A collection of articles on tropical fish care and breeding, including pictures and videos of popular aquarium fish.

Barbs

I recommend keeping at least 5 or 6, the larger the shoal the less aggression you will see among its members. Like tiger barbs, rosys are prone to be nippy when kept in small numbers.

They need a lot of room to swim a 25 or 30 gallon is a good fish tank size, adding some plants will provide them with shelter. The water should be soft and slightly acidic.

They usually will not bother other tankmates so if you are looking to create a community aquarium you can mix them with Gouramis, larger Livebearers, Dwarf Cichlids, Sharks, Rainbowfish, Plecos, Catfish, and Loaches.

If you want to breed this species I recommend moving them to a separate tank where you can add blackwater extract. Blackwater Extract contains trace elements, vitamins and extract of peat and helps to replicate the natural Amazon-biotope conditions in the aquarium. Introduce 2 females per each male.

It is important to keep the tank very clean, a bare bottom and an artificial spawning mop to collect the eggs is all you need. After spawning you should remove the parents. After 1 or 2 days the eggs will hatch. Do not feed the fry immediately, since they are not capable of eating. Wait until they are free swimming and then feed them with infusoria. It is important that you feed them 3 or 4 times daily. You should also perform daily water changes to maintain high water quality.

Barbs

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