Care
Spanner Barbs have the potential to grow quite large, so a spacious aquarium (minimum 4ft long) must be provided. They are an active species that are best kept in groups of 6 or more, and they should only be kept with other medium-large sized fish as tiny tankmates may become a snack. Spanner Barbs appreciate a good amount of vegetable matter in their diet - planted aquariums will suffer from their attentions. This species is sensitive to poor water quality, so frequent partial water changes are an absolute must. In the wild, Spanner Barbs are often found underneath waterfalls, where the water will be very highly oxygenated. It is therefore of extreme importance to provide your barbs with a highly oxygenated aquarium. May also be seen on sale as T-Barb.
Feeding
Flake, green flake, slow-sinking pellets, frozen foods such as krill, Mysis shrimp, mosquito larvae. Include a good amount of vegetable matter such as lettuce, cucumber, spinach etc.
Breeding
A large softwater aquarium should be set up and furnished with a substrate of marbles and large clumps of Java moss. A conditioned pair should be acclimatised to the tank, with spawning often taking place the following morning when the first rays of morning sun hit the aquarium glass. Courtship can be an active affair and up to 3000 eggs may be scattered over the aquarium, most falling to the safety of the marbles and plants. It is important to remove the parents once spawning has ceased, otherwise these hungry adults will predate on the eggs. After 48 hours, the eggs should hatch, and once free-swimming the fry can be fed on infusoria and baby brineshrimp, moving on to bigger foods as they grow.
