Rosy Barb (Puntius conchonius)
Rosy Barbs are pretty popular amongst aquarium hobbyists and are readily available.
These fish are hardy, active and have a peaceful temperament and bright colour. The Rosy Barb is one of the more significant members of the barb species.
This fish enjoys company, and if its party is large enough, it will not bother other fish in the aquarium, making them great additions to an aquarium. They also do well in ponds.
The Rosy Barb sports a torpedo-shaped body and a forked tail. It only has one dorsal fin, and it doesn't have an adipose fin; instead, have a second dorsal fin behind the first.
Males have a reddish pink colouration all across their body with black markings on their sides and fins, and the females have a golden-silvery body.
Rosy Barb Variants
| Quick Facts | |
|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Puntius conchonius |
| Other Names | Red Barb |
| Family | Cyprinidae |
| Genus | Pethia |
| Origins | India |
| Temperament | Peaceful |
| Aquarium Level | Middle |
| Difficulty | Beginner - Intermediate |
| Shoaling | Yes |
| Best kept as | Groups 6+ |
| Diet | Omnivore |
| Reproduction | Egg-Scatterer |
| Lifespan | up to 5 year |
| Water Parameters | |
|---|---|
| Water Type | Freshwater |
| PH | 5.5 - 7.5 |
| GH | 5 - 19 |
| Temperature | |
| 64 - 72℉ 17.8 - 22.2℃ | |
Natural Habitat
Rosy barbs originate in Northern India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan, and Afghanistan, in West Bengal and Assam's states. And due to man, you may also find some populations in Singapore, Australia, Mexico, Puerto Rico, and Colombia in the Americans.
Rosy barbs inhabit hilly landscapes, fast-flowing lakes and streams with a high oxygen supply surrounded by vegetation and debris that acts as a refuge for them.
Other Barbs of interest
What to feed the Rosy Barb
The Rosy Barb likes a variety of foods and is not a picky eater. This can include meaty foods as well as vegetables.
The healthiest foods are live or frozen, such as bloodworm, daphnia and brine shrimp, as they have the highest nutritional content.
In the wild, they sometimes eat plant matter, too, so you could add in some leftover green vegetables like lettuce or zucchini and the typical dried foods such as flakes, pellets and granules.
How to Sex the Rosy Barb
You can not determine the sex of the Rosy Barbs until they reach maturity.
The males are a more vibrant red colour and more slender, and have darker coloured fins, whereas the female remains smaller, much duller but plumper.
How to Breed the Rosy Barb
Rosy barbs are reasonably easy to breed and become sexually mature when they have attained a size of 6cm. A separate breeding tank will be required with shallow water and plenty of plants, as it offers privacy and a place to lay the eggs. You can also have a mesh at the bottom of the tank, big enough for the eggs to fall through but small enough so that the adults can't get to them to catch any straggling eggs.
You will need to put one male and two females in the tank, making sure you choose the healthiest and the most intense coloured barbs for the best condition fry.
When a female and male begin breeding, they exhibit behaviours of play and mock mating. Once the female's eggs are fertilized, she will scatter several hundred eggs onto the plants, substrate, decorations or discharge them into the open water.
Neither parent cares for the eggs after spawning and will consume them if not separated from the tank immediately.
The eggs will hatch in around 28-30 hours and become free-swimming a couple of hours after that.