# breeding black ruby barbs



## Albino_101

hey guys i am going to get some black ruby barbs(Puntius nigrofasciatus), i was wondering, since im going to 3 of them, which combination would be more likely to breed, 2 females and 1 male or 2 males and 1 female, and also what conditions/enviroment do they need to breed? any info is helpful and appreciated!


----------



## Albino_101

also how do i tel the sexes apart, and would it be possible to cross breed them with a tiger barb?


----------



## TheOldSalt

Why only three? If you want to breed them, get about 8 fish, 5 males, 3 females. Barbs need to be kept in schools. 3 fish is not a school.

They shouldn't crossbreed with a Tiger, but don't bet the farm on it.

You'll need a long tank with lots of swimming space, as these are fast little zoomers that need room to romp. You otherwise breed them much like any other barb of that group, and make sure the substrate has big enough cracks in it for the eggs to fall through to safety. Put a big clump of Java moss on one end of the tank and leave the rest bare. give them the standard conditioning period and then put the females in for a few days, and then the males. The next morning they should spawn if they like the temperature & water. As for water chemistry, aim for southeast asian style water, but it's not critical as long as the pH is above neutral.
It is easy to tell apart the males & females of this species, as they almost don't even look like the same species.


----------



## Albino_101

Thanks TheOldSalt, i just put a small pacu in my tank, so ill get the barbs (6 or 7 of em) when my 29 gallon long comes in. Ill plan on using marbls as a substrate, and like you said ill have java moss on the right end of the tank, and i already bought greenwater that has though little bugs in it for food for thr fry. Once again thank you.


----------



## frogman5

get rid of the pacu soon


----------

