swim snout to snout next to each other. Then they put their bodies together or entangle themselves and spawn. The female releases the eggs, which are then inseminated by the male. The spawning process lasts about 2 hours.

However, Sumatran barbs occasionally swim so close together and nudge each other without spawning.

Sumatran barbs spawn in the early morning at sunrise. They spawn between slender plants such as cabomba and Indian swamp friend.
The eggs are small and crystal clear and are usually eaten by their own parents. When the barbels have spawned, the breeding animals are caught.

To prevent spawning fungus, a tablet of Cilex from the Breastmann company can be given to the rearing tank. Alternatively, 5 milliliters of a stock solution of acriflavin can be added to every 10 liters of water.

The eggs go through a four-day larval period. After hatching, a partial water change is made with fresh but stale change water. The water should stand before 2 days.

Appropriately small food particles are required to feed the brood. The feed must be carefully dosed. If not fed enough, the young will starve. If you feed too much, most of the food will fall to the bottom and the water will start to rot.

FAQs / Frequently asked questions about Sumatran mullet

Are small aquariums also suitable?

6 to 8 Sumatran barbs can be kept in an aquarium with 60 liters of water. But then there must be no other fish in the aquarium. But they feel really comfortable in a group size of 10 specimens. Because Sumatran barbs also grow quite large, larger aquariums are better suited.

Why do Sumatran mullets turn pale and stand upside down?

Source: Image on Wikimedia Commons License: CC Attr. SA 2.5 Author: Faucon

Sumatran mullet sometimes turn pale and almost stand upside down. If the animals are otherwise behaving normally, i.e. eating well and not separating from the swarm, there is no reason to worry.

At ranking fights the participants dance around and bump their snouts against each other again and again. Sometimes they chase each other around the aquarium. There are usually no serious injuries.

After tussles for ranking in the shoal, defeated Sumatran barbs turn pale and stand upside down. Often the other tiger barbs swim up to the pale animals and nudge them. After some time, this behavior wears off and the defeated ones return to their normal colors and swim normally.

The males often turn pale during courtship.

Paleness and standing upside down can also be a sign that the Sumatran barbs are not feeling well. Causes can be just fright but also a serious illness.

Why are Sumatran barbs hiding?

If tiger mullet is constantly hiding, jerking towards the food and then immediately hiding again, the lighting may be too strong. The lighting can B. be steamed with floating plants. Stem plants that grow along the water surface also dampen the light. Sumatran barbs swim much more relaxed when the water surface is covered with plants above their heads.

In the evening Sumatran barbs become calmer and retreat before the lights go out. They stand slightly trembling in the water, e.g. B. in an aquarium corner.

How old do tiger barbs get?

Sumatran barbs can reach an age of up to 7 years (if kept properly).

When does sexual maturity occur?

Sexual maturity is reached at 4 to 5 months.

What are moss barbs

Mirko Rosenau – stock.adobe.com

Moss barbs or moss green barbs are a cultivated form of moss barbs. The behavior corresponds to that of the Sumatran barbs. They are also farmed like Sumatran barbs.

Sumatran barbs swim in schools?

Sumatran barbs newly introduced to an aquarium are usually distributed throughout the aquarium or hide, e.g. B. under plant leaves. They swim randomly around each other, no animal joins the other.

Later they occupy temporary territories or swim in a relatively loose school. Juveniles are more likely to swim in schools and play with each other, adults only swim close together when they feel unsafe.

Sumatran barbs and moss barbs form a common swarm in the aquarium. The same applies to their albino conspecifics, which look orange with white stripes.

Apparently all striped mullets form a common school. There are reports of swarms of 4 and 5 giraffes together with purplehead mullets and tiger mullets, i.e. Barbus terazona, Barbus pentazona and Barbus nigrofasciatum.

What does the scientific name “Puntigrus tetrazona” refer to?

The Puntigrus genus includes five to six small Southeast Asian fish species from the carp family. The word is hidden in the genus name puntius, a name for a genus under which these species were grouped until 2013. The word Tigrus (lat. tigris = tiger) on the other hand, refers to the external appearance of the animals. Around the body of the Sumatran barb (Puntigrus tetrazona) there are, for example, vertically four broad black bands or stripes.

In some individuals, these also shine metallic-green. The first band runs over the fish’s eyes, the second encircles the body before the beginning of the dorsal and pelvic fins. The third extends from the dorsal fin over the body to the anal fin. And finally, the fourth band surrounds the fish in the area of ​​the base of the tail. These four bands, belts or zones (tetrazona) are very characteristic of the Sumatran barb and are therefore reflected in the scientific name

What does the natural habitat of the Sumatran barb look like?

The Sumatran barb comes from Southeast Asia. Here it occurs, for example, in the south of the Malay Peninsula, in Indonesia or in Singapore and lives there as a freshwater fish in densely planted riparian zones of standing or slow-flowing bodies of water. There, where the Floor…