Five-banded Barb | Puntius pentazona pentazona
Cyprinds / Barbs / Five-banded Barb
Profile: Five-banded Barb
Puntius pentazona pentazona Synonyms: Barbus pentazona, Barbodes pentazona
Physical description: An elongated, high backed barb with a pair of barbels. The back is olive brown to dark orange, while the flanks are orange-brown. The gill cover is red-orange and the throat and belly are white. The body is marked with five transverse bands. The first runs through the eye, while the last runs near the caudal peduncle. The fins may have a slight orange tint, although the anal and ventral fins are red. The eye is large in comparison to the rest of the body.
Size/Length: To 2" (5 cm)
Similar species: Six-banded Barb ( P. hexazona), ( P. johorensis)
Habitat: In stagnate pools and ponds, usually blackwater. Southeast Asia; Borneo, Malay Peninsula, Singapore.
S: middle
Aquarium: A tank measuring 24" (61 cm) with a capacity of 20 gallons (75 L) is recommended. Plant the sides and edges with robust plants. Provide hiding places with rocks, roots, and wood. Use a dark colored substrate.
Water chemistry: pH 5-7 (6.2), 2-12 dH (5), 75-82°F (24-28°C)
Social behavior: A shy, peaceful species that should not be combined with lively fish. This species can be combined with other barbs and gouramis.
Suggested companions: Gouramis, Barbs, Loaches, Doradids, Loricarids, Epalzeorhynchus.
FOOD: Flakes; live; crustaceans, insects, Tubifex, insect larvae.
SEX: Males are more slender, smaller, and have brighter colors.
Breeding techniques: Use water with a pH from 5.5-6.0, a water hardness less than 5 dH, and a temperature from 81-86°F (27-30°C). The water should be peat filtered and clean. The pair should be conditioned together with insect larvae and flying insects. Use bunches of fine-leafed plants and marbles as a substrate so that the adults are not to eat their eggs. Spawning last from one to one and a half hours, and the parents should be fed with white worms throughout. Remove the pair immediately after spawning. 150-250 eggs will adhere to plants. These hatch after 28-30 hours, and the fry are free-swimming 4-5 days later. Start feeding with Infusoria and liquid foods. Later the fry can be fed Artemia nauplii. The fry are very sensitive to water pollutants and new water.
Breeding potential: 8. A moderately difficult species to breed, and the young are difficult to raise.
Remarks: The Five-banded Barb has trouble acclimating to a new tank, although it becomes very hardy after this period. The colors only develop in well-maintained water.
Difficulty of care: 5. A robust species after acclimation.