Furry Diary

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Rosy Barb

Pethia conchonius

SpeciesShort profile

From South Asia: Pakistan, India, Nepal, Bangladesh (also listed for Afghanistan and Myanmar), especially the Ganges and Brahmaputra basins; hill streams, rivers, lakes, ponds and swamps12

At a glance the quick version

Length10 to 15 cm123
Lifespanup to 5 years3
Sizemedium

Seriously Fish gives 10 cm SL, FishBase 14 cm TL and Wikipedia up to 15 cm, usually about 10 cm in aquariums

Wikipedia: up to 5 years

Very hardy
Beginner friendly
Glowing rosy colour
12

Looks how to spot one

Deep-bodied scaled cyprinid

A sturdy, deep-bodied barb with a shiny silvery-gold body and a dark spot near the tail. Males are slimmer and take on a deep rosy-red flush, especially at breeding time, and have black in their fins; females are fuller-bodied and golden.123

Colourssilvery goldrosy red (males)black fin markingslong-finned, neon and golden strains13

Personality what they are like

Generally peaceful and lively, it fits a well-planned community tank. It quickly learns feeding times and gathers eagerly at the front of the tank.13

Daily activity how busy a day looks

An active schooling fish that needs swimming space along the length of the tank.1

Grooming and care the hands-on bits

Undemanding and adaptable. Regular partial water changes and a varied diet keep its colour strong; dark gravel shows it off nicely.123

Home where they are happiest

A tank with a base of at least 100 x 30 cm (about 90 litres); FishBase suggests at least 80 cm length. Temperature 16-24 °C, pH 6.0-8.0, hardness 5-20 °H. It tolerates cooler, unheated water well.12

Food basics what goes in the bowl

An omnivore that eats worms, insects, small crustaceans and plants. Offer good dried food with plant content plus small live or frozen foods such as bloodworm, Daphnia and Artemia.12

Company who they like around

Keep a group of at least 8-10 for natural schooling and the best colour. Suits other community fish such as tetras, livebearers and rainbowfish.1

The story where it all began

Francis Hamilton described the rosy barb in 1822 from Bengal. It became one of the classic aquarium barbs thanks to its toughness, and breeders have since produced long-finned, veil-tail, neon and golden strains.21

Fun facts for the dinner table

  1. 1

    At breeding time males take on a rich claret-red flush.2

  2. 2

    It is often called one of the hardiest of all barbs.2

  3. 3

    It handles cooler water better than most tropical fish.2

  4. 4

    Breeders have developed long-finned, veil-tail, super red, neon and golden forms.1

Recognised by the official bits

IUCN Red List
Assessed as Least Concern (March 2010)2
FishBase
Described by Hamilton in 1822; highly commercial in the aquarium trade2

The care rhythm Furry Diary remembers it for you

A typical home-care rhythm for a Rosy Barb. It is our own starting plan, not a vet's advice, and you can change every line in the app.

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Where this comes from

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  1. Seriously Fish - Pethia conchonius seriouslyfish.comused for origin, size, tank and water parameters, diet, behaviour, sexing, strains
  2. FishBase - Pethia conchonius fishbase.seused for author/year, IUCN status, size, water parameters, diet, colour, hardiness
  3. Wikipedia - Rosy Barb en.wikipedia.orgused for lifespan, aquarium size, feeding behaviour, sexing

Checked 2026-09-30. Text is written in our own words from these sources.