fish · Cyprinidae
Melon barb
Haludaria fasciata
Wild range: South Asia: endemic to the Western Ghats of southern India — Goa, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu, from Kanyakumari district north almost to Maharashtra; most common on the western slopes, at sea level and in the foothills (Seriously Fish; FishBase; Wikipedia; IUCN Abraham 2015). (Asia)
At a glance: Melon barb care
Compiled reference information. Review the care notes and original sources below.
What temperature is listed for Melon barb?
The compiled profile lists 22.0–26.0 °C for Melon barb (Haludaria fasciata). Check the original sources below for context and differing recommendations.
What tank size is listed for Melon barb?
The profile lists a minimum tank volume of 21.1 US gallons (80.0 liters). Volume alone does not establish suitability; consider dimensions, group size and other inhabitants alongside the full care notes.
What pH is listed for Melon barb?
The compiled profile lists a pH of 6.0–7.5. Review the cited care sources alongside the other water parameters in this profile.
Natural habitat
A hardy, colourful mid-sized barb from the Western Ghats of southern India. Adults are deep-bodied, with an orange, peach, red or purplish base colour (depending on population) crossed by two to five broad black bars. Males are the brighter sex, with red and black in the dorsal fin. An active, peaceful shoaling fish that colours up best in a group of 8–10 over a dark substrate under subdued light, and an enthusiastic feeder.
Where they are found
Catalog primary Haludaria fasciata (Jerdon, 1849) — GBIF 7784174 accepted, FishBase, WoRMS, Wikipedia and Seriously Fish all use Haludaria; parentheses because it was described as Cirrhinus fasciatus Jerdon, 1849 (Malabar, i.e. northern Kerala; no type specimens known). ITIS still lists the older combination Puntius fasciatus (Jerdon, 1849) as valid (TSN 639573, record last updated 2005; Barbus fasciatus TSN 163637 as its synonym), the same stale-Puntius situation as this catalog's denison-barb and filament-barb rows, so the modern trade/inventory name is kept as primary. Pethiyagoda et al. (2012) moved the species to Dravidia, which was preoccupied by a flesh-fly genus, so Pethiyagoda (2013) replaced it with Haludaria. Synonyms Puntius fasciatus, Barbus fasciatus, Cirrhinus fasciatus and Dravidia fasciata are in aliases under Scott's naming rule; Puntius fasciatus pradhani / P. melanampyx pradhani Tilak, 1973 are also listed as synonyms (WoRMS via Wikipedia). Lookalike/synonymy caution: H. melanampyx (Day, 1865), a three-barred form from central and southern Kerala sometimes traded as the 'Panda barb', is treated as a synonym of H. fasciata by Seriously Fish (R. Kumar, pers. comm.) and acquariofilia consapevole, but FishBase still lists it as a separate species (max 7.5 cm TL; IUCN Data Deficient, assessed 2010). It is not in this row's aliases. Care is identical (Fishkeeper/Maidenhead Aquatics). The group is a variable complex: Goa fish have five bars, Karnataka/northern Kerala four, central/southern Kerala three, some southern Kerala two, and Kanyakumari fish none (the H. afasciata form). Highland fish tend to be orange, lowland fish purple or red. H. pradhani and H. kannikattiensis are regarded as valid by some authors. Do not mix populations, to avoid hybrids, and ask about origin when buying (Seriously Fish; Practical Fishkeeping). 'Black spot barb' is a reported trade name but is left out of aliases because 'Blackspot barb' is also used for Dawkinsia filamentosa (this catalog's filament-barb). Some retailer copy giving Sri Lanka or Southeast Asia as the origin is wrong; the species is Indian endemic. IUCN Least Concern (Abraham 2015, e.T172367A70085467; assessed 25 June 2010); threats include river pollution, habitat loss and introduced Xiphophorus maculatus. Trade names: Melon barb, Banded barb (ITIS), Ember barb, Red panda barb, Glowing coal barb (German Glühkohlenbarbe).
Aquarium care
Minimum 80 L / ~21 US gal with a footprint of at least 90 × 30 cm (36 × 12 in) (Seriously Fish ~81 L; Aquarium Lesson 81 L; AquaSage 80 L / 90 cm). A 120 cm (4 ft) tank is the better long-term home for an adult shoal of 8–10 (Practical Fishkeeping and Fishkeeper/Maidenhead Aquatics both specify 120 cm; Aquarium Tank Mates 30 gal / 115 L; Garnelio from 150 cm). Temperature 22–26°C (Seriously Fish, FishBase, Fishkeeper, Practical Fishkeeping, Aquarium Lesson, Aquarium Tank Mates; Aqua-Fish 22–27). An optional 6–8-week cooler spell at 18–22°C is reported as beneficial but not necessary (Aquarium Glaser). pH 6.0–7.5 (Seriously Fish, Aquarium Tank Mates, AquaSage; Practical Fishkeeping notes 6.0–7.8 kept successfully; FishBase wild 6.0–6.5). GH 2–12 dGH (AquaSage 2–12, Fishkeeper up to 12, Aqua-Fish 3–12; Seriously Fish 2–10; Practical Fishkeeping tolerates 2–16+). Soft, slightly acidic water is best long-term (Fishkeeper). Moderate flow with good oxygenation: it comes from moderately flowing streams and rivers (Fishkeeper; FishBase), but Seriously Fish and Aqua-Fish note that filtration can be fairly gentle as long as there is some movement. Use a dark sand/gravel substrate with river cobbles, bogwood, branches, leaf litter and robust plants (e.g. Blyxa, Lagenandra) along the back and sides, leaving open swimming space at the front. Subdued lighting brings out the colour, and the fish look washed out in bare, brightly lit tanks. Shy for the first week or two, then bold. Beginner-friendly and hardy; do weekly water changes.
Feeding
Wild fish are foraging omnivores, taking diatoms, algae, detritus, small insects, worms, crustaceans and zooplankton (Seriously Fish; FishBase trophic level ~2.9). In the aquarium they accept everything: use a quality flake or granule (including some spirulina or algae-based food) as the staple, plus small live or frozen foods such as bloodworm, Daphnia, Artemia, Mysis and mosquito larvae for the best colour (Seriously Fish; Aqua-Fish; Fishkeeper). Add vegetable matter (blanched spinach, cucumber). They will nibble soft-leaved plants if underfed on greens (Fishkeeper; Aquarium Glaser). Vigorous feeders: feed only what is eaten in a few minutes, and feed the barbs at one end while slipping food to slower tankmates at the other (Practical Fishkeeping; Aqua-Fish).
Compatibility
Peaceful and community-safe with fish of similar size and energy: other small-to-medium cyprinids (Pethia ticto, Dawkinsia filamentosa, Devario malabaricus, rainbowfish), tetras, robust livebearers, loaches (Botia), catfish and peaceful medium cichlids (Seriously Fish; Practical Fishkeeping; Fishkeeper). Its fast, competitive feeding can starve slow or timid species, so avoid pairing it only with shy nano fish. Keep it away from fancy long-finned fish such as bettas, fancy guppies and long-finned angels, because a small or under-sized group may nip, and do not keep adults with tiny fish or fry (Fishkeeper; TankBud; Aquapets). Keep at least 8 (ideally 8–10+) so males spar among themselves rather than harassing tankmates (Seriously Fish; Practical Fishkeeping). Not suitable for nano tanks.
Breeding
Condition a mixed-sex group on live and frozen foods. Then move one or two pairs, or a group of about six of each sex, into a dimly lit breeding tank of mature, soft, slightly acidic water at 26–27°C (the upper end of the range). Fit an air-driven sponge filter, a mesh, marble or plastic-grass base, or dense fine-leaved plants (Java moss, mops) (Seriously Fish; Fishkeeper; Aqua-Fish). Spawning usually follows at first light the next morning, and a tight lid is advised because spawning is vigorous. Remove the adults once eggs are seen. Eggs hatch in 24–48 h and fry swim free about 24 h later. Feed infusoria first, then microworm and Artemia nauplii. Do not mix different bar-count or colour populations if breeding (Seriously Fish; Practical Fishkeeping).
Sources
Compiled from multiple independent care sheets — not copied from a single site.