Rosy Barbs

[sic0198]

I really like these fish, I was gonna buy 1 or 2 but the LFS guy told me they couldn't be put with guppys, is this true?

 

[Puffdaddy]

How big is your tank? How many Guppies do you have? Is the tank well planted or very open?

 

[Chuka1212]

He may be right, there is a good chance that rosy barbs will be fin nippers, and the quppies tail can be a pretty tempting treat for barbs, but then again it really depends on the personality of the fish. I have heard keeping them in groups helps to diffuse the aggression. I have never kept rosy barbs with "questionable" fish, but have kept tigers(who are also supposed to be fin-nippers) with more peacful fish. Two did just fine, one nipped fins so I took him out and everyone was fine.

 

[Puffdaddy]

If you have a large enough tank you will have to get about 5+ Rosy Barbs. In groups of this size they tend to stay towards
the bottom of the tank scavenging around the substrate. If you keep the Guppies in shoals such as 8+, they will tend to stay
towards the upper to middle part of the tank. Also a larger shoal will detour the Barbs from messing with them. When the
the Barbs reach adult size (4" or so) you may lose a Guppy from time to time but fairly rare if kept in the numbers I've
posted and the tank is large enough and moderately planted.

 

[tetraqueen]

I found the guppies and neons hid in a ship I had and hen the barbs were moved I realised just how many I did have alo the platy's did not get on with barbs.
They really are not what I call community fish they are like busy buddies gossiping around. They are always after each other. Not my type at all. I like fish with really restful characters. If you like watching a chase and fishnose to nosing each other they might be okay.

 

[sic0198]

So if I put them in with guppys in a 30 gallon, would that be big enough?

 

[celaeno]

all i know is that rosy barbs can be nippers, but nothing nearly as serious as tiger barbs.