What tank size does a Rosy Red Minnow need?

A Rosy Red Minnow needs an aquarium of at least 54 litres (14.3 US gallons) with a footprint at least 60 cm (23.6 in) long — for this species, swimming length matters as much as raw volume.

What water parameters does a Rosy Red Minnow need?

Rosy Red Minnow does best at 4–26 °C (39.2–78.8 °F), pH 6.5–8.5 and a general hardness of 5–25 °dGH.

What group size does a Rosy Red Minnow need?

Rosy Red Minnow is a social species — keep a group of at least 6 so natural behaviour emerges and stress stays low.

Is the Rosy Red Minnow suitable for beginners?

Yes — Rosy Red Minnow is one of the easier species to keep and forgives typical first-tank mistakes, as long as the aquarium is cycled and maintained.

Species library

Rosy Red Minnow

Pimephales promelas

Leuciscidae

FishDifficulty: ●○○○○Data: well-established

📷 Dan MacNeal · CC BY 4.0 · resized · iNaturalist

Rosy Red Minnow — Pimephales promelas — 📷 Dan MacNeal · CC BY 4.0 · resized · iNaturalist

About

The rosy red is the orange, leucistic ornamental form of the North American fathead minnow, bred in enormous numbers as a bait and feeder fish and sold cheaply as a coldwater aquarium fish. It stays small — usually 6-8 cm, exceptionally around 10 cm — and is about as hardy as freshwater fish get, tolerating turbid, warm, poorly oxygenated water that would kill most species and overwintering happily in an outdoor pond. Spawning males darken, grow white tubercles on the snout, claim a cavity under a stone or leaf, and fan and guard the eggs until they hatch.

Care

Keep a group of six or more unheated at 15-21°C in 54 L or more; sustained tropical warmth wears them out. Give flat stones or overhangs to spawn under, otherwise the males squabble over sites. At 8 cm it is one of the few small fish big enough to share a tank with goldfish safely.

Diet

Detritus and algae grazer in the wild; in the tank it takes flake, micro-pellets, frozen daphnia and brine shrimp. Include vegetable matter rather than feeding it as a pure protein eater.

Tankmate compatibility

Gets along with (9)

Denison Barb Doctor Fish Dojo (Weather) Loach Japanese Trapdoor Snail Leopard Danio Medaka Ricefish Rosy Barb White Cloud Mountain Minnow Zebra Danio

Possible with care (28)

Avoid (234)

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Computed by the AquaSage engine for a spacious reference tank — always check the full verdict for your exact setup in the calculator.

Telling males from females

What works for this species, most reliable first.

Belly depthA hint only · only on well-fed adults, and only as a comparison
For most tetras, barbs and rasboras this is all there is: a conditioned female is deeper through the belly than a male of the same length.

All the methods, with diagrams

Also in these lists

Fish for a 54 litre tank Fish for a first aquarium Peaceful community fish Fish for a 112 litre tank

Frequently asked questions

What tank size does a Rosy Red Minnow need?: A Rosy Red Minnow needs an aquarium of at least 54 litres (14.3 US gallons) with a footprint at least 60 cm (23.6 in) long — for this species, swimming length matters as much as raw volume.
What water parameters does a Rosy Red Minnow need?: Rosy Red Minnow does best at 4–26 °C (39.2–78.8 °F), pH 6.5–8.5 and a general hardness of 5–25 °dGH.
What group size does a Rosy Red Minnow need?: Rosy Red Minnow is a social species — keep a group of at least 6 so natural behaviour emerges and stress stays low.
Is the Rosy Red Minnow suitable for beginners?: Yes — Rosy Red Minnow is one of the easier species to keep and forgives typical first-tank mistakes, as long as the aquarium is cycled and maintained.

Sources

Water & tank

Temperature4–26°C

Optimal temp.15–21°C

pH6.5–8.5

Hardness (GH)5–25°d

Carbonate (KH)3–15°d

Adult size8 cm

Min. volume≥ 54 L

Min. tank length≥ 60 cm

Group size≥ 6

Swimming zoneAll levels

TemperamentPeaceful

Water typeFreshwater

FlowLow

Lifespan~3 yrs

Try in the calculator