Black-barred Myleus

Care

Black-barred Myleus are a timid, but peaceful shoaling species, juveniles of which will require an aquarium at least 4ft long. These fast-swimmers grow very quickly and before long will require an aquarium measuring at least 6’ x 2’ x 2’ (and preferably larger). They must have company of their own kind, so 6 specimens would be considered the absolute minimum number to house together; not only is this a tightly shoaling species, but an instinctive hierarchy system will develop amongst their group. Larger groups will not only help to make them feel much more secure, but will result in a much more effective, natural looking shoal. The aquarium itself should be sited in a quiet location where it does not receive a large amount of continual foot traffic going past. These are very skittish fish that are easily startled, so they must be provided with many shady hiding spots within the aquarium and some very tight fitting coverslides to prevent them from accidentally jumping out. Décor must be chosen with care as anything sharp can cause them injury whenever they decide to make a dash for cover. When cleaning the aquarium, much care must be taken to ensure that the fish do not become too startled. Black-barred Myleus are largely herbivorous and possess powerful dentition - they can actually inflict a rather painful bite. Most plant species will be devoured, however, some of the more robust species such as Java Fern or Anubias can sometimes be successful; otherwise you may wish to opt for plastic or silk varieties. Lighting should be subdued and the water well-filtered and oxygenated. These fish originate from heavily vegetated tropical rivers with a fair amount of current, so a good flow rate should be provided. Excellent water quality must be maintained at all times, as they are sensitive to elevated nitrate levels. These nervous fish should not be housed with any small (bite-sized) or aggressive species. Large suckermouth catfish, doradids, or jumbo Brochis spp. all make great companions. This fish is sometimes confused with the Red Hook Metynnis (Myloplus rubripinnis) but they can be told apart by the black vertical bar on the flanks of Myleus schomburgkii, which is always absent in Myloplus rubripinnis. This black bar may be quite indistinct when the fish are juveniles (as in the one pictured here) but this marking widens and becomes much more of an obvious and attractive dark crescent as the fish mature. If you can meet all the above requirements for these fish, a large shoal of adults is a magnificent sight.

Feeding

A large proportion of the diet should consist of vegetable matter. Offer a variety of foods including flake, green flake, slow-sinking pellets, algae wafers, cucumber, spinach, lettuce, watercress, fine-leaved aquatic plants (such as Cabomba caroliniana), and frozen foods such as mosquito larvae, brineshrimp, Mysis shrimp etc. Larger specimens will eat krill, chopped prawns etc.

Breeding

This egg-scattering species has not been bred in the home aquarium.