TankmateChecker

Can flowerhorns live with rosy barbs?

Verdict

No

No. Flowerhorns and rosy barbs should not share a tank. No shared temperature. Flowerhorns need 80–89°F, rosy barbs need 64–77°F.

Flowerhorn

Flowerhorn80–89°F · pH 7–8

Rosy barb

Rosy barb64–77°F · pH 6–7.5

What to watch

Deal breakerNo shared temperature. Flowerhorns need 80–89°F, rosy barbs need 64–77°F.
Deal breakerAn adult flowerhorn eats fish that fit in its mouth, and at 4 inches rosy barbs do.
Deal breakerFlowerhorns are aggressive and much bigger than rosy barbs.

What works

pH 7–7.5 suits both.

Water side by side

The ranges do not meet, so one of them would always be too warm or too cold.

The green band is the pH both tolerate.

Size to scale

Adult length in an aquarium. A fish can swallow anything that fits in its mouth, roughly a third to half its own length for predators.

Care at a glance

	Flowerhorn	Rosy barb
Temperature	80–89 °F	64–77 °F
pH	7–8	6–7.5
Adult size	12.0 in	4.0 in
Minimum tank	75 gal	30 gal
Temperament	Aggressive	Semi-aggressive
Swims at	Middle	Middle
Group	One per tank	Groups of 6+
Diet	Carnivore	Omnivore

Better tank mates for rosy barbs

All rosy barb tank mates

Questions

Can flowerhorns live with rosy barbs?

No. Flowerhorns and rosy barbs should not share a tank. No shared temperature. Flowerhorns need 80–89°F, rosy barbs need 64–77°F.

What temperature suits both flowerhorns and rosy barbs?

None. Flowerhorns need 80–89 °F and rosy barbs need 64–77 °F, so the ranges do not meet.

What size tank do flowerhorns and rosy barbs need together?

At least 75 gal, set by the flowerhorn. Add space for each extra fish.