Description
Melon Barb – Peaceful Schooling Fish with Warm Orange Tones
(Haludaria fasciata)
The Melon Barb is a striking, mid-sized barb known for its deep orange to reddish-pink body and subtle banding. Native to clear, fast-flowing streams of southern India, this active and peaceful fish makes a beautiful addition to well-planted community aquariums. When kept in groups, Melon Barbs display natural schooling behavior and develop their best coloration, especially under good lighting and a varied diet.
Key Features:
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Vibrant melon-orange body with subtle horizontal striping
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Active schooling fish – best kept in groups of 6 or more
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Hardy, peaceful, and community-safe
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Underrated gem for planted or river-style aquariums
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Responds well to high oxygen flow and clean water
Care Information:
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Scientific Name: Haludaria fasciata
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Adult Size: 5–6 cm (2–2.5 inches)
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Temperature: 22–26°C
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pH Range: 6.0–7.5
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Tank Size: Minimum 60 litres
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Diet: Omnivorous – high-quality flake, pellets, live/frozen foods
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Compatibility: Peaceful – suitable with other calm schooling fish, loaches, dwarf cichlids, and shrimp
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Tank Setup: Planted tank with good flow, open swimming space, and soft substrate preferred
Why Choose the Melon Barb?
The Melon Barb is a colourful, peaceful, and easy-to-keep barb that stands out beautifully in any community setup. Their vibrant hue and schooling nature bring constant movement and colour to planted tanks, making them a favourite for aquarists seeking an active yet gentle species.
Click & Collect
Livestock will only be bagged once you arrive, or if you contact us in advance to request it ready beforehand.
Local Delivery
Order anything from our in-store range and have it delivered right to you.
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Minimum spend: £50
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Delivery up to 10 miles: £10
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Delivery up to 25 miles: £20
Distances are measured “as the crow flies”, not by road.
Once your order is placed, we’ll be in touch to arrange a suitable delivery date and time.
Please note, delivery may take a little longer as we often group orders together to build an efficient delivery run.
Important: If you’re ordering a large aquarium, please ensure someone is available to help unload the van on arrival.
Dry Goods Delivery
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DPD Next Day: 1 working day (order before 12 noon)
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DX Next Day (Heavy Items & Small Aquariums): 1 working day (order before 12 noon)
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Express Pallet: 1–3 working days
If you'd like to add more items to an existing order that hasn't yet been dispatched, please place a Click & Collect order and leave a note asking us to combine the orders.
Please note: We currently only dispatch parcels Wednesday to Friday.
Pre-Order
Want the full details? Check out our Terms & Conditions.
Livestock Delivery
Thursday Delivery – £24
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Dispatched Wednesday afternoon
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Delivered Thursday before 1pm
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Order by Wednesday 12 noon
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Minimum spend: £50
Friday Delivery – £24
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Dispatched Thursday afternoon
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Delivered Friday before 1pm
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Order by Thursday 12 noon
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Minimum spend: £50
Saturday Delivery – £29
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Dispatched Friday afternoon
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Delivered Saturday before 1pm
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Order by Friday 12 noon
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Minimum spend: £50
📦 Want to Add to an Existing Order?
No problem! Just place a Click & Collect order and leave a note asking us to link it with your original one (as long as it hasn’t been dispatched yet).
🛒 Dry Goods Now Included!
You can now include dry goods in your livestock delivery – perfect for topping up supplies in one go.
❄️ Please note: We can’t send frozen food with livestock – please order frozen items separately.
⚠️ Delivery Exclusions
Unfortunately, we’re unable to deliver livestock to the following postcodes:
Scotland & Isles:
AB30–AB56, DD8–DD10, DG3–DG9, DG12–DG14, FK17–FK21, KA18–KA19, KA26–KA30, PA20–PA38, PA80, PH3–PH40
Cornwall Isles: TR21–TR25
All of the following postcodes are excluded:
BT, HS, IM, IV, JE, KW
Plus Channel Islands and Shetland Islands
Payment & Security
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