Rosy Barb
Pethia conchonius
Cyprinidae
About
The rosy barb is a large, robust cyprinid from the cooler rivers, streams and lakes of northern India, Bangladesh and the Himalayan foothills, where breeding males flush a striking coppery-rose. Almost all aquarium stock is now commercially bred, and its tolerance of cool, unheated water makes it a classic subtropical community fish. Endlessly active and fast-swimming, it needs a long tank and the company of its own kind; kept in a proper shoal it is peaceful, but in cramped tanks or thin groups it can turn to nipping the fins of slower tankmates.
Care
Keep a shoal of at least 6 (ideally 8+) in a long tank of 110 L or more, with cool water and open swimming space. Groups curb its fin-nipping, and it suits unheated or subtropical setups. Avoid slow, long-finned tankmates.
Diet
Non-selective omnivore that grazes small invertebrates, insect larvae and plant matter in the wild; feed varied dry foods with frozen or live meaty foods and some vegetable or algae content.
Tankmate compatibility
Gets along with (7)
Possible with care (93)
Avoid (9)
Computed by the AquaSage engine for a spacious reference tank — always check the full verdict for your exact setup in the calculator.