# Black ruby barb



## Maxillius (Sep 27, 2011)

Hi I have 6 black ruby barbs and ... they are all males ... i couldn't tell from the shop since they where all about the same color ... pale with a little bit of black stripes, now they are so red and black you can almost not see the stripes and they are fighting none stop! could this become an issue in the future?
26 g 6 black ruby barbs , 5 zebra danio , 4 blue fin notho killifish
lots of plants in back and medium in middle none in front
Fluval c3 , air compressor , 200 watt water heater
ammonia 0 , nitrite 0 , nitrate bellow 5 ppm , PH 7.2
Ps I also have a cave and a fake plant dark and pale blue gravel mixed with green ones , under it is fluval stratum a kind of brown small substrate for plants


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## Byron (Mar 7, 2009)

This fish, Puntius nigrofasciatus, is one of the loveliest and more peaceful of the barbs. But it is still a barb, and males are feisty. I recently acquired a group of 8, four each male and female, and they are non-stop activity. If you can, I strongly suggest returning some of the males for females.

In store tanks fish are often colourless, and it is not always easy to distinguish sexes. Take a close look; males have some red in the pelvic and anal fins, females do not; and this is present even in young fish. A ratio of equal male/female would be advisable, or an extra female. They are active, so this is going to fill your 26g. And I would get 8 total, the more there are in the group, the more dispersed any aggression will be.

You can read more about this fish in our profile, click the shaded name above.

Byron.


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## Maxillius (Sep 27, 2011)

sadly I cannot return them, but with 6 black ruby barb 5 zebra danio and 4 blue fin notho killifish I guess im full in a 26 g tank... unless you tell me otherwise hehe then il go get 2 more and make sure they are females ... thx alot byron your always so helpful!


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## Byron (Mar 7, 2009)

Maxillius said:


> sadly I cannot return them, but with 6 black ruby barb 5 zebra danio and 4 blue fin notho killifish I guess im full in a 26 g tank... unless you tell me otherwise hehe then il go get 2 more and make sure they are females ... thx alot byron your always so helpful!


I have not myself maintained that killifish, but I gather they too are aggressive, males I mean. You are getting a lot of activity in a 26g. Maybe another tank?


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