Description
The cherry barb (Rohanella titteya, formerly known as Puntius titteya) is a small freshwater cyprinid endemic to Sri Lanka. Adult males develop an intense red colour, while females are usually brownish pink, with a rounder abdomen and a more visible dark lateral stripe.
This is a hardy, peaceful species well suited to a calm community aquarium. Its colour and behaviour improve when it is kept in a sizeable group with abundant vegetation, shaded areas, and open swimming space. Most specimens available in the aquarium trade are captive-bred.
The species is listed as vulnerable in its natural range, so captive-bred fish should be chosen and animals of uncertain origin avoided.
Behavior
This peaceful, social fish should be kept in a group of at least 8. When space permits, a school of 10–12 fish provides greater security and allows more natural interactions. A balanced sex ratio, or slightly more females than males, helps distribute courtship attention.
Males may display to one another by intensifying their colour and swimming in parallel, but these encounters rarely cause harm when the group and available space are adequate. Cherry barbs can live with other small, calm fish that share similar requirements. Avoid aggressive or much larger tank mates, and combine dense planting around the sides with an open central swimming area.
Habitat
Rohanella titteya is endemic to the western and south-western river basins of Sri Lanka. It inhabits shaded streams and waterways, usually with slow to moderate flow, riparian vegetation, roots, branches, and accumulations of leaf litter over sand or silt.
In the aquarium it adapts to stable water across a reasonably broad range, although it benefits from gentle flow, moderate lighting, floating plants, and dense vegetated cover. A dark substrate and aquarium-safe leaf litter help recreate aspects of its habitat and enhance the males' red colour. Provide effective filtration without excessive current and perform regular water changes.
Barbo cereza is a schooling species, which means that in the wild it lives and moves in large, coordinated groups.
Keep at least 8 individuals so they feel comfortable and their stress level stays low.
Habitats
Details
🌊 Water parameters
🐠 Minimum tank size
Breeding
This is a free-spawning egg scatterer that deposits adhesive eggs among fine-leaved plants, Java moss, or spawning mops and provides no parental care. Adults may eat both eggs and fry, so controlled breeding is best attempted in a separate tank with sponge filtration and mesh or dense vegetation to protect the spawn.
Introduce a well-conditioned pair or small group and remove the adults after spawning, which commonly occurs early in the day. The eggs usually hatch within one or two days and the fry become free-swimming a few days later. They initially require infusoria or a suitable liquid fry food, followed by microworms and newly hatched Artemia.
Diet
This omnivorous species readily accepts quality prepared foods. Use fine flakes or appropriately sized micro-pellets as the staple and supplement them with small live or frozen foods such as Artemia, daphnia, Cyclops, and mosquito larvae.
Foods containing plant material or spirulina can also be included, although variety is more important than relying heavily on any single product. Offer one or two small portions per day, only as much as the group can consume within a few minutes, to limit waste and maintain good body condition.
What about your tank?
Enter your tank's values to see only the compatible species that fit them. Litres apply to fish.
Compatible fish
General guidance based on water parameters, behaviour and known exceptions; always review the individual animals' and aquarium's specific needs.
They share water: pH 6–7 and 24–27 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 22–27 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 24–27 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 22–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 24–27 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7 and 23–27 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7 and 23–27 °C. They only meet at the very edge, so the tank has to hold that value.
They share water: pH 7–7.5 and 26–27 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 22–27 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 22–27 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 24–27 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7 and 24–27 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 22–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 22–27 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 24–27 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–7.5 and 24–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 22–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 22–25 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 24–27 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–7.5 and 22–24 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7 and 27 °C. They only meet at the very edge, so the tank has to hold that value.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 24–27 °C.
They share water: pH 7–7.5 and 22–27 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–7.5 and 22–27 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 25–27 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 22–27 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 22–27 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 22–27 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 24–27 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 24–27 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7 and 24–27 °C.
They share water: pH 7.5 and 24–27 °C. They only meet at the very edge, so the tank has to hold that value.
They share water: pH 7.5 and 24–27 °C. They only meet at the very edge, so the tank has to hold that value.
They share water: pH 6–7 and 22–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6–6.5 and 23–27 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–7.2 and 22–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 22–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 22 °C. They only meet at the very edge, so the tank has to hold that value.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 22–27 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7 and 23–27 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 22–27 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 22–27 °C.
They share water: pH 7–7.5 and 22–26 °C.
They share water: pH 7–7.5 and 22–27 °C.
They share water: pH 7–7.5 and 22–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7 and 26–27 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 22–27 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7 and 22–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–7.5 and 22–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6–6.5 and 24–27 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7 and 23–27 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 23–27 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 23–27 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 24–27 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 22–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 23–27 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 22–27 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 24–27 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 22–27 °C.
They share water: pH 7–7.5 and 22–27 °C.
Compatible invertebrates
General guidance based on water parameters, behaviour and known exceptions; always review the individual animals' and aquarium's specific needs.
They share water: pH 7–7.5 and 22–27 °C.
They share water: pH 6–6.5 and 22–24 °C.
They share water: pH 7–7.5 and 22–25 °C.
They share water: pH 7.5 and 24–27 °C. They only meet at the very edge, so the tank has to hold that value.
They share water: pH 7–7.5 and 22–27 °C.
They share water: pH 7–7.5 and 22–27 °C.
They share water: pH 7.5 and 26–27 °C. They only meet at the very edge, so the tank has to hold that value.
They share water: pH 7–7.5 and 22–27 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–7.5 and 22–26 °C.
They share water: pH 7–7.5 and 22–27 °C.
They share water: pH 6–6.8 and 22–24 °C.
They share water: pH 6–6.8 and 22–24 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–7.5 and 22–27 °C.
They share water: pH 7.5 and 27 °C. They only meet at the very edge, so the tank has to hold that value.
They share water: pH 6.5–7.5 and 22–27 °C.
They share water: pH 7–7.5 and 22–27 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–7.5 and 23–27 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–7.5 and 23–27 °C.
They share water: pH 7.5 and 27 °C. They only meet at the very edge, so the tank has to hold that value.
They share water: pH 7–7.5 and 23–27 °C.
They share water: pH 7–7.5 and 22–27 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–7.5 and 22–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–7.5 and 22–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–7.5 and 22–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–7.5 and 22–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–7.5 and 22–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–7.5 and 22–26 °C.
They share water: pH 7–7.5 and 22–27 °C.
They share water: pH 7–7.5 and 22–27 °C.
They share water: pH 7–7.5 and 22–27 °C.
They share water: pH 7–7.5 and 22–27 °C.
They share water: pH 7–7.5 and 22–27 °C.
They share water: pH 7–7.5 and 22–27 °C.
They share water: pH 7–7.5 and 22–27 °C.
They share water: pH 7–7.5 and 22–27 °C.
They share water: pH 6–6.5 and 22–24 °C.
Sources
- FishBaseFroese, R. and D. Pauly. Editors. 2026. FishBase. World Wide Web electronic publication.
- Pethiyagoda (1991)Pethiyagoda, R. (1991). Freshwater fishes of Sri Lanka. Wildlife Heritage Trust of Sri Lanka, 362 p.
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