Description
Odessa barbs are an eye-catching species of freshwater fish for aquarium hobbyists. They are an active and peaceful fish with a bright, bold coloration. Odessa barbs are almost exclusively found only in Myanmar, South East Asia. Naturally found in heavily vegetated and slightly acidic streams with a moderate to fast flow.
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Features of Odessa Barb:
- Silvery body that fades into orange to red horizontally with small patches of black
- Active swimmers
- Peaceful & hardy
- Best kept in groups of 6 or more
- Lifespan of 5 years
- Grows up to 5cm
Odessa Barb : Care, Diet and Tank Mates
The Best Aquarium Size for Odessa Barb:
Odessa barbs require a minimum of 75 liters to accommodate a small group of them. However, the bigger the tank, the better. It's important to keep a secure lid on the aquarium, as Odessa barbs are known to be good jumpers.
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Tank Mate Compatibility:
To keep Odessa barbs happy, it's recommended to house at least six or more of them in a school. However, avoid keeping them with slow-moving, long-finned fish, as Odessa barbs are known to nip fins, however are less nippy than tiger barbs.
Here’s a list of some of the best tank mates for your Odessa Barb:
Odessa Barb Diet:
Odessa barbs are omnivores and opportunistic eaters. They enjoy a variety of foods, including vegetables and meaty foods. Feed them flakes, pellets, and frozen foods like brine shrimp and bloodworms.
Odessa Barb Tank Set-up:
Aquarium Filtration for Odessa Barbs
The Odessa barb enjoys moderate to fast flowing water, this can be recreated with a power head or adjustable flow rate on your filter system. When selecting an aquarium filter consider the size of your aquarium and ensure adequate volume to maintain clean water. They are a hardy species and tolerate broad water parameters but do best in clean water. Sponge filters and hang on filters are suitable, cannister filters are a great option for medium to large aquariums.
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Aquarium Lighting for Odessa Barbs
Odessa barbs tolerate moderate lighting and enjoy areas of shade. LED aquarium lighting offers the ability to dim and adjust lights as required. Replicate daylight hours 8-10 hours per day. Aquarium lighting is necessary for the photosynthesis required for healthy aquarium plants if keeping live plants.
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Aquarium Plants for Odessa Barb:
Live plants are ideal, they naturally occur in heavily vegetated streams and will enjoy swimming amongst the plants, as well as offering them shade and shelter.
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Decorations for Odessa Barb:
Artificial plants can work well, especially if you have problems with nibbling plants. Additionally, you can also choose to use Aquarium Ornaments caves, rocks, and driftwood to replicate their natural environment.
Aquarium Substrate for Odessa Barbs
Odessa barbs occupy to middle water column and do not have substrate preferences. Aquarium gravel, sand and pebbles are all options. Darker substrates mimic their natural environment. If planting live aquarium plants, aquarium soils can be used under a layer of gravel or sand for optimum plant fertilization and growth.
A variety of Substrates are available at Coburg Aquarium.
