Fish Care Description
Freshwater
The five banded barb (Pentius Pentazona) as the name suggests has five vertical bars that are dark green to black in color, the first band runs through the eye. The body color is light gold turning to red on the back and the fins are red. These fish have a gentle nature and are very easy to keep.
They are native to South-East Asia, Singapore and Malaysia where they are found in stagnant pools and ponds. They grow up to 2 inch in length and have a lifespan of 4-5 years.
Housing
Five banded barbs are shoaling fish therefore should be purchased in groups of 5 or more. The tank size should be no smaller than 20 gallons with a temperature of (7.2-8.0) and a water ph of (6.8-7.6)
They are peaceful fish and will mix nicely with other community fish. Provide lots of broad leaf plants in the aquarium for the fish to hide among as they can be a little bit nervous especially when first introduced to the tank.
Feeding
The five banded barb is an omnivore so will eat almost any types of food flakes, live or frozen brine shrimp and bloodworms are one of their favourite foods as they prefer the meaty taste they also enjoy small crustaceans and insect larvae.
