Rosy Gold Barb

RosyGold Barb or Gold Barb (Pethia conchonius) – Their hardy, peaceful and active nature makes them easy to care for, so both veterans and beginners can enjoy them.  This shoaling species loves to be in large groups. The more you can keep, the more remarkable their group behaviors become.    Originating from the Red River basin in China, Taiwan, and Vietnam, this fish is known worldwide as the Chinese barb, but the species is naturally green in color. The gold-colored, captive-bred variant is highly popular in the aquarium trade, giving rise to the name rosygold or gold barb, by which it is commonly sold. It is a flashy, peaceful fish for a community tank, but in the wild, this man-made shiny coloring would make it quick prey for predators. Cyprinids like Rosy Barbs are stomach-less and have toothless jaws. They chew their food using specialized gill rakers.

Behavior  

RosyGold Barbs have a peaceful temperament, so they work well as part of a community. If you want one, you will need to buy a few – they are a shoaling species that become stressed on their own. They are active and love to swim around in groups in the middle levels of the tank. One individual may not look particularly colorful, but a shoal can be remarkably attractive.  There should be at least 5 RosyGold Barbs in your tank to keep this shoaling species happy.

Many Barbs have gained the reputation of being fin-nippers, RosyGold Barbs are no exception. This problem is reduced when they are part of a large shoal because they feel less stressed. Avoiding tank mates with long fins is still advisable though.

Tank Conditions

They prefer fast flowing waters with a high oxygen supply. Around them would be a mixture of plants and debris to acts as refuge, but they usually feel safe in a group. They enjoy having live plants around them, as they release oxygen, offer shade and provide shelter to stressed fish. These Barbs may nibble at plants with large leaves like Java Fern, so use fine-leaved plants like Hornwort.  Make sure to leave plenty of empty swimming space, as this is where a shoal of RosyGold Barbs will spend most of their time.

Compatibility

RosyGold Barbs come from subtropical lakes and rivers where the waters here are cooler than most other aquarium fish are used to, which is something to bear in mind when picking tank mates.  Suitable tank mates are peaceful and prefer cooler water.

Fellow Barbs are great choices, such as Tiger Barbs and Cherry Barbs. Alternatively, you could keep them with Swordtails, some Gouramis, Mollies, Danios (they thrive in cooler water temps) or Neon Tetras.  Kuhli Loaches and Otocinclus are a couple of good options for adding activity to the lower levels of your tank.  Freshwater invertebrates such as Ghost Shrimp or Nerite Snails make safe companions.  Do not keep RosyGold Barbs with aggressive or territorial species (like Oscars).

These fish are fin-nippers, so don’t keep them with any fish which have long flowing fins.

Feeding

These fish are omnivorous and will take whatever food they can get.  Dried foods are popular because they are cheap and commonly available.  The healthiest foods are live or frozen as they have the highest nutritional content – brine shrimp and bloodworms are good options. In the wild they sometimes eat plant matter too.

Care

Although they are a hardy species, RosyGold Barbs can catch a few diseases such as Ich (Ick) if stressed.

See Fish Disease Diagnosis and Treatment at Rebel Pets for help with diagnosing and treating diseases.