Species/genus: Barbus Conchonius

Common Name(s): Rosy Barb, Rosey Barb

Origin: India, Assam & Bengal

Water Conditions: pH: 6 to 7; Temp: 64°- 72°F (18 -22°C) Hardness: Soft Water

Temperament: Very active & non-aggressive in groups. They may chase fish and nip the fins of other fish when kept in small numbers. It is best to keep at least 6 since they are shoaling fish. They tend to stick together as a group, are less nervous, and wouldn't bother the other fish.

Adult Size: 2-3 inches. Up to 6 inches in the wild.

Water Region: Bottom, Middle & Upper regions of the aquarium.

Rosy Barbs eating spinach

Feeding: Omnivorous. Will readily accept all types of live & prepared foods. Can be fed flakes, spirulina, lettuce, spinach, brine shrimp, freeze dried foods, mosquito larvae etc. Rosy Barbs eat very fast, so make sure your other fish get somthing to eat. They will often nip at plants. To keep Rosy Barbs from eating your plants, try feeding them spinach (soften the spinach in hot water). They will usually ignore the other plants and go for the spinach.

Sexual Differences: Adults Easily distinguished. When in good condition, males are a rosy pinkish red, with black tipped fins. Females have a yellowish to silver body. Females are also rounder especially when they have eggs. Females have lighter coloured fins.

Courtship. Male on Right

Breeding: Type: Egg layer. Difficulty: Easy. Rosy Barbs will breed in your aquarium without much persuasion, but unless the tank is properly prepared, the eggs will be eaten. Rosy Barbs will eat they own eggs before they even get a chance to sink to the bottom. Even if the eggs hatch, the fry will quickly become the lunch of their parents and other fish. A separate breeding tank or container should be prepared. A sponge filter should be used (power filers suck up babies). The water level in the tank should be shallow, about 6 to 8 inches high, and the lighting low to moderate. The water should be a combination of tap and rain water. Try to maintain a pH around 6.7 & 6.8. Cover the bottom of the tank with course gravel or marbles so that the eggs can slip between the crevasses out of reach of the parents. Barbs like to breed among plants. Add lots of plant to the tank, especially floating ones (this also helps to subdue the light). Keep the males and females separate and condition them with high quality foods. Choose a female that is plump and bursting with eggs and 2 richly coloured males (2 males to one female increases their chances of fertilizing more eggs). Add them to the breeding tank when it's getting dark. This helps them to settle in before they do the do in the morning or the day after. After the female has dropped all her eggs (she should look much slimmer) remove the parents, or else they will feast on caviar. The fry hatch in 24 to 48 hours. The fry are very small and should be fed infusoria (micro organisms) when they start to swim. After a week the can be fed freshly hatched brine, then larger foods as they grow. If you don't know how to culture your own infusoria or brine shrimp, ask at your pet store for specially prepared foods for the fry of egg layers.

Minimum Tank Size: 5 gallons

Tankmates: Other Barbs, paradise fish, danios such as zebra danios, tetras & small to medium sized cichlids. Since rosy barbs are active, they make good "dither fish" for shy cichlids. The shy cichlids may come out of hiding when they see other fish swimming around in the open. Since the rosy barbs are fast swimmers, if the cichlids attack them, they stand a good chance of getting away.

Special Requirements: Best kept in groups of 6 or more or they will be very nervous and aggressive.

Comments: The Rosy Barb is a very hardy fish and a good choice for beginners. They are very active and a delight to watch. They are very easy to feed as they will accept almost anything you put into the tank.