Borneo redfin silver shark

[Stephen St.Clair]

Looks like a cross between a Bala & Denison Barb.
I'd love to keep a group of Red Fin Sharks, but with my local hard water w/ elevated PH, probably not going to happen.

 

[esoxlucius]

I didn't think i'd be visiting this thread again but developments over the past couple of weeks mean I now have plenty of space in my 360 to get some of these beautiful barbs.

I went to my LFS today to pick up the last remaining six they had. I put them in quarantine with lights out to let them settle and adjust. Pictures to follow.

Also, I spotted another oddball species whilst I was there. They were labelled as redtailed barbs but fortunately the fancy name was also on the tank to avoid confusion. They are discherodontus ashmeadi. A medium sized barb, again from the far East, pretty little things, so I bought four!! Discherodontus ashmeadi below.

 

[MultipleTankSyndrome]

I didn't think i'd be visiting this thread again but developments over the past couple of weeks mean I now have plenty of space in my 360 to get some of these beautiful barbs.

Congrats on getting the space for them! I'm guessing you were able to rehome some of the big fish?

I feel very happy for you, I had an experience like this not too long ago. Roseline sharks are high on my 'wish list' like redfin balas are on yours, but according to AqAdvisor, they would not fit in my existing 473 liter with pictus catfish and loaches because of crowding issues.
But not long after that, I was able to strike a deal with my cousin allowing me to keep my 2nd 473 liter (story hyperlinked in signature in 2022 loach tank). So now I can have those roseline sharks without having to rehome any of the pictus catfish and loaches!

 

[esoxlucius]

I'm guessing you were able to rehome some of the big fish?

Yes, I intend to start a thread regarding the rehoming of the big fish over the coming days

 

[esoxlucius]

After a short spell in quarantine I've put the Borneo red fin silver sharks (Cyclocheilichthys janthochir) in my 360 now. They were a little washed out in quarantine due to the bland decor but within 24 hours of transferring them to my 360 they started to colour up nicely.

Beautiful shoaling fish, extremely active, a great addition to my stock. They're currently all around the 3-4" mark, but should max out at 7-8". I'll keep this thread updated from time to time with their progress.

 

[MultipleTankSyndrome]

Nothing less than stunning IMO. Such nice red fins, really live up to their name.

 

[Deadeye]

Beautiful! How do they compare to balas in behavior?

 

[esoxlucius]

Beautiful! How do they compare to balas in behavior?

I'd say they're quite similar, obviously not in their colour, but body shape, gentle demeanour, activity levels, bold feeding and schooling behaviour remind me of my young balas.

My balas could be a bit skittish as they got older, but that was in an all glass 180. That behaviour stopped immediately when I transferred them to my 360 in 2019, so due to that I'm not expecting these new guys to become skittish at all.

I don't believe many members have these fish, so I'm looking forward to sharing my experiences with these fish over the coming months/years and hope that it nudges more people into getting some.

 

[esoxlucius]

An update on my Borneo redfin silver sharks (cyclocheilichthys janthochir).

I've still got my original six, all in my 360, and all doing well. Great activity levels and not fussy regarding diet. The biggest is nudging 6" now.

They are certainly on a par with my beardless barbs for beauty. I love this species, and they should get quite a bit bigger yet.

 

[Niki_up]

I’m just catching up on this thread now, they looks fantastic