# Cherry Barbs Eat Plants?!?!



## Ridgeback (Feb 6, 2010)

I've been working with Freshwateraquariumplants.com (Don - great guy, highly recommended place!) to get a package of plants to populate my 40 gallon breeder. I let him know that I had added some fish (I am cycling the tank using Seachem Stability)...I added 7 cherry barbs and 1 Betta (my 9 year old son's choice). 

Don alerted me that Cherry Barbs (and all barbs for that matter) eat plants. He said that Cherry Barbs are particularly good at mowing down plants of all varieties. Really? 

Every book I've seen has barbs in a planted tank. Do any of you have this problem? I thought Cherry Barbs would be a good choice for a newbie (fairly hardy, peaceful, colorful). Are barbs in a planted tank a not recommended?


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## mustbekarma (Jan 6, 2010)

I had Cherry Barbs in a planted tank, and I had no problems with them harming plants.


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## Newt (Apr 1, 2004)

I've kept Cherry Barbs almost since time began........a long, long time. I typically keep 2 or 3 pair. Never have I seen them eat plants. I have seen them pick on algae from time to time but I dont have any algae anymore.

I love how the males get a deep oxblood-red. Feed them a varied diet and I recommend keeping them in pairs.


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## Ridgeback (Feb 6, 2010)

Thanks for the input...

OK...cherry barbs not being overly hard on plants was what I thought. I have 7 (4 males 3 females). I got one extra male for free. I may try to get 1-2 females so they can pair off easily.

Anyone else have any experiences with these guys? I really like them thus far so I'd like to keep them if possible.


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## mustbekarma (Jan 6, 2010)

I think Cherry Barbs are beautiful, and you get "two" looks for the price of one. I think the females are just as beautiful as the males. I'm going to set up a 30 gallon planted tank, and I really think I'll make Cherry Barbs as part of the inhabitants. I do keep tending to change my mind.


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## fishhead_express (Nov 26, 2009)

Hello, I have had the same experience as others...1 male and 3 female Cherry Barbs in planted tanks without any plant related issues that I have ever noticed. 

Ted


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## f1ea (Jul 7, 2009)

I have Cherry Barbs. They dont eat the plants at all and look very nice. They also do nibble at algae all the time, specially dying hairy algae.

Only problem its one female that's overly aggressive/nippy. She nips at my long tailed angelfish. I have 5 Cherries and the others are super peaceful... waiting for some time to take her out and substitute her for another cherry barb.

I've read its better to have more males than females if you want to breed them.


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## Ridgeback (Feb 6, 2010)

f1ea said:


> I have Cherry Barbs. They dont eat the plants at all and look very nice. They also do nibble at algae all the time, specially dying hairy algae.
> 
> Only problem its one female that's overly aggressive/nippy. She nips at my long tailed angelfish. I have 5 Cherries and the others are super peaceful... waiting for some time to take her out and substitute her for another cherry barb.
> 
> I've read its better to have more males than females if you want to breed them.


That's funny...I have a couple of males that are a bit nippy. One of them is a REAL tyrant! He has claimed 1/4 of the tank for himself. I am trying the opposite approach by adding more females (reduces the need for males to be scrappy?) I have plants arriving this weekend so I suspect with new plants and adding some other fish (3-4 Congo Tetras most likely) things will settle down a bit.


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