Desmopuntius trifasciatus
The Desmopuntius trifasciatus naturally lives in peat bogs and slow-flowing rivers on the island of Kalimantan (Borneo), South-East Asia. The places where these fish can be found are heavily overgrown with coastal vegetation, and the water itself has a brownish colouring, thanks to humic acids and other chemicals released during the decomposition of organisms at the bottom. The bottom is covered with a thick layer of fallen leaves, branches and snags. These fish are rarely seen in hobby aquariums, due to the impossibility of breeding them in captivity.
Desmopuntius trifasciatus barb is very similar to Barbus lineatus and Puntius eugrammus. Desmopuntius trifasciatus has a silvery pink body colour with longitudinal dark stripes. One stripe is wide, and one narrower stripe runs along the sides of it. The fins and tail plumage are translucent. Near the mouth there are small thread-like antennae, which the fish uses to look for food in murky water. As a rule, the males are slightly smaller, noticeably slimmer and have a brighter coloration than the females. The maximum size of the fish is 8-10 cm.
Desmopuntius trifasciatus fish are gregarious and should be kept in an aquarium in a group of at least 8 specimens. Keeping the fish in a group not only makes them less fearful, but also contributes to their brighter coloration.
Keep the fish in an aquarium with a capacity of at least 200 liters. Use coarse-grained river sand as substrate. Snags and tree branches can be placed at the bottom. The perimeter of the aquarium should be densely planted with various aquarium plants.
Water parameters: temperature 20-25° C, hardness dH 1-10°, pH 5,0-7,0. Requires filtration, aeration and weekly replacement of 1/3 of the aquarium water with fresh. The water current in the aquarium should be minimal.
The lighting is low, with an intensity of approximately 0.25 Watt/L. This should be considered when selecting plants for the aquarium, and choose species that are not critical for lighting.
In nature, the Desmopuntius trifasciatus feeds on algae, detritus, small insects, worms and crustaceans. In an aquarium, they are fed with frozen and live Daphnia, Artemia, chironomid, algae and dry food containing spirulina. Feed the fish twice a day.
Reproduction
In an aquarium environment Desmopuntius trifasciatus not breed. All fish that occasionally appear in the free trade, delivered to the domestic market from their natural habitat.
Lifespan of Desmopuntius trifasciatus in an aquarium is 3-5 years.