Loaches Online Forum

Anyone have experience with these fish? I have 150 gallon tank and I am needing more fish really lol. I am a bit understocked but I have a school of ten Rummy Nose tetra's in it and wondering if these guys would get along with them if they were in a school of 6 to 10 or so. I find mixed results and I really enjoy first hand experience from people. Thanks anyone that responds.

I keep 6 of these in a cool water tank (68-72 degrees) with weather loaches and blood fin tetras.

They are cooler water fish, I believe they'll live down into the low 50s. Some places say they'll do well up to 80 degrees. But I had a lot of health problems with this species at 78 degrees.

When kept in groups they are peaceful towards others and make a great community fish. I once had one in quarentine with some emperor tetras and the single barb terrorized them. But once in the main tank with others of it's kind it ignores the tetras. I also once saw one of these in a fish store mislabeled as a Tinfoil Barb. That tank had one Odessa swimming out in the open and 2 Tinfoil barbs hiding behind the sponge filter. But don't take this to mean the fish is aggressive, just keep it in groups of 5 and you'll be fine.

They swim at all levels of the tank, I find them to not be as food aggressive or nippy as other barbs but at times the dominate fish will chase other members.

They grow to about 2-3 inches, the males have the bright red coloration with yellow (sometimes blue) fins. The females have red/orange fins and a copper colored body.

Thank you for the reply. I will hold off on getting them for my one tank. Maybe have to start up another tank soon and get a big group of them.

hi Scott, i've had odessa's for a good number of years and found them to be a great addition to any mixed fishtank.
mine were always kept in warm conditions ie 78-82 f with no harm to them.
out of all the barbs ive kept these seem to have the shortest lifespan with 3-4 yrs being the longest i've kept them for, but i used to breed them so i could always have them in the display tank.
the largest i've ever seen was around 2 3/4 inch mark excluding the tail that is as i used to show them.

mick