This pretty little fish ranks near the top of the barbs in popularity. Like its name implies, the Cherry Barb can develop a deep red "cherry" color. This color intensifies during spawning times with the male becoming a bright beautiful red. Wild caught Cherry Barbs are more intensely colored than captive bred.

Recommended as a good beginner barb, the Cherry Barb is generally peaceful, undemanding, and fairly easy to breed. Like most barbs, it is a lively little fish and makes a fun addition to a community aquarium. It does tend to be a loner and can be nervous with others, sometimes even with its own species. The best tankmates are a small school of its like kind and a selection of other smaller fishes. The Cherry Barb tends to be shy and is almost always found in shaded areas. An aquarium with lots of dense vegetation and floating plants where it can seek cover is best suited to this fish, as well as a dark substrate and an open area in the center for swimming.