Black ruby barb care guide

Plan a tank with black ruby barbsSee all tank mates

Black ruby barb quick facts

Tank setup

A group of six needs at least a 20 gallon long (76 L) tank about 30 in (75 cm) long. Dense planting, floating plants and a dark substrate with some leaf litter give them shade and confidence. Keep the flow gentle to moderate.

How many black ruby barbs in a tank?

The smallest common tank that suits black ruby barbs is a 20 gallon long. Here is roughly how many fit in each size when they are the only fish, based on adult size and waste output. Leave room if you want tank mates.

Water parameters

Keep them at 22–26 °C (72–79 °F) with soft to medium water, around pH 6.0–7.5 and 3–12 dGH. They react worse to poor water and sudden changes than most barbs. Change water weekly and match the temperature and chemistry of the new water.

Best tank mates for black ruby barbs

These popular species share black ruby barbs' water needs and temperament. See the full list of 86 good matches.

• Nerite snail

  2.5 cm (1 in) · 22–27°C (72–81°F)

• Neon tetra

  3.5 cm (1.4 in) · 21–25°C (70–77°F)

• Panda corydoras

  4.5 cm (1.8 in) · 21–25°C (70–77°F)

• Bristlenose pleco

  12 cm (4.7 in) · 22–26°C (72–79°F)

• Bronze corydoras

  7 cm (2.8 in) · 21–26°C (70–79°F)

• Zebra danio

  5 cm (2 in) · 18–25°C (64–77°F)

• Assassin snail

  2.5 cm (1 in) · 22–27°C (72–81°F)

• Ramshorn snail

  2 cm (0.8 in) · 21–27°C (70–81°F)

Avoid keeping black ruby barbs with

• Cherry shrimp: Black ruby barb eats small shrimp like cherry shrimp.
• Oscar: Oscar can eat black ruby barbs: they're small enough to fit in its mouth once it's grown.
• Chinese algae eater: Chinese algae eater is aggressive and will bully or injure peaceful black ruby barbs.
• Convict cichlid: Convict cichlid is aggressive and will bully or injure peaceful black ruby barbs.
• Discus: They need different temperatures: Black ruby barb 22–26°C (72–79°F), discus 28–30°C (82–86°F).
• Electric yellow cichlid: Electric yellow cichlid is a Lake Malawi cichlid. It needs a Lake Malawi tank: hard, alkaline water (pH 7.5–8.5), plenty of rockwork and other cichlids from the same lake. Black ruby barbs don't belong in that setup.

Feeding

Wild fish graze algae and detritus and pick off small invertebrates. Feed a quality flake or micro pellet with plant content, plus algae wafers or blanched spinach now and then. Add frozen or live daphnia, brine shrimp and bloodworm a few times a week.

Behavior

Peaceful but shy, especially in small groups or bare tanks. Males chase females and spar with each other all day, which looks busy but rarely causes harm. They suit a planted community with other small, active fish such as rasboras, danios, small tetras and corydoras. Avoid slow, long-finned fish, which may get nipped.

Breeding

Mature males are slimmer and develop a dark red head and front body over black bars; females are fuller and paler gold-brown with the same bars. They scatter eggs among fine-leaved plants and give no care. Use a separate, dim, soft-water tank with marbles or java moss on the bottom and remove the parents after spawning. Eggs hatch in about 1–2 days and the fry need infusoria first.

Tips from experienced keepers

• Store fish often look drab. The ruby color appears as males mature and settle in.
• Dim light, floating plants and a dark substrate bring out the best color.
• Choose sturdy plants. They nibble fine-leaved ones.
• Do not keep them with bettas, fancy guppies or other long-finned fish.
• Buy captive-bred fish. The wild population in Sri Lanka is listed as vulnerable.

Sources

We checked these references when writing this page. Values are for healthy long-term keeping, not survival limits. Last reviewed 2026-10-13. See our editorial policy.

• seriouslyfish.com
• fishbase.de
• fishkeeper.co.uk
• practicalfishkeeping.co.uk