Spanner Barb

Fascinating facts about the Spanner Barb

• A fish that can grow up to 18 cm (7.1 in) long, the spanner barb is too hefty for tiny community tanks. Its size alone forces hobbyists to plan spacious setups.
• In the wild it hangs out at the base of waterfalls, clinging to bouldery, clear mountain streams on the Malay Peninsula and Borneo.
• When breeding, the female simply scatters her eggs over the rocky substrate and then leaves.
• Aquarists can keep this species in water up to a pH of 7.2, slightly harder than its natural streams, and it will still thrive. That tolerance widens the range of tanks where it can be displayed.
• To keep the spanner barb calm, it needs a school of at least five individuals; in groups it shows mostly peaceful behavior, but its bulk can overwhelm much smaller tank mates.

At a glance

About the Spanner Barb

The spanner barb (Striuntius lateristriga), known to aquarists as the T-barb, is a cyprinid that can grow to 18 centimetres (7.1 in) in total length. These fish inhabit the clear streams of the Malay Peninsula and Borneo, favouring the turbulent zones at the foot of waterfalls where boulders and rocky substrates dominate the landscape. In the wild the spanner barb is an opportunistic feeder, taking insects, worms, crustaceans and bits of plant material. Reproduction is a brief, unguarded affair: the female scatters eggs over the gravel and then departs. In captivity the species tolerates a pH up to 7.2 and slightly harder water than its natural habitat, thriving best in schools of five or more where its generally peaceful nature can shine.

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