Black Ruby Barb

Black ruby barbs natively live in a tropical climate among cool, shady, quietly flowing forested streams with either gravel or sand substrates. Their diet mainly consists of filamentous algae and detritus. They prefer water with a 6.0–6.5 pH, a water hardness of 5–12 dGH, and a temperature range of .

The fish has commercial importance in the aquarium hobby, and is successfully bred in captivity. They are also used to create hybrid forms of "odessa barbs" for the aquarium trade.

An egg-scatterer, the fish spawn more than 100 eggs in shallow water among the plants. The eggs hatch in one to two days and then will be free-swimming after 24 hours.

Plenty of room should be provided for this fish, with plenty of light and a shallow covering of floating plants and ample vegetation (half to two-thirds of the tank area). A layer of humus should be left on the bottom. This species is good for keeping with other barbs and similar fish. In captivity, the fish are omnivorous, with a healthy appetite. The black ruby barb is an active swimmer that is best kept in schools of at least six.