Phutunio Barb (Pethia phutunio) Care Guide
Pethia phutunio is a tiny barb of the family Cyprinidae from South Asia, a peaceful nano schooler reaching about 3.9 cm.
Compiled by Aquairi from published sources · Published · Updated
Overview
Pethia phutunio is a small cyprinid barb from South Asia, marked by dark vertical bars on a silvery body. FishBase records a maximum total length of about 3.9 cm, making it one of the smaller barbs kept in aquaria.
Taxonomy
- Family: Cyprinidae
- Genus: Pethia
- Scientific name: Pethia phutunio
- Authority: Hamilton, 1822
- Common synonyms: Cyprinus phutunio, Barbus phutunio, Puntius phutunio
Habitat
FishBase lists the species from Pakistan, India, Bangladesh and Myanmar. Seriously Fish places it in the lower Ganges and Brahmaputra basins, including the Indian states of Bihar, West Bengal, Orissa, Assam and Tripura. It is a freshwater, benthopelagic fish.
Tank requirements
- Minimum tank volume: 60 L (16 gal); base of at least 60 x 30 cm
- Temperature: 18-26 °C (64-79 °F)
- pH: 6.5-7.5
- GH: 5-15 °dGH
- School size: keep a group of at least 8-10 individuals
- Lifespan: 3-5 years
Diet
Pethia phutunio is an omnivorous micropredator. FishBase notes it feeds on worms, crustaceans, insects and plant matter. It accepts dried foods but, per Seriously Fish, benefits from small live or frozen foods such as Daphnia and Artemia for best condition and colour.
Compatibility
The species is very peaceful but timid, swimming mainly in the middle of the tank. Seriously Fish notes this shy nature can make it a poor fit for busy community tanks; it does best in a group among similarly small, calm tankmates.
Breeding
Pethia phutunio is an egg-scattering free spawner with no parental care. According to Seriously Fish, eggs hatch in roughly 24-36 hours and fry become free-swimming after 3-4 days.
Phutunio Dwarf Barb Breeding Guide
Overview
Pethia phutunio is a tiny Bangladeshi barb. Seriously Fish notes that its reproduction is possibly unrecorded, so the breeding approach is based on closely related egg-scattering cyprinids, which show no parental care. Fry may occasionally appear in a mature, densely planted aquarium.
Sexing
Males are noticeably slimmer than females and carry a more intense colour pattern. The ventral fins differ by sex, being reddish in males and yellow in females. Females are fuller-bodied, particularly when carrying eggs.
Conditioning
Condition the adults together on a varied diet of small live, frozen and dried foods until the females are visibly gravid. This is the cue to set fish up for spawning.
Breeding Setup
Use a separate, dimly lit tank with mature water. Cover the base with mesh, plastic grass matting or glass marbles so eggs fall out of reach, or provide fine-leaved plants such as Taxiphyllum species or spawning mops. Add an air-powered sponge filter or air stone. Keep the pH slightly acidic to neutral and the temperature toward the upper end of the range.
Spawning Behavior & Trigger
Introduce one or two pairs of well-conditioned, gravid fish; spawning should take place the following morning. A group of around half a dozen of each sex can also be spawned together. Remove the adults promptly, as they will eat the eggs.
Egg & Fry Care
Eggs hatch in about 24 to 36 hours, with the fry free-swimming after roughly 3 to 4 days. Feed an infusoria-grade food for the first few days until the fry are large enough to take microworm, Artemia nauplii and similar foods.
Common Challenges
Because formal spawning records are lacking, expect to fine-tune conditions by observation. The very small fry need correspondingly small first foods, and the adults must be removed quickly to prevent egg loss.