From Aqua Guide, the free encyclopedia
Rosy Barb
Pethia conchonius
- Temperature
- 16–24 °C
- pH
- 6 – 8
- Min. tank size
- 110 L
- Lifespan
- 5 years
- Diet
- omnivore
- Care level
- easy
| Scientific classification | |
|---|---|
| Scientific Name: | Pethia conchonius |
| Family: | Cyprinidae |
| Origin: | South Asia (northern India, Bangladesh, Nepal) |
| Care Characteristics | |
| Care Level: | easy |
| Diet: | omnivore |
| Max Size: | 10.00 cm |
| Water Type: | freshwater |
| Temp Group: | subtropical |
| Temperament: | peaceful |
| Min Group: | 8+ together |
| Varieties: | Selective breeding has produced several ornamental strains of what is otherwise a long-established wild-type fish. Long-finned and veil-tail rosy barbs carry extended finnage. Super red strains intensify the male's colour and hold it year-round rather than only in breeding condition. Neon rosy barbs add iridescence, and golden or xanthic forms replace the olive body with pale yellow. The wild form remains the hardiest, and a well-conditioned wild-type male in breeding colour is as good as any of the selections. Two practical notes. The long-finned strains are a poor fit for a fast, active schooling fish, and they carry exactly the trailing finnage the species is accused of nipping. And the colour strains make sexing harder, since a super red female may carry more colour than a subordinate wild-type male — body size remains the reliable guide. Taxonomy has moved. The species was long placed in Puntius and is now Pethia conchonius, so older books and shop labels use Puntius conchonius. Several other Pethia are traded alongside it, including the ticto and odessa barbs, which are separate species with similar subtropical tolerances. |
| Lifespan: | 5 years |
Quick Tips
- Bioload:Medium
- Min Tank:110 L
- Substrate:Gravel or sand; open swimming space with planted edges
- Plant Safe:Plant-safe (may nibble very soft plants)
- Filtration:Moderate to high (enjoys current)
Rosy Barb (Pethia conchonius) is a species of fish in the family Cyprinidae. It is native to South Asia (northern India, Bangladesh, Nepal). The rosy barb is one of the few genuinely good subtropical community fish, and it is almost always sold as a tropical one. It comes from northern India, Bangladesh and Nepal, and reaches 100 mm standard length. Its range is 16 to 24 °C (61–75 °F) — cooler than nearly everything it shares a shop with — and specialists describe it as suitable for an unheated tank in appropriate room conditions. The name belongs to the males, which flush a deep rosy red, most intensely when breeding. It reverses the usual barb arrangement in a way that catches people out: adult males are noticeably smaller and slimmer than females, as well as far more colourful. It is hardy, active, undemanding and long-established in the hobby — and it belongs in a cool tank with white clouds and hillstream loaches rather than a warm one with gouramis.
Compatibility
- Temperament
- peaceful
- Keep in
- Groups of 8+
- Swims
- middle
- Fin nipper
- Yes
- Delicate fins
- No
Species similar to Rosy Barb
Matched on family, then category, then water type