Table of Contents
Introduction
The rosy red minnow (Pimephales promelas) is a popular freshwater aquarium fish which is also known fathead minnow, rosy red, rosey red, rosies, tuffy, blackhead minnow, tuffy minnow, rosy red feeder, ruby red feeder, red top minnow, Bait Fish and Feeder Fish etc. It is distributed across North America from Chihuahua, Mexico, north to the Maritime Provinces and Great Slave Lake drainage of Canada. It has also been introduced to Atlantic and Pacific coastal drainage basins in the United States. They can tolerate low oxygen water and it occurs most commonly in small lakes, ponds and wetlands. They are also found in larger lakes and streams.
Rosy Red Minnow’s Overview
It has deep compressed body and short head that is dorsally flattened with a blunt snout, round lateral eyes and terminal mouth. Body is dark olive in color with a dusky dorsal and lateral stripe and yellow to white underbelly. It has incomplete lateral line and dorsal fin bears 8 soft rays while pectoral fin contains 14 to 17 soft rays. Male usually grows 2-3 inches (3 to 5 gm) while female grows 1-2 inches (2 to 3 gm) in length. Additionally, males have dark heads with 2 white to gold vertical bars which are situated just posterior to the head and dorsal fin. Males also have a fleshy dorsal pad and 16 nuptial tubercles on the lower jaw while female develop a fleshy ovipositor approximately a month prior to spawning. It can live in many types of water from mildly soft water to very hard water and a pH range of 7 to 8. These fish prefer a temperature of 50 – 78 °F. Rosy red minnows are opportunistic omnivores and they eat all sorts of foods and in the wild they take algae, plankton and small insects. It is commonly preyed upon by piscivorous fish such as northern pike, yellow perch, largemouth bass and walleye. It can live up to 4 years.
Scientific Name: Pimephales promelas
Common Name: Fathead minnow, Tuffy, Rosies, Red Top Minnow, Blackhead Minnow, Bait Fish, Feeder Fish etc
Origin: Canada and North America, to Mexico.
Adult Size: up to 8 cm
Behavior: Peaceful
Tank Level: Middle to bottom of the tank
Minimum Tank Size: 10 gallons
Diet: Omnivore
Breeding: Egg layer
Care level: Easy
Water pH: 7.0-8.0
Water Hardness: 6-10 °d
Water Temperature: 50 – 78 °F
Water Movement: Moderate
Lighting: Moderate – normal lighting
Lifespan: 1 to 4 years