04 Some Cyprinids
Description
This article is from the Aquaria: Good (and Bad) First Fish; Breeding FAQ, by Dean Hougen and Elaine Thompson
04 Some Cyprinids
White Clouds, Danios, Rasboras, and Barbs are all Asian fish related
to the Carp and the Minnow. All of these fish belong to the family
Cyprinidae. White Clouds, Danios, Rasboras, and Barbs are small,
active, hardy, and colorful.
"White Cloud Mountain Minnows" - Tanichthys albonubes
Found in mountain streams in China, White Clouds can be kept in
unheated tanks (down to 55F). Some people advise against
putting these fish in tropical tanks but I have found that they
do fine in heated aquaria as well, as long as the temperature
is not kept above the mid 70s. They can be fed any small food
and they spawn often but fry will not be seen unless the
parents are removed to another tank. White Clouds are brown
with a red tail and a silvery white line down the side that
shines in the light. They get to be 1 1/2" long.
Danios
Several species of Danios are often found in pet stores,
including the Giant Danio - Danio aequipinnatus, the Zebra
Danio - Brachydanio rerio, the Leopard Danio - Brachydanio
frankei, and the Pearl Danio - Brachydanio albolineatus. These
fish are fast swimmers and are always in motion. Different
patterns of blue markings allows one to tell these fish apart.
Most Danios stay under 2 1/2" long, although Giant Danios can
get up to 4".
Rasboras
The most popular Rasbora is the Harlequin Rasbora - Rasbora
heteromorpha. A very similar looking species, Rasbora espei, is
also available, as is the Clown Rasbora - Rasbora kalochroma
and the Scissor-Tail Rasbora - Rasbora trilineata. Orange,
brown, and red are usual colors for Rasboras, and their
stop-and-start swimming makes them interesting to watch as a
school. Scissor-Tails can get up to 6" long and Clown Rasboras
up to 4" while Harlequins stay under 2" long.
Barbs
By far the most commonly seen and commonly cursed Barb is the
Tiger Barb - Capoeta tetrazona. It nips the fins of other fish
if not kept in a large school of its own species and because it
is over-bred it is susceptible to diseases. Several aquarium
morphs are also available (such as the greenish "Mossy Barb"
and an albino variety) but these are even more sickly and often
deformed.
Don't give up on the Barbs too fast though, as many are well
suited as first fish, especially for those with moderate sized
tanks. Capoeta titteya, the Cherry Barb, is a terrific little
barb - up to 2" long and with a wonderful orange-red color.
Mid-sized barbs (up to about 4 1/2" long) include Clown Barbs -
Barbodes everetti, Rosy Barbs - Puntius conchonius, and Black
Ruby Barbs - Puntius nigrofasciatus. The artificial morphs
(long-finned, albino, etc.) of the Rosy Barb should be avoided
though, as these tend to be sickly. Checker Barbs - Capoeta
oligolepis and Spanner or T-Barbs - Barbodes lateristriga are
large, peaceful barbs (Spanner Barbs up to 7" long). Unless you
have a very large aquarium avoid Tinfoil Barbs - Barbodes
schwanefeldi. They grow to be over a foot long!
Note that many barbs don't school as "nicely" as do Danios or
Rasboras, but most should be kept in schools nonetheless. Also
note that many authors may put all of the above mentioned
species in the genus Barbus.
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