Rosy Barb-Runtius conchonius

ROSY BARB

Origins:Asia, where it occurs in northern India, in areas including Assam and Bengal.
Size:6"
Diet:Prepared foods and livefoods.
Water:Temperature 64-77F;hard (100-150 mg/l) and around neutral (pH 7.0)
Temperament:Peaceful and social.

The characteristic rosy coloration of these barbs is seen at its brightest in males that are in spawning condition. Only male fish have pinkish fins, while those of females are clear. Rosy barbs are relatively undemanding in terms of their water chemistry needs, but they will benefit from being kept in a tank with subdued lighting, beneath floating plants. This is one of the easier egg-laying species to breed, with livefoods being valuable for conditioning purposes.
Prior to spawning, transfer pairs to a seperate aquarium with fine-leaved plants such as Myriophyllum and a reasonably low water level. The eggs, which are scattered among the plants, hatch in about a day; the fry become free-swimming after a further two or three days. Rosy Barbs can be reared on commercial foods formulated for egg-layers. Their relative hardiness means that they can be housed in well-planted outdoor ponds in subtropical and tropical parts of the world. There is likely to be enough food in the pond to nourish the young fry at first, and they are soon able to take take fish food provided for the adult fish.

Longfin variant-The longfin characteristic has been combined both with the native form, and also with recently developed colors, like the coppery variant.