- Common name
- African banded barb
- Scientific name
- Enteromius fasciolatus
- Category
- Freshwater fish
- Group
- African barbs
- Environment
- Freshwater aquarium
- Origin
- South-western and south-central Africa, including Angola and the southern Congo basin; preserve collection locality where known
- Care level
- Intermediate
- Adult size
- Up to 6 cm standard length
- Expected lifespan
- Multi-year; no dependable species-specific maximum was located, so maintain the full shoal and permanent swimming space for several years.
- Minimum housing
- At least 100 L with a 75 cm or longer swimming length for ten or more
- Temperature
- 20–26 °C
- pH
- Unknown as a range — a documented value is pH 6.0
- Hardness / minerals
- 5–12 °dH (about 89–215 mg/L as CaCO3)
- Salinity
- Freshwater; no routine salt addition
- Lighting
- Subdued to normal with planted shade
- Placement / zone
- Middle and lower water around plants and open lanes.
- Filtration
- Use mature biological filtration sized for the complete adult african banded barb group, with guarded intakes and accessible mechanical capture. Keep flow moderate with clear open lanes and calmer planted margins where the fish lives, and maintain undetectable ammonia and nitrite.
- Aeration
- Maintain reliable surface agitation and oxygen exchange at all times. Increase aeration during warm weather, medication, transport recovery, heavy feeding or any sign of rapid breathing.
- Maintenance
- Perform regular matched-water changes guided by nitrate and waste, remove uneaten food and trapped detritus, clean mechanical media without disrupting the biofilter, and record feeding, body condition, respiration and aggression.
Identity and search names
Single-profile scope for Enteromius fasciolatus. Preserve permanent AquaNexus ID 1360, slug angola-barb and route species/angola-barb/index.html; retain former combinations, locality labels, domestic-form names and trade names only as searchable aliases.
Search names: African banded barb, Angola barb, Blue-barred barb, Barbus fasciolatus
Environment and housing
Use a long aquarium with open middle-water swimming room, plants around the edges, dark substrate and moderate filtration.
Social structure: Maintain ten or more to distribute attention and support normal schooling.
Feeding and nutrition
Feeding ecology: Omnivore taking worms, crustaceans, insects, plant matter and quality prepared foods
Feeding routine: One or two measured feeds daily unless the feeding plan states otherwise
Breeding, reproduction or spread
Dependable species-specific aquarium reproduction is insufficiently documented; do not present a generic barb egg-scattering recipe as confirmed
Detailed care and app-ready planning
- Identity scope
- Single-profile scope for Enteromius fasciolatus. Preserve permanent AquaNexus ID 1360, slug angola-barb and route species/angola-barb/index.html; retain former combinations, locality labels, domestic-form names and trade names only as searchable aliases.
- Adult size and space
- Expected adult size: Up to 6 cm standard length. Minimum permanent housing: At least 100 L with a 75 cm or longer swimming length for ten or more. Plan around adult dimensions, activity, social structure, aggression, oxygen demand and waste production rather than sale size.
- Social structure
- Maintain ten or more to distribute attention and support normal schooling.
- Swimming zone or placement
- Primary zone: Middle and lower water around plants and open lanes.. Keep that zone usable for movement, feeding, refuge and escape.
- Feeding ecology
- Omnivore taking worms, crustaceans, insects, plant matter and quality prepared foods
- Feeding plan
- One or two measured feeds daily unless the feeding plan states otherwise
- Water stability
- Maintain 20–26 °C; pH Unknown as a range — a documented value is pH 6.0; hardness or minerals: 5–12 °dH (about 89–215 mg/L as CaCO3); salinity: Freshwater; no routine salt addition. Stability, oxygenation and nitrogen-cycle control matter more than chasing one exact value.
- Habitat structure
- Use a long aquarium with open middle-water swimming room, plants around the edges, dark substrate and moderate filtration.
- Compatibility plan
- Peaceful active schooling fish for similarly sized species with matching water requirements
- Breeding or reproduction plan
- Dependable species-specific aquarium reproduction is insufficiently documented; do not present a generic barb egg-scattering recipe as confirmed Parental care: Unknown for this species.
- Quarantine
- Quarantine new livestock in a separate cycled system for at least 30 days. Observe appetite, respiration, waste, skin, fins and behaviour; use dedicated equipment and never add transport water to the established aquarium.
- Welfare checks
- Maintain the stated adult space and social structure, verify feeding, and intervene early when injury, exclusion, weight loss, abnormal respiration or altered behaviour appears. “Angola barb” is an imprecise trade name for a geographically variable fish. Preserve locality labels and do not invent broad water or breeding claims from related barbs.
- Biosecurity and release
- Never release fish, fry, eggs, aquarium water, sediment, plants or live foods into drains, dams or natural waterways. Confirm current Australian import conditions and South Australian possession, trade and movement rules before acquisition or transfer.
- Main risk
- “Angola barb” is an imprecise trade name for a geographically variable fish. Preserve locality labels and do not invent broad water or breeding claims from related barbs.
- Adult projected load
- Project biological load from the full adult african banded barb group, adult body mass, feeding pattern, activity and social requirement rather than juvenile sale size. A shoal of ten or more creates a moderate collective load, and repeated small foods add fine solids throughout the middle and lower water.
- Filtration
- Use mature biological filtration sized for the complete adult african banded barb group, with guarded intakes and accessible mechanical capture. Keep flow moderate with clear open lanes and calmer planted margins where the fish lives, and maintain undetectable ammonia and nitrite.
- Aeration
- Maintain reliable surface agitation and oxygen exchange at all times. Increase aeration during warm weather, medication, transport recovery, heavy feeding or any sign of rapid breathing.
- Maintenance
- Perform regular matched-water changes guided by nitrate and waste, remove uneaten food and trapped detritus, clean mechanical media without disrupting the biofilter, and record feeding, body condition, respiration and aggression.
- Overridable warnings
- Non-overridable: do not accept persistent ammonia or nitrite, oxygen distress, starvation, chronic aggression or inadequate adult space. Different equipment, stocking or maintenance methods may be used only when measured water quality and adult welfare remain equivalent or better. Do not reduce the shoal below ten or confine adults to a short ornamental tank.
Compatibility, welfare and risk
Compatibility: Peaceful active schooling fish for similarly sized species with matching water requirements
Welfare: Maintain the stated adult space and social structure, verify feeding, and intervene early when injury, exclusion, weight loss, abnormal respiration or altered behaviour appears. “Angola barb” is an imprecise trade name for a geographically variable fish. Preserve locality labels and do not invent broad water or breeding claims from related barbs.
Main warning: “Angola barb” is an imprecise trade name for a geographically variable fish. Preserve locality labels and do not invent broad water or breeding claims from related barbs.
Biosecurity and release
Never release fish, fry, eggs, aquarium water, sediment, plants or live foods into drains, dams or natural waterways. Confirm current Australian import conditions and South Australian possession, trade and movement rules before acquisition or transfer.