Whenever you buy fish for your tank it’s important to do research. You don’t want to buy fish that are a bad fit for your aquarium.
Cherry barbs are no exception. These are rather popular fish that many people love, but you need to make sure that they will do fine in the fish tank that you own before proceeding.
What is the best tank size for cherry barbs? Do these fish fit in small aquariums or do you need slightly larger aquariums?
Below, you’ll learn about cherry barbs and what types of aquariums they do well in. This will help you to make good choices so you can enjoy your time caring for these fish.
How Many Cherry Barbs Can You Keep in a 10-Gallon Tank?
Cherry barbs are fish that grow to be two inches long at maturity. Since they’re not that big, they can technically fit in 10-gallon fish tanks.
However, this is not going to be a good fish tank size for these fish. This is because cherry barbs are schooling fish.
Schooling fish need to be kept in groups of certain sizes to be comfortable in fish tanks. Cherry barbs need to be kept in groups of six or more.
Six cherry barbs wouldn’t be comfortable in a 10-gallon fish tank. So it’s not recommended to even try putting them in a tank that’s this small.
How Many in a 20-Gallon Tank?
A 20-gallon fish tank is much more appropriate for cherry barbs. There are many people who keep cherry barbs in 20-gallon fish tanks, but it’s still not the ideal size for these fish.
You can try to fit six cherry barbs in a fish tank of this size, but it won’t be great. The fish might feel a bit cramped in a fish tank of this size.
Generally, it’s better to go with a fish tank that offers at least 25 gallons of space. So you’d want something that’s a bit larger than a 20-gallon tank to keep the cherry barbs happy.
There are people that keep these fish in 20-gallon fish tanks, though. Just understand that it isn’t recommended by most experts.
How Many in a 30-Gallon Fish Tank?
You can easily fit six cherry barbs in a 30-gallon fish tank. This is an excellent fish tank size for a small group of these fish.
You won’t want to keep much more than six fish in a fish tank of this size, though. Avoid overcrowding the tank because the fish will be happier if you ensure that they have more than enough space.
It’s great to buy a fish tank that’s a bit larger than the fish need. You could probably keep eight cherry barbs in a 30-gallon tank without it being a problem, though.
What Is a Cherry Barb’s Minimum Tank Size?
The minimum tank size for cherry barbs is said to be 25 gallons. You can keep six cherry barbs in a 25-gallon fish tank comfortably.
Many people choose to go with fish tanks that are slightly larger than this, though. It’s common for people to choose 29-gallon aquariums for cherry barbs.
You can easily find aquariums of this size being sold in kits at reasonable prices. So it’s likely a good idea to go with the 29-gallon fish tank.
This ensures that the fish have more than enough room to thrive. You never want the cherry barbs to feel cramped because overcrowded fish tanks will stress the fish.
How Many Cherry Barbs Per Gallon?
Cherry barbs are fish that like to have a lot of space. They don’t do well when they’re cramped and kept in tiny fish tanks.
It makes sense that you’d want to have around five gallons of space for each cherry barb. Sometimes it winds up being a bit less space than this, but it’s best to get as close as you can.
Since the minimum tank size for these fish is 25 gallons, the math doesn’t quite add up. This is why many people say that a 29-gallon fish tank is much better for these fish.
It’ll give them more space so they can feel comfortable and swim around. Never try to put cherry barbs in tanks that don’t offer enough space.
Can a Cherry Barb Be Kept Alone?
No, it’s not a good idea to try to keep a cherry barb by itself. You don’t even want to keep these fish in pairs.
These are schooling fish, and they’re supposed to be kept in groups. Keeping them in groups of less than six fish will not be acceptable.
When you put these fish in aquariums by themselves, they become very stressed. It’ll make them sick, and it might even lead to the fish dying.
Even putting the fish in fish tanks with groups that are too small won’t be good. A pair of cherry barbs or a trio won’t feel comfortable in an aquarium.
You need to keep six of them or more in the tank. So you must have a large enough tank to accommodate that many fish.
What Is the Best Community Tank Size?
Community tanks need to be a little bit larger since they contain more than one species of fish. You’ll need enough room for the cherry barbs, but you’ll also need room for the other fish.
This really depends on what fish you plan to add to the tank. You need to ensure that the fish have more than enough space.
There are many fish that cherry barbs are known to be compatible with. Otocinclus catfish make great tank mates for these fish and so do dwarf gouramis.
Typically, you’ll want to go with a bigger tank when putting together a community aquarium. For example, you might want to buy a 55-gallon fish tank if you’re planning on keeping many fish together.
Be sure to buy something that is larger than 30 gallons no matter what you do. It’s better to have a bit more room than it is to overcrowd the tank.
Community tanks that are too cramped will be rather hard to keep clean. This will lead to issues with water quality that can make the fish sick and might even lead to death if you’re not careful.
Final Thoughts
Now that you know the right tank size to go for, it’ll be easier to keep the cherry barbs happy. Typically, you want to buy a 29-gallon fish tank for cherry barbs.
They can be kept in 25-gallon fish tanks, but it’s better to go a bit larger if you can. This ensures that the fish will stay happy since they will have more than enough space.
Remember that you must keep six of these fish together. They’re schooling fish, and they can’t be kept in groups that are too small.
These fish don’t like overcrowded fish tanks, and they don’t do well in cramped environments. Even though they’re only two inches long, you need to give them appropriately-sized aquariums.
If you keep these fish in a community tank, you’ll want to go even larger. This is because you’ll need enough room for the other fish that you wish to buy as well.
It’s common for these fish to be kept in community tanks because they’re peaceful. You can have a great experience with cherry barbs, but you must make sure that you approach things the right way.
Jeff has always enjoyed having pets, but as a child, he was drawn to his family’s fish tank. Being able to maintain a small ecosystem and observe the behaviors and interactions in the underwater world peaked his interest early on and has kept him hooked until this day. On Avid Aquarist, Jeff shares everything he’s learned about helping aquatic life survive and thrive in a home aquarium.