(Please note that the fish shown in the photo is only a representative of what an adult specimen would look like. The color may vary based on the age and sex of the fish you receive.)
Scientific Name: Puntius conchonius
Common Name: Rosy Barb, Red Barb
Adult Size: 6 inches
Life Expectancy: 5 years
Habitat: Northern India, Bangal, and Assam
Minimum Tank Size: 30 gallons
Ideal Tank Conditions:
- Temperature Range: 74 - 79°F
- pH Range: 6.0 - 7.0
- Water Hardness: 4 - 10
Temperament: Semi-aggressive
Diet & Nutrition: Omnivore; will generally eat all kinds of live, fresh, and flake foods. To keep a good balance give them a high quality flake food everyday. Feed brine shrimp (either live or frozen) or blood worms as a treat. Supplement with color foods for best results in appearance.
Breeding & Spawning: Moderately easy to breed. Select breeding pairs from the school that have excellent markings and strong color. They are egg layers that scatters their eggs rather than having a specific breeding site. The eggs are adhesive and will fall to the substrate. Neither parent cares for the eggs after spawning and will eat them if not removed from the breeding tank immediately. The eggs will hatch in about 30 hours. Free-swimming fry should be fed infusoria, a liquid fry food, or newly hatched baby brine shrimp at least three times a day.
Gender: Difficult to tell when they are young, but as they get older the male becomes redder and more slender. The female remains smaller in general.