Clown BarbEverett's barbFamily: Cyprinidae Puntius everettiPhoto © Animal-World: Courtesy Nick Duhning Latest Reader Comment - See More I would definitely agree, that rather than being good community fish, they are a semi-aggressive, fast moving fish that can be kept with other fish if they are of a... (more) lola The Clown Barb sports a reddish gold sheen, red fins, and spotted "bands",... making it look rather clownish!Clown Barb Contents The handsome Clown Barb is definitely one of the most attractive barbs for an aquarium. It a lively and peaceful barb that will do well in a community aquarium. If kept with others of its own kind it will tend to school. This barb also prefers warmer water, 79-82° F (26-28° C), so you should select tankmates of a similar size and temperament that will also thrive at higher temperatures. As the Clown barb will nibble on plants, an aquarium with rocks and wood for hiding places and an open swimming area make a good central decor. You can also add hardy plants that can thrive in warmer water and place them around the inside perimeter of the sides and back. For more Information on keeping freshwater fish see: |
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Habitat: Distribution / Background
The Clown Barb or Everett's Barb was described by Boulenger in 1894. They are found in Southeast Asia, Singapore, Borneo, and the Bungarian Islands where they inhabit still and slow moving waters.
This fish sports a body color pattern that is true to its name, the Clown Barb. It is orangish brown on its upper body, orangish red on the sides, and has a yellow to whitish belly giving it an overall reddish gold sheen. Then there are several (usually about four) dark spotted band type markings on the sides , red fins, and sometimes a touch of red in the iris of the eye. All of these elements give this fish a rather 'clownish' appearance.
Since they are omnivorous, the Clown barb will generally eat all kinds of live, fresh, and flake foods. To keep a good balance give them a high quality flake food everyday. Feed brine shrimp (either live or frozen) or blood worms as a treat.
An aquarium best suited to the Clown Barb should have rocks and wood for hiding places. They will nibble on plants, so use hardy varieties placed around the inside perimeter along the sides and back, leaving lots of open swimming space. As they get rather large and are quite active, a minimum 30 gallon tank is suggested.

Although they are commonly listed as a lively peaceful species that make an excellent community fish, several of the comments (see below) indicate that they may eat other fish, especially fish that are smaller or of the same size. They also can be fin nippers and may terrorize other fish because of their liveliness. In general they are probably not a good beginner fish should be kept only by experienced fish keepers and maybe only in a species tank. They should be kept with fish that like warmer water.
Female is heavier especially during the spawning season. The males are more brightly colored and slender.
The Clown barbs are egg layers. These fish are not easily spawned. To breed the Clown barb you need a larger aquarium with shallow water, and the age of the fish will have an impact on a successful spawning. The male does not mature until it is 1 1/2 years old. The female matures at 1 year. See the description of breeding techniques in Breeding Freshwater Fish.
The Clown barb is readily available basically anywhere, both in stores and online. Prices range about $1.50 - $5.00 USD per individual,
Animal-World References
Freshwater Fish and Plants
Tropical Fish ~ Freshwater Fish ~ Aquatic Plants
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