Cherry Barbs

I would like to add some cherry barbs to my tank. What is the best amunt to get (m/f), how do you sex them. The pictures I have seen of them show them as bright red but the ones in the fish shop are quite dullish - would they be the females?

Thanks

Well when I bought my Cherry Barbs, the LFS guy was adamant that he knew how to sex them. I asked for one male and three females and ended up with...four males!

The males are a bright orangey/red when mature and have a broken horizontal stripe. The females are a dull brown and have a more solid horizontal stripe. Minimum recommended ratio would be 1M:3F.

I did the same Mary - wanted males and ended up with 1 male, 2 females and then later on babies too :lol:

I think when you see them in the lfs they dont have much in the way of colour - probably because of the stress they are under, but once they have settled in your tank they will colour up and become really lovely little fish.

The males are more colourful, but I think even the females are really pretty.

Diana wrote:

I think when you see them in the lfs they dont have much in the way of colour - probably because of the stress they are under, but once they have settled in your tank they will colour up and become really lovely little fish.

True. That's why you should look at the horizontal stripe as well as it's more pronounced in the females. Very pretty fish though and I love my little quartet.

Thanks for that - they are peaceful fish arent they - I know some barbs can be a bit aggressive cant they?

Yes they are really peaceful jammy, good community fish