Narayan Barb (Pethia setnai)

A smaller, vibrantly colored barb found in rivers and small streams throughout India’s Western Ghats range, the Narayan Barb (Pethia setnai) is an attractive schooling fish ideal for most community aquariums. In the wild, it inhabits a wide range of habitat types but most typically can be found in more slow moving waters near aquatic plants or overhanging vegetation. A peaceful species, they are best kept in groups of at least 5-10 and require plenty of swimming space. Although they rarely bother tankmates, they are fast-moving and aggressive eaters so should be kept with similarly sized (or larger) fish.