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Rosy Barbs are a popular small easy-care aquarium fish. And they’re undemanding when it comes to tank setup too. However, they do better if they’re given at least the basic things that they prefer.
The best tank setup for Rosy Barbs is one that includes plenty of plants, a fast flow and a medium light level. Because they are a sub-tropical fish the tank water doesn’t necessarily need to be heated depending on room temperature. The water needs to be clean and oxygenated. And the addition of rocks/pebbles, leaf litter and wood all help to create a more natural environment.
Whether you’re setting up a Rosy Barb only tank, or starting off/adding them to a community tank, you can keep things easy-care. It doesn’t need to be complicated when it comes to keeping these attractive Barbs happy and healthy.
In this article I will be explaining how to set up a fresh water tank for your Rosy Barbs. I’ll also be giving you some information and tips about adding them to, or building up, a community tank that includes Rosy Barbs.
Tip: Decide how many Rosy Barbs you want to keep before buying a tank. If you buy the tank first the size of the tank will dictate how many of them you can keep. If you’re adding Rosy Barbs to an existing community tank you need to take both the tank size, and the number/type of established inhabitants, into account before buying more fish.
Choosing A Tank For Your Rosy Barbs
Rosy Barbs are a schooling fish which means that they prefer to live in groups. So It’s best to keep at least 5-6 Rosy Barbs together as a minimum number. When it comes to how many to keep together it’s a case of ‘the more the merrier’. And a large school of these Barbs chasing each other across the tank makes for an impressive display.
Also if you keep a larger number of Rosy Barbs together it helps to dilute any aggressive tendencies.
Once you’ve decided on how many Rosy Barbs you want to keep you can start looking for the right tank.
Rosy Barbs are considered a small fish in fish keeping circles. However, they’re not a nano fish. They can grow up to about 6 inches/15 cm in length. While you don’t have to have a huge tank for them you will need a decent sized tank. Especially if you want to keep a larger school of them.
It’s also important to remember that Rosy Barbs are an active fish that swim around energetically most of the time. Which means that they need plenty of swim-room, particularly mid to top of the tank. So it’s important that the tank gives them enough space to do this without being cramped.
It’s always best to buy the biggest tank that your budget and available space will allow.
Tip: Because Rosy Barbs are an active fish it’s best to have a tank that is long rather than tall.
So What Size Tank Do Rosy Barbs Need?
Despite Rosy Barbs being considered a small aquarium fish you will need a tank of at least 80 litres capacity for them (roughly 17.59 UK Gallons/21.13 US Gallons). And that’s if you’re only planning on keeping 5-6 fish. This is why it’s so important to decide how many Rosy Barbs you want to keep before buying the tank. The tank size you will need for your Rosy Barbs will also depend on a few other things too.
It’s a good idea to take the points below into account before buying an aquarium.
- The number of Rosy Barbs you want to keep
- The size of Rosy Barbs when they are full grown (average 4-6 inches/10-15 cm)
- Plenty of room for plants but leaving plenty of swim-room for the fish too
- Room for any other fish/snails that will share the tank
- Spare litres/gallons in case your Rosy Barb fry (babies) reach maturity or their tankmates breed
If you would like more information about how Rosy Barbs reproduce read my article ‘How Do Rosy Barbs Breed?‘
As you can see from the list above there are a few basic things to consider when you’re choosing the right tank for your Rosy Barbs. And it’s impossible for me to tell you what size tank to buy because I don’t know exactly what you have in mind.
My advice though is to make a plan taking all of the points above into account. Then speak to your local Pet Store or Aquatic Dealer for advice on a suitable tank that will comfortably accommodate all of your planned inhabitants and will also allow room for possible fry.
There’s no ‘one-size-fits-all’ when it comes to choosing the right tank for your fish. So having a plan and getting some guidance is a great help. Particularly if you’re new to the fish keeping hobby.
Note: It’s always better to understock rather than overstock a tank, particularly in a new tank setup. If you add too many fish at once you run the risk of an ammonia spike which can be fatal to your fish.
Tip: Rosy Barbs can, and do, jump out of the tank. And not just because something has spooked them either. It’s just something that they do. So it’s best to have a close fitting lid on your aquarium to prevent any losses.
What’s The Best Tank Layout For Rosy Barbs?
Rosy Barbs are an easy-care fish that are not too fussy about their tank layout. But that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t do your best to give them at least the basic things that make them feel at home in your aquarium. The closer you make the tank environment to their native habitat the happier they will be.
Rosy Barbs are native to Northern India, Bengal and some areas in South East Asia. However, they can also be found in other neighbouring sub-tropical areas. Despite the different areas their habitat is pretty similar. The water is fairly warm with a moderate to fast flow and contains plants, leaf debris, rocks/pebbles and bits of wood.
I know that keeping fish in any tank setup isn’t going to be the same as their native environment. No matter how much you try to replicate it. However, most of the fish we buy from Pet Stores/Aquatic Dealers have been captive bred for many generations and are generally adapted to aquarium life already. But that doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t do our best to make their lives as comfortable as possible. And if the fish are happier they’re less likely to suffer from stress and stress related illnesses.
A Good Tank Layout For Rosy Barbs Generally Includes:
- Plants – A planted tank is great for Rosy Barbs. You can use various plants but tougher/coarser leaved plants are generally the best choice (there’s more information about plants, both live and fake, in the next section).
- Pebbles/Rocks – (Amazon link) You can use these to create a more natural look to the bottom of your aquarium.
- Leaf Debris – Helps to create a more natural look and feel to the tank. Catappa Leaves (Amazon link) are a good choice because they release beneficial tannins into the water. But you can use other leaves too, such as Oak Leaves for example.
- Substrate –Sand/Coarse Sand (Amazon link) or Fine Gravel work well in a Rosy Barb tank. But any kind of substrate that you prefer will be okay for your Rosy Barbs as they don’t really interact with the substrate. However, darker substrates work best because they make the Rosy Barb’s colours stand out really well.
- Wood/Twigs (Amazon link) help to create a more natural ‘bottom of the river debris’ look. You can also add Alder Cones and various Seed Pods too.
Tip: Make sure that any Wood/Twigs, Leaves, Alder Cones and Pods etc are aquarium safe. This is particularly important if you forage for them yourself. Any natural tank debris needs to be pest and pesticide free or you risk poisoning your fish.
Even if you’re trying to create a more natural feel to your Rosy Barb tank it doesn’t mean that you can’t include other tank decorations too. You can add other things that you would like to see in your tank to make it look the way you want. Which means that you can add ‘fun’ decorations if you want to. Your fish won’t mind at all.
Do Rosy Barbs Need A Planted Tank?
Rosy Barbs do well in a planted tank. Not only do plants create a more natural environment they serve other purposes. Plants make great places for your Rosy Barbs to spawn (breed) in. They also provide safer areas for the baby fry to hide in while they grow. Plus, live plants provide shelter and resting places for your adult fish.
If you’re not sure which plants to use, or you haven’t used live plants before, I’ve got some suggestions for you.
Easy-Care Plants For A Rosy Barb Tank
- Java Fern – Wide leaved plant (can be planted or attached to wood/rocks etc)
- Vallisneria (various) – Coarse grass-like plants usually planted in the substrate and will spread
- Amazon Sword – Long narrow leaved plant (needs planting in the substrate)
- Anubias – Large leaved, slow growing plant that can be planted or attached
- Bucephalandra – Narrow dense leaved plant (attach to wood and/or rocks)
- Cryptocoryne Plants (various) – Slow growing plant that needs planting in the substrate
- Floating Plants – Such as Salvinia, Amazon Frogbit and Red Root Floaters
There are a lot more easy-care aquarium plants that you can use in your Rosy Barb tank. Guppy Grass (carpeting), Water Wisteria (planted) and Dwarf Water Lettuce (floating) are just a few of the options you can choose from. But the plants on the list above will give you a good starting point.
But whichever plants you choose, and no matter how tough/coarse the leaves are, you may still find that your Rosy Barbs damage them. How much damage they do will depend on the toughness of the plants themselves along with the personality of your particular Rosy Barbs.
Fortunately there is another option when it comes to plants in your Rosy Barb aquarium.
Take a look at the section below for an alternative to live plants.
Tip: Because Rosy Barbs are active swimmers it’s best to plant your taller plants at the back of the tank. You need to keep plenty of clear swim-room at the front of the tank particularly mid to top height.
Artificial/Fake Plants
I know that not every fish keeper wants to keep live plants anyway. The good news is that you don’t have to keep live plants in your Rosy Barb tank. You can use artificial/fake ones if you prefer. But it’s important to choose ones that have soft leaves and no sharp edges to reduce the risk of injuring your fish.
So if your Rosy Barbs are nibbling/shredding your live plants to destruction, or you just prefer fake ones, go for fake plants. Your Rosy Barbs won’t mind that the plants aren’t real as long as they have ‘planted’ areas.
You can also use a combination of live and fake plants if you want to.
Just remember whether the plants are real or fake you need to leave plenty of swim-room for the fish between the plants and in the front area of the tank.
Tip: When choosing a filter for your tank make sure it can cope with both the tank’s water capacity and the number of fish you are keeping. Some types of fish are messier than others, so remember to take that into account too.
Do Rosy Barbs Need A Filter?
Rosy Barbs need a filtered tank because their water needs to be clean, filtered and oxygenated. They don’t like dirty/poor water conditions. Tank filters not only help to clean the water they oxygenate the water too by moving the water around and breaking the water’s surface. The water movement also creates flow in the tank and Rosy Barbs prefer a fast flow.
Filters also serve another important purpose. They are great breeding grounds for the beneficial bacteria that help to keep your tank environment a healthy one.
Here Are Some Filter Options For Your Rosy Barb Tank
- Internal Box Filter – This type of filter hangs or ‘suckers’ onto the inside of your tank. Often with the water return part above the water level creating a waterfall effect. But the way the water is returned will depend on the type of Internal Box Filter (Amazon link) you buy. Some are completely submerged which means you can’t see the filtered water being returned to the tank. Internal box filters can come with replaceable filter cartridges or a simple sponge insert. This type of filter is often included as part of a tank starter kit but can be bought separately.
- HOB Hang-On-The-Back Filter (Amazon link) – Just as it sounds this type of filter hangs on the back of the tank. The box part is on the outside of the tank and the intake tube sits in the water. The box part is filled with filter media of all kinds which you can change to suit the needs of your fish. The filtered water is returned to the tank via a lip/spout creating a waterfall effect.
- External Filter– An external filtering system sits outside of the tank. Usually under the tank stand/cabinet and is hidden from sight. The intake pumps the water out of the aquarium into a filtering unit. Then it pumps the water back in again through a return tube once it’s been cleaned. It does this on a regular cycle. External filters are generally used for large tanks, or if you’re running multiple tanks off the same filtration system.
If you already have an efficient filter that you’re happy with, but you need to increase the flow for your Rosy Barbs, there are things you can do. You can add a Wavemaker/Powerhead (Amazon link) to increase the flow while still keeping your original filter running. Or add an Air Stone(s) run by an Adjustable Air Pump (Amazon links) to add to the flow that your filter is making.
Do Rosy Barbs Need A Tank Light?
Rosy Barbs need regular periods of light and dark in their tank to mimic the natural cycle of day and night. One way, and the easiest way, to achieve this is to install a tank light. However, the light doesn’t need to be super bright. A medium lighting level is enough. And the light needs to be turned off at night to allow them to rest.
Do Rosy Barbs Need A Heated Tank?
Rosy Barbs don’t generally need a heater in their tank. They live perfectly well in an unheated indoor temperate tank. In fact they’re usually sold in the temperate section at Pet Stores and Aquatic Dealers.
The temperature range for Rosy Barbs is 18-22 Degrees Celsius (Approx. 64-72 Fahrenheit). Although they can tolerate temperatures a little lower and higher than this.
So as a general rule Rosy Barbs don’t need a heated tank.
However, if your Rosy Barbs are part of a community tank you will need to take the heating needs of their tankmates into account. Which means you may need to heat the tank to suit all of your fish.
Tip: An easy way to check your tank temperature is to add a aquarium thermometer. They’re cheap to buy and are a simple but useful tool for monitoring the temperature of your tank water. And if you have an aquarium heater they’re a good way to check that your heater is working properly.
What Kind Of Water Is Best For Rosy Barbs?
Rosy Barbs aren’t fussy about water parameters as long as the tank water is clean and oxygenated. They can adapt to different kinds of water without too much trouble. After all, the Rosy Barbs you buy from a Pet Store/Aquatic Dealer or a local breeder, will have been born and raised in non-native water. Which means that, in general, your tap water treated with a dechlorinating product will be just fine.
So the main point about the water quality in a Rosy Barb tank is that it’s kept clean, filtered and oxygenated. The easiest way to keep the water clean is to carry out regular partial water changes and regular full tank maintenance alongside what your aquarium filter is doing on a 24 hour basis.
Don’t overfeed your Rosy Barbs. Excess food fouls up the water causing dangerous levels of ammonia, nitrite and nitrate that can kill your fish. So don’t be tempted to give them just a little bit more food if you know that you’ve fed them the correct daily amount.
If you would like more information and tips about what/how much to feed your Rosy Barbs, both the adults and the fry (babies), click the link to read my article ‘What Do Rosy Barbs Eat?’
Tip: When you set up your Rosy Barb tank, and on all water changes, the water should be dechlorinated using a reputable water treatment product. These products not only eliminate Chlorine and Chloramines they also get rid of any heavy metals that might harm your fish.
Two Tap Water Treatments that are popular with fish keepers are Prime by Seachem and API Tap Water Conditioner (Amazon links) but there are other tap water treatments/conditioners available too.
Tankmates For Rosy Barbs
There’s a difference of opinion in the fish keeping hobby about whether Rosy Barbs are aggressive or not. So I guess it’s best to assume that your Rosy Barbs are likely to be semi-aggressive when it comes to choosing tankmates for them.
Keeping a decent school of Rosy Barbs together (6+) will help to dilute aggressive tendencies towards each other and towards other tank inhabitants.
So let’s take a look at some possible tankmates for your Rosy Barbs.
Here’s Some Of The Fish That Can Make Good Tankmates For Rosy Barbs
- Other Barbs – e.g. Tiger/Odessa/Cherry Barbs
- Knife Fish – e.g. Black Ghost
- Tetras – e.g. Cardinal/ Neon/Penguin/Emperor/Ember
- Swordtails
- Platy Fish
- Mollies
- Dwarf Gourami – e.g. Pearl Gourami
- Danios -e.g. Zebra
There are other options for Rosy Barb tankmates so speak to your Pet Store/Aquatic Dealer for advice if you would like something different from the ones on my list above. It’s worth remembering though that Rosy Barbs can be fin-nippers. So avoiding slow moving fish that have long flowing fins is a good idea.
When it comes to shrimp and snails in a Rosy Barb tank it can be a little tricky. Shrimp of any kind, but especially small species, are a no-no with Rosy Barbs. They will just eat them. Snails on the other hand are possible if the snail species naturally has its body completely (or almost) contained in its shell e.g. Nerite Snails.
It’s up to you if you want to experiment with shrimp and snail tankmates. Just be prepared to accept that it might not work out too well.
Can I Add Rosy Barbs To An Established Community Aquarium?
You can add Rosy Barbs to an established community aquarium depending on which other species you already have in the tank. It’s worth doing a little research, or getting some advice, if you’re not sure whether your existing tank inhabitants will be compatible with Rosy Barbs. It’s always best to check before adding another species to your community tank.
The Takeaway
I realise that in this article I’ve given you a lot of information about the Best Tank Setup For Rosy Barbs. So I thought it was a good idea to create a simple list of the main points that I’ve covered.
Here’s The Takeaway
- Buy a tank that has plenty of swim-room for the number of Rosy Barbs you want to keep. You’ll need at least 5-6 as a minimum number. Leave room for fry and any other tankmates too.
- Use plenty of plants either live and/or fake in the tank but keep the front area free for swimming.
- Include pebbles/rocks, leaf debris ,wood and other aquarium botanicals, with a substrate of your choice, to create a more natural feel to the tank
- Filter the tank with a fast flow.
- Tank lighting only needs to be at a medium level. You don’t need a super bright light.
- The ideal tank temperature is between 18-22 Degrees Celsius (Approx. 64-72 Fahrenheit) but they can tolerate the water a little cooler or warmer. Rosy Barbs don’t generally need a tank heater if they are kept in an indoor aquarium.
- Water quality should be clean, oxygenated, and free from a build up of toxins
- Tankmates need to be small-medium, non-aggressive, and happy to share the same tank conditions. Choose their tankmates carefully to make sure they will be compatible with your Rosy Barbs.