Explore all cyprinids in our database. Browse detailed care guides, compatibility information, and species data to find the perfect fish for your aquarium.
Dawkinsia arulius
A robust, highly active schooling fish native to the fast-flowing rivers of southern India. Known for their striking vertical bars and the beautiful dorsal fin extensions developed by mature males. Because of their energetic swimming habits and size, they require highly oxygenated water, decent current, and a spacious aquarium with plenty of horizontal swimming room.
Balantiocheilos melanopterus
Despite its name, the Bala Shark is a peaceful, schooling cyprinid. They are extremely active, fast swimmers that grow very large and startle easily. They are notorious for injuring themselves by crashing into the aquarium glass if kept in small tanks or easily spooked. They must be kept in groups and eventually require massive, custom-sized aquariums.
Pethia nigrofasciata
An active, schooling cyprinid endemic to the shaded forest streams of Sri Lanka. They are peaceful but highly energetic, making excellent community fish for cooler tropical setups. Unlike the notorious Tiger Barb, Black Rubies are generally peaceful and rarely nip fins, provided they are kept in a proper shoal of at least 6. Their deep colors emerge best in heavily planted, slightly dim environments.
Rasbora borapetensis
The Blackline Rasbora, often sold as the Red-tailed Rasbora, is a hardy and highly active schooling fish native to Southeast Asia. Recognizable by a bold black lateral line topped with gold and a bright red caudal fin, they are peaceful but energetic. They require plenty of horizontal swimming space in the middle to upper levels of the aquarium and must be kept in schools to feel secure.
Rasbora einthovenii
The Brilliant Rasbora is a peaceful, highly active schooling fish native to the forest streams and peat swamps of Southeast Asia. Known for its shimmering silver body and distinct dark lateral stripe, they thrive in gently flowing, heavily planted blackwater setups with subdued lighting. They are known jumpers, requiring a tight-fitting lid.
Danio margaritatus
A breathtaking nano fish native to small, vegetated ponds in Myanmar. They feature a midnight blue body covered in pearlescent spots with striking red and black striped fins. CPDs are notoriously shy and require heavily planted aquariums to feel secure. Males will constantly display and mock-spar with each other, so a larger group is essential to disperse this behavior.
Oliotius oligolepis
The Checker Barb is a peaceful, active shoaling fish native to Indonesia. Recognized by the striking checkerboard pattern of black spots on their metallic scales, they are excellent for planted community aquariums. Unlike some of their larger barb cousins, they are completely peaceful and not fin-nippers. They thrive in slightly cooler tropical water (20-25°C).
Puntius titteya
A peaceful, schooling cyprinid endemic to the shaded streams of Sri Lanka. Unlike many of its barb cousins, the Cherry Barb is not a fin-nipper and makes an excellent community fish. They thrive in heavily planted aquariums with subdued lighting and leaf litter. Males display a striking cherry-red color, especially during spawning.
Rasbora rubrodorsalis
A peaceful and active nano cyprinid native to the slow-moving, heavily vegetated waters of the Mekong basin in Southeast Asia. It is characterized by a distinctive bright red spot on its dorsal fin and a dark lateral line. They are a somewhat shy but excellent shoaling species that thrives in blackwater or heavily planted setups.
Boraras brigittae
A striking, deeply red nano fish native to the blackwater streams and peat swamps of southern Borneo. They are extremely peaceful and require a mature, densely planted aquarium with soft, acidic water. Due to their tiny size, they are completely safe with adult dwarf shrimp and are ideal for nano setups.
Puntius semifasciolatus
A hardy, active, and peaceful schooling cyprinid originally from the Red River basin in Asia. While the wild form is a metallic green/silver, a highly popular selectively bred yellow morph (the 'Gold Barb') dominates the aquarium trade. They are distinctly subtropical and thrive in unheated or cooler water setups.
Leptobarbus hoevenii
A massive, incredibly active schooling fish native to Southeast Asian rivers. Despite the 'shark' moniker, it is a giant cyprinid (carp). It grows exceptionally large and fast, requiring massive aquariums or heated ponds. Known as the 'Mad Barb' due to its erratic swimming and tendency to jump when startled. They are omnivorous and will eat anything that fits in their mouth, including smaller fish and plants.
Trigonostigma hengeli
A small, peaceful, and highly active schooling fish known for the striking glowing orange or copper stroke above its thin black 'pork-chop' marking. Smaller and much more slender than the standard Harlequin Rasbora, they are perfect for planted nano aquariums. They must be kept in schools of at least 6 to feel secure and display their best colors.
Sahyadria denisonii
An endangered, stunningly colored cyprinid endemic to the fast-flowing streams of the Western Ghats in India. Characterized by a torpedo-shaped body with a striking red line and black stripe. They are highly active, fast swimmers that require highly oxygenated water, strong flow, and cooler tropical temperatures. They are strictly shoaling fish and can be skittish if kept in small numbers.
Boraras maculatus
A tiny, peaceful shoaling fish native to the blackwater streams and peat swamps of Southeast Asia. Known for their striking red/orange coloration and distinct dark body spots. They are an excellent choice for heavily planted nano tanks and peaceful dwarf shrimp setups. Because of their minute size, they are easily outcompeted for food and predated upon by larger fish.
Danio erythromicron
An exquisite, tiny cyprinid endemic to Lake Inle in Myanmar. Known for their striking emerald vertical bands and reddish-orange fins. Because they originate from a slightly alkaline mountain lake, they prefer cooler, harder water than many tropical fish. They are notoriously shy and must be kept in schools in heavily planted tanks with broken sightlines to feel secure.
Brevibora dorsiocellata
A small, active schooling fish native to Southeast Asia, famous for the striking black-and-white spot on its dorsal fin and its reflective 'emerald' eyes. They are highly peaceful and thrive in heavily planted or blackwater aquariums. As a strict schooling species, they must be kept in groups to feel secure, establish a natural hierarchy, and display their best colors.
Trigonostigma espei
A small, peaceful schooling fish native to Southeast Asia. Closely related to the Harlequin Rasbora but distinguished by a more copper-orange coloration and a thinner, 'lambchop' shaped black marking on its flank. They thrive in heavily planted, mature aquariums with gentle water flow and slightly acidic water.
Garra cambodgiensis
A cyprinid native to fast-flowing streams in Southeast Asia. It is notoriously sold misidentified as the true Siamese Algae Eater (Crossocheilus oblongus). Unlike the true SAE, its black lateral stripe stops at the base of the tail fin rather than extending through it, and it features a yellowish stripe above the black line. It is an excellent biofilm grazer but does not eat Black Beard Algae as effectively. They require highly oxygenated water and become very territorial with conspecifics as they age.
Dawkinsia filamentosa
The Filament Barb is a lively, active schooling fish native to the rivers of southern India. They are known for their shimmering bodies, distinct black caudal spot, and preference for open swimming space. Due to their size and high energy, they require large aquariums with robust filtration. They can be fin-nippers if kept in too small of a school and may nibble on soft-leaved plants.
Desmopuntius pentazona
A small, peaceful, and beautifully colored schooling cyprinid native to the blackwater peat swamps of Southeast Asia. Often confused with the much more aggressive Tiger Barb, the Five Banded Barb is entirely peaceful and will not nip fins. They are somewhat shy and require a well-planted tank with dim lighting or floating plants to feel secure and show their best reddish-orange colors.
Epalzeorhynchos kalopterus
A striking, torpedo-shaped bottom dweller often confused with the Siamese Algae Eater. While they eat some algae when young, adults are primarily omnivores that become notoriously territorial and aggressive, especially towards their own kind, similar-looking fish, and other bottom dwellers. They are best kept as a single specimen in a community of mid-to-top swimming fish.
Devario aequipinnatus
The Giant Danio is a robust, incredibly active schooling fish native to fast-flowing streams in South Asia. Known for their striking blue and gold horizontal stripes, they are constantly in motion and require long tanks with strong water flow. Due to their boisterous nature, they make excellent 'dither fish' for mild-mannered cichlids but should not be kept with slow, shy, or long-finned species as they will easily outcompete them for food.
Danio choprae
A strikingly colorful and hyperactive nano fish native to the Irrawaddy River drainage in Myanmar. Named for its glowing orange/red horizontal bands and vertical barring. Despite their small size, they are incredibly fast, dynamic swimmers that require a long aquarium with ample swimming space. They must be kept in large schools and are notorious jumpers, so a tight-fitting lid is mandatory.
