Animal-World > Freshwater Fish > Cyprinids > Neon Rosy Barb

Neon Rosy Barb

Family: Cyprinidae

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Puntius conchonius Photo © Animal-World: Courtesy David Brough

   The Neon Rosy Barb is not only very pretty, but as one of the hardiest barbs it is a great fish for the beginning aquarist.

   Not only are they fun to watch because they are constantly on the move, but the Neon Rosy Barb is also very colorful. They are one of several varieties developed from the Rosy Barb. Like all of this species they are also prolific breeders. Hardy and undemanding, this fish will give any aquarium an energetic boost.

   The Neon Rosy Barb, like all the strains of the Rosy Barb, enjoy the companionship of 4 - 6 others to school with. They are lively and active so need plenty of room to swim. Being peaceful, they will do well in a community aquarium with only an occasional nip on a tankmates fins. These fish also prefer cooler water, 64-72° F (18-22° C), and you should select tankmates that will also thrive in cooler temperatures.

   Not only is the Neon Rosy Barb very active, they are great jumpers! So be sure you have a cover on your aquarium. When kept in a school, the males display an interesting behavior. They will continually swim around each other with their fins spread out, showing off their best colors. When spawning, the male's color intensifies.

   The Neon Rosy Barb is one of several varieties or color morphs developed from the Rosy Barb. Some others include the Long Fin Rosy Barb, Red Glass Rosy Barb, and Gold Neon Rosy Barb.

For more Information on keeping freshwater fish see:
Guide to a Happy, Healthy Freshwater Aquarium

Distribution:
   The Neon Rosy Barb is a captive bred color morph of the Rosy Barb.The Rosy Barb was described by Hamilton in 1822. Rosy Barbs are found in swift moving rivers and streams, as well as ponds and backwater in northern India, Bangal, and Assam.

Status:
   There are no wild populations of this color morph.

Description:
   The general coloration of the Neon Rosy Barb is silvery or coppery pink. Males are a more reddish color. There is a black spot just in front of caudal peduncle, and there may be some black along the top margins of the anal and dorsal fins. When spawning, the males color intensifies to a deep rosy red or a purplish red.

Size - Weight:
   These fish can get up to 6 inches (15 cm) in the wild, though about 4 inches (10 cm) is more common in the aquarium. They are mature at 2.5 inches (6 cm).

Care and feeding:
   Since they are omnivorous, the Neon Rosy Barb 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.
   The Neon Rosy Barb does prefers cooler water, 64-72° F (18-22° C), and you should select tankmates that will also thrive in cooler temperatures. An aquarium best suited to this barb provides plenty of swimming room, a soft bottom, and plants around the edges. A minimum of 20 gallons is recommended for a school of these fish.

Water Region: Top, Middle, Bottom:
   These fish will swim in all areas of the aquarium.

Acceptable Water Conditions:
   Temp: 64 - 73° F (18 - 23° C)
   Hardness: 2 - 10° dGH (soft water)
   Ph: 6.5 to 7.0

Social Behaviors:
   Lively and fun to watch. They are a very good community fish. A peaceful barb, the Neon Rosy Barb will do well in a community aquarium with only an occasional nip on a tankmates fins. They are a schooling fish, and will do well when kept in a group of 4 - 6 of their own kind. They do best with tankmates that like cooler water and that are also lively.

Sexual Differences:
   Difficult to tell when they are young, as they get older the male becomes redder and slender while the female remains smaller in general.

Breeding/Reproduction:
   The Neon Rosy Barbs are egg layers. They will breed only in water that is a few inches deep.

Buy Rosy Barbs From LiveAquaria.com

See the description of how to breed these fish in Breeding Freshwater Fish.

Availability:
   The Neon Rosy Barb is readily available and will run about $2.00 to $7.00 each, with females generally being the least expensive.

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Author: David Brough. CFS.