From Aqua Guide, the free encyclopedia
Odessa Barb
Pethia padamya
- Temperature
- 16–25 °C
- pH
- 6.5 – 8.5
- Min. tank size
- 72 L
- Lifespan
- 3-5 years
- Diet
- omnivore
- Care level
- easy
| Scientific classification | |
|---|---|
| Scientific Name: | Pethia padamya |
| Family: | Cyprinidae |
| Origin: | Southeast Asia (Myanmar) |
| Care Characteristics | |
| Care Level: | easy |
| Diet: | omnivore |
| Max Size: | 7.00 cm |
| Water Type: | freshwater |
| Temp Group: | subtropical |
| Temperament: | peaceful |
| Min Group: | 8+ together |
| Varieties: | Few cultivated strains, and the wild-type fish is what people buy. Selected lines for deeper or more extensive red are offered by some suppliers, and colour varies enormously with maturity, condition and display, so the same fish can look very different an hour apart. Almost all trade stock is commercially bred; the species was in the hobby for decades before anyone found it in the wild. Taxonomy is recent. The fish was described as Pethia padamya only in 2008, following the 2003 discovery of wild populations in Myanmar, and older references treat it as an unidentified Puntius or as a form of the ticto barb. That confusion persists in shops. Odessa barbs are still sometimes sold as ticto barbs (Pethia ticto), which is a separate species — plainer, with a more prominent black spot behind the gill cover and without the male's broad red band. Other Pethia in the trade include the rosy barb and the black ruby barb, both of which share the cool-water tolerance. |
| Lifespan: | 3-5 years |
Quick Tips
- Bioload:Low to medium
- Min Tank:72 L
- Substrate:Gravel or sand; planted with open swimming space
- Plant Safe:Plant-safe
- Filtration:Moderate
Odessa Barb (Pethia padamya) is a species of fish in the family Cyprinidae. It is native to Southeast Asia (Myanmar). The Odessa barb spent decades as a fish of unknown origin. It first appeared in Ukraine, and the common name comes from the port city of Odessa. Nobody knew where it came from in the wild — until 2003, when wild populations were finally discovered in Myanmar and the fish was described as Pethia padamya. A mature male is one of the better-value fish in the hobby: a thick band of bright red-orange along the flanks, intensifying dramatically when displaying, over a silvery body with black-marked fins. It reaches 46 mm standard length, which is smaller than most people expect. It also tolerates cool water down to 16 °C (61 °F), and specialists call it generally very peaceful and an ideal resident of the well-researched community aquarium — a description that separates it from most of the barbs in this guide.
Compatibility
- Temperament
- peaceful
- Keep in
- Groups of 8+
- Swims
- middle
- Fin nipper
- No
- Delicate fins
- No
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