People often ask me about ways to add some excitement to there aquarium, something different... a bit of wow factor, and one of my go to favourites fits that bill nicely.
I'm talking about the Denisonii or torpedo barb Puntius Denisonii.
This is an incredible looking fish from Southern India and is becoming more available in the hobby, which is great news. It is an amazing looking fish that grows to a maximum size of around 6" with a lifespan of between 6 and 8 years. Its a very streamlined fish and when you see them swimming in an aquarium with such speed you can see where they get that name from!
They are covered in silver scales with a bright red line starting on the tip of the nose and runs through the eye ending midway down the body. Below this is a dark line that runs the length of the fish and when the fish becomes mature, the tail develops bright yellow tips and a bright red dorsal fin.
In the wild they are found in large shoals, it is important to keep them in small groups in a home aquarium, making sure you provide plenty of swimming space for these incredibly active fish. A group of 6 of these fish look absolutely stunning as they dart in and out of thick vegetation with that bright red line catching the light. I often use Vallis in set ups with these fish as the long stems flowing in the water complement these fish perfectly. Planting up the back of your aquarium will encourage these fish to stay to the front of the aquarium and provide hiding places should they become spooked
When it comes to aquarium size I would say the minimum would be 3 foot long but with a view to a bigger tank eventually. With all fish the bigger the better, but 3 foot is a good starting place. Good filtration is essential not only for the water quality but also to replicate the water movement found in their natural home. The addition of a power head for that little bit more water movement goes a long way to making these fish feel at home. They do well in a community tank but I would always recommend they are kept with larger fish if possible. Being a barb, they will always have the reputation of being a "nippy" fish, in my experience I have never seen it but I still wouldn't trust them with anything with really long fins such as Fighting fish... it may provide just that little bit too tempting!
A mixed diet is always a good thing, especially to bring out that intense red stripe. A combination of dried food and frozen foods such as blood worm and brine shrimp would form a good basis. I have always found the addition of a vegetable wafer seems to be thoroughly appreciated as well.
As these fish are becoming so popular, numbers have been heavily exported from India, in an effort to keep numbers sustainable in the wild, numerous captive breeding programmes have been implemented to help re-establish this knockout of a fish.
So there you go, looking for something special? Look no further!
