Super Red Rosy Barb (Pethia conchonius) is a selectively bred line of the classic Rosy Barb, developed for males that hold a deep, saturated cherry-red color across the whole body rather than just during breeding season. Each fish has the species' signature black spot near the tail and dark-tipped fins that make the red pop even more. The species is native to rivers, streams, and lakes of northern India, Nepal, Bangladesh, and Pakistan.
Keep Super Red Rosy Barbs in a group of 8 or more. In a proper group they are peaceful, busy schooling fish, and the males show their strongest color as they display and compete for the females. Females are larger, rounder, and more olive-gold, with only a blush of pink. Kept singly or in very small groups, barbs can become nervous or nippy.
This is a hardy, adaptable fish that does well in a wide range of water conditions and prefers slightly cooler temperatures than most tropicals, making it a good choice for unheated or room-temperature planted tanks. Good tankmates include other active barbs, danios, larger tetras, rainbowfish, livebearers, loaches, and Corydoras. Avoid slow, long-finned fish such as bettas and fancy guppies. Rosy barbs may nibble very soft, fine-leaved plants, so pair them with sturdier species like Anubias, Java fern, Cryptocoryne, and Vallisneria.
Feeding & Care Tip: Rosy barbs are easy-to-feed omnivores. Use Sera Vipan Tropical Flakes as the daily staple, and add Hikari Frozen Bloodworms, Hikari Frozen Daphnia, or Hikari Frozen Baby Brine Shrimp 2–3 times a week to keep the reds at their deepest. A food with some plant content, such as Hikari Mini Algae Wafers, rounds out their diet.
| Difficulty | Easy |
| Temperament | Peaceful in groups |
| Adult Size | 3–4 in (8–10 cm) |
| Group Size | 8+ |
| Minimum Tank Size | 30 gallons |
| Ideal Temperature | 64–75°F (18–24°C) |
| Ideal pH | 6.5–7.8 |
| Ideal GH | 5–20 dGH |
| Staple Food | Sera Vipan Tropical Flakes |
| Treat / Supplement | Hikari Frozen Bloodworms, Daphnia, Baby Brine Shrimp |
| Lifespan | 4–5 years |
| Origin | Northern India, Nepal, Bangladesh & Pakistan |
| Notes | Best color in groups with several males. Tolerates cooler, unheated tanks. May nibble very soft plants. Avoid long-finned tankmates. |
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