The five banded barb is one of the most beautiful small barbs. Originally it comes from the river Baram on Borneo, which flows through the Malaysian part (Sarawak) of the big island. Once the black water species was regarded as delicate, its breeding as a high school, but these problems have long since been solved. Nowadays, D. pentazona, which was formerly assigned to the genera Barbus or Puntius, is sold almost exclusively as bred ones.
Five banded barbs are always beautiful, but the most beautiful they are in soft, slightly acidic water, which is equipped with dark ground (a layer of peat) and abundantly planted. When taking care of these animals, it is important to note that they are distinct schooling fish. 20-30 animals are a fascinating sight and delight the keeper with their interesting and varied behaviour. The females lack the red in their fins, which makes them easy to recognize. The gender ratio is irrelevant for the composition of the swarm, but more males mean more action.
For our customers: the animals have code 370702 on our stocklist. Please note that we only supply wholesalers.
Text & photos: Frank Schäfer
