Cuming's Barb tank mates
Puntius cumingii
6 rated pairings from the Cuming's Barb care guide. Compatibility here means water, temperament, tank zone and adult size all line up — the note on each card says why. Cuming's Barb needs at least 20 gallons on its own; every companion adds to that.
Excellent matches
5 · Same water, complementary zones, no conflict.
Cherry Barb
Puntius titteya
15 gal min · 2" adult · Peaceful
Similar size, peaceful temperament, and comparable water parameter requirements make them ideal tankmates
Harlequin Rasbora
Trigonostigma heteromorpha
10 gal min · 2" adult · Peaceful
Peaceful schooling fish with overlapping water parameters and similar activity levels
Neon Tetra
Paracheirodon innesi
10 gal min · 1.5" adult · Peaceful
Small, peaceful schooling fish that coexist well with Cuming's Barbs without competition
Kuhli Loach
Pangio kuhlii
20 gal min · 4" adult · Peaceful
Bottom-dwelling and peaceful, occupies a different zone and poses no threat to barbs
Otocinclus
Otocinclus vittatus
10 gal min · 1.5" adult · Peaceful
Peaceful algae eater that occupies the bottom zone and does not compete with barbs
Good matches
1 · Compatible with normal care — watch space and numbers.
Planning this tank?
Run the whole stock list through the calculator — it checks bioload and schooling numbers, not just pairings.