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Pentazona barbs

Fisher2007

Member
Joined
19 Feb 2018
Messages
430
Location
Warrington
Just wondering what peoples experience of these are in a planted tank?

And also their experiences with them with shrimp?

Thanks
 
I have had them for a year in my heavily planted 900 and we had them in the shop for a year before that.

Very timid, best kept with another shoaling fish to make them brave, mine are perfect and brave with cardinal tetra and constantly on display.

Completely ignore cherry and amano shrimp, I think there is more chance of the Amano shrimp eating the fish than than the other way round :)

Lovely fish. The males glow with red and look smart!
 
I have a group of 20, got them as a quieter alternative to Tiger barbs. As said above they are shy and males do colour up well. Mine spend most of the time milling around dense plants and under floaters. Tanks not overly lit either, nice to see them do what they want to do. Totally peaceful and never touched anything else in the tank although I do not keep shrimp.
 
Thanks for the replies. When you guys say shy whay do you mean? I don't want a fish that's never seen but equally I'm not a fan of the opposite and fish that follow up and down the tank for food. If the pentazona are somewhere in the middle that would be ideal?
 
Thanks for the replies. When you guys say shy whay do you mean? I don't want a fish that's never seen but equally I'm not a fan of the opposite and fish that follow up and down the tank for food. If the pentazona are somewhere in the middle that would be ideal?
My interpretation is that they prefer shady areas and don't bother other inhabitants. I keep mine with Pristella's, Pearl gouramis plus bottom dwellers without problem. I doubt that they'd like being exposed in a very bright tank without shelter and probably wouldn't look their best.
 
I don't think most fish sold as pentazona are actually them but a close relative hexazona. They come from areas with either heavy vegetation above and below the waters surface, or very tannin rich waters (sometimes a mixture of both), so they do best with cover and dimmer lighting.
My brother has had a group in his community tank for just over a year and they tend to stay in and amongst the plants. That could be because his Columbian tetra slightly intimidate them a little but I would use them as a background fish rather than your main focal point. By that I mean they are a great species for making you look deeply into the tank but they won't always be out and about. I'm planning a blackwater tank and they are right at the top of my list for main group fish. I'm hoping the way I'm planning it and the number I get will make them the focal point but it's building a tank specifically around them.
 
Thanks. Right now I'm thinking a shoal of the pentazona, shoal of cardinals and maybe some rummy nose or harlequin tetras. The tank will be 1400 long and about 220 litres
 
I think they go well with cardinals. That’s what I have them with.

Harlequins may be a bit too bossy with them imo.

The tank I have them in is heavily planted (very) and a Twinstar S at 100% so quite bright. They donot seem to mind this. But there are lots of plants they can go into if they wish, they never do though!
 
I had mine with Copper Harlequins, which are a bit smaller and less bossy than Harlequins, also Dwarf Chain Loach, all got on together, lots of activity in the tank.
 
What kinds of water parameters have people had success with these?

Everything I read says soft acidic water is best but like siege above, they seem very happy in rock hard norwich water so they are quite adaptable.
 
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