Rosy barb

The rosy barb is one of the hardiest and most popular small cyprinids in the aquarium hobby, widely distributed across Pakistan, India, Nepal, and Bangladesh. In the wild it occupies diverse habitats ranging from flowing hill streams and river tributaries to still lakes, ponds, and swamps. Commercially bred on a vast scale, wild specimens are rarely seen in the trade. The published maximum is 10 cm standard length, though most aquarium specimens stop between 6.5 and 7.5 cm.

This is a generally peaceful, schooling species that should be maintained in groups of at least 8-10 individuals to bring out the best colour and behaviour. Males display brilliant rosy-red colouration, especially during spawning, and compete amongst themselves for female attention. An aquarium with base dimensions of at least 100cm x 30cm (approximately 90 litres) is recommended, with a dark substrate and planted layout showing off their colours best. Filtration does not need to be particularly strong, though some water movement is appreciated.

Water conditions are very flexible: 16-24°C, pH 6.0-8.0, with hardness from soft to very hard. This temperature range makes the rosy barb one of the few community fish that can be kept in unheated indoor aquaria. Diet is omnivorous, quality dried flakes and granules supplemented with live and frozen foods such as bloodworm, Daphnia, and Artemia keep them in peak condition. Their hardiness, peaceful nature, and adaptability make them an excellent choice for newcomers to the hobby, and they have also been developed into several ornamental strains including long-finned and golden varieties.