The always active, and sometimes boisterous, Checkered Barb is a favorite in many community tanks.

The Checkered Barb is known both for its good looks and its pleasant personality. While some barbs have a reputation for being fin nippers, the Checkered Barb is well known for being peaceful. In addition to its pleasant personality, this fish is a favorite for beginners because of its ease of care. An active and lively fish, the Checkered Barb does quite well on a commercial flake food diet. In addition to normal flake food, vegetable flake foods are also accepted. Because they are relatively peaceful, this fish does well in most community tanks, though they should be kept in small schools. Checkered Barbs are also known to do well in environments with live plants.

The average mature Checkered Barb can be expected to reach between five and 15 centimeters in size (two to six inches), though imperial sizes are seen. Males can be distinguished from females by the appearance of black edges on their anal and dorsal fins. The males are also more colorful and darker, overall, than the females.

The Checkered Barb is native to Indonesia and Sumatra and belongs to the same family of fish as carps and minnows.

The Checkered Barb does well in tropical temperatures ranging from 20 to 24 degrees Celsius (68 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit). This fish also does well in pH levels that range from 6 to 6.7. Water movement should not be too rapid, as this fish thrives in still or slow moving water.

These fish do best when kept in small schools, as opposed to singly.

The Checkered Barb has been bred in captivity. Breeders report that the best way to stimulate mating is an increase in temperature to about 24 degrees Celsius (75 degrees Fahrenheit). They should be bred in pairs, as opposed to groups. Plants should be added to the tank as well - broad-leaved plants are best.