Rosy Barb

A hardy, cool-water schooling barb that colours up beautifully in a large group. Among the most forgiving fish for a beginner's first community tank.

• Minimum footprint: 30 gallons; a 40+ gallon tank gives real swimming room.
• Preferred swimming zone: middle of the water column.
• Social — keep a group of at least 6.
• Care level: easy.

• Temperature: 65–77°F
• pH: 6–7.5
• Hardness: 4–15 dGH (Moderate)

Stable parameters matter more than perfect ones — aim for consistency before chasing an exact number.

peaceful

schoolingpeacefulsub-tropicalhardygrows-large

An omnivore — offer a staple flake or pellet plus regular frozen or live foods (daphnia, bloodworm, brine shrimp) and some vegetable matter for balance.

• Guppy
• Bronze Corydoras
• Harlequin Rasbora
• Zebra Danio
• Platy
• Molly

A further 1 species pair with Rosy Barb as conditional — workable with the right tank and precautions.

• German Blue Ram — One species will live outside its comfortable temperature range.

Standard tanks at or above the recommended 40 gallons:

• 40 gallon Breeder 36 × 18 × 16″
• 40 gallon Long 48 × 12 × 16″
• 55 gallon 48 × 13 × 21″
• All tank sizes

• Start from a 30 gallon minimum and plan the full group size (6+) before you buy.
• Activity level is moderate, which affects how much of the tank it uses and how much it adds to the bioload.
• Zoning matters: this species lives mostly in the middle zone, so choose tank mates that occupy other levels.

Compatibility depends on tank size, water chemistry, temperament, and adult size. Run a full check against any species in our database.

In-depth guides for Rosy Barb:

• Rosy Barb and Tiger BarbRisky
• Rosy Barb and Siamese Algae EaterGood Match

• FishBase(Scientific Database, accessed 2026-09-20)
• SeriouslyFish(Specialist Publication, accessed 2026-09-20)
• Aquarium Forge editorial guidelines(Editorial Interpretation, accessed 2026-09-22)

Data reviewed: September 2026 · Data version: 2026.11
Editorial note: Minimum tank recommendations may vary by source and husbandry approach. Our figures synthesise the sources above for planning purposes.