SPOTLIGHT: Fathead and Rosy-Red Minnows

SPOTLIGHT: The Fathead and Rosy-Red Minnow
Often regarded as a worthless, expendable feeder fish, the Fathead minnow actually has an interesting back story. We thought we would share it to those curious about them, and for those who prefer to keep them as pets.
This is our first Spotlight video to feature a spoken narrative rather than the text. Did you also notice our new intro video? What do you think? Let us know!
MUSIC: "Chillvolution" by Longzijun and used with permission.

[@robertws21]

I made a small 500 gallon pond about 36 inches deep in the middle, in my backyard 3 years ago. I added comet goldfish, shubunkins and Rosy Red Minnows and some mountain minnows. The goldfish and shubunkin are all about 6-8 inches now and the adult minnows are about 2-3 inches. I've also started seeing very tiny baby fish swimming around the waterfall. Long story short, all the fish are flourishing. I live in upstate New York where temperatures drop to -20 in the winter and I leave all the fish in the pond all through the winter. I leave the pump running year around, but during the coldest weather the pipes freeze and so the water isn't flowing through the water fall. The only thing I do during the winter is break the ice that forms on top so that gas exchange and oxygen diffusion can continue. Other than a couple sick goldfish that died right after I bought them (they were feeder fish) I haven't lost any goldfish in three years. Some of the minnows have started to reach their maximum life span so every once in a while one will turn up dead, but that's it. I do have a couple filters I have to clean out during the spring and summer and I feed them pellets as well, but that's ore for my enjoyment. They'll all rush to the surface and open their myths when I approach the pond so yes, their memory is closer to 6 months than to that myth about it only being 3 seconds.

[@greggmartin8834]

How did the white clouds do outside if I may ask?

[@gregedgerton3390]

I have a small indoor pond. Originally I bought a couple dozen to feed my south and central American cichlids. I had them on quarantine. After a while of feeding and caring for the little guys I got attached to them. I have three dozen or so, mixed in with some gold fish, (with a couple fat little fancy ones). These little minnows are as friendly as koi. They'll all gather-up in a bunch at the water's edge, gape, splash, and just generally go berserk just like koi do. They'll eat from my hand, or swim in and out of it. What I originally bought as food for my monster fish - turned out to be the most delightful pets. Looking at the pathetic little things in those crowded tanks at the pet shop, I'd have never imagined what they turned out to be. I enjoy caring for these little 15 cent fish more than any other in my whole fish room ! When I think about it, - that's really unbelievable.

[@RAFaquaria]

And what a wonderful story! I'm a fan myself. Thanks for sharing!

[@aw6631]

I have rosey reds. They were only like ten cents each. They are so active and are the most interesting fish I've had.

[@bigsky445]

I've also had a few in a community tank, they are friendly & a lot of fun to watch them. Very busy body. Almost like mini trout. Had them with guppies, platy, tetra, dojo loaches, dwarf frogs & more. They are a lot of fun to watch, I like how the males pick thier own cave & run any other fish off that comes to close. They pick thier own little home & protect it, also fun to watch them play in a current & bubbles. Great fish!

[@LK50634]

so you can have the rosey reds in a tropical tank setups with guppies platy, tetras i never knew that

[@greggmartin8834]

Here in SW Idaho fatheads and rosy reds have widely introduced. I first became interested with a strange fish in my son's home near a mine tailings pond, which turned out to be them. I have found them one of the most interesting aquarium fish I have ever kept, very hardy with that cichlid like spawning behavior. The unfortunate thing is as you said, them being sold as feeder fish locally. Those things in out LFS are nothing but ammonia pools, sad state of affairs for a wonderful fish. This was nice, thank you!

[@ZsaZsaUmbra]

I have a Male that is so aggressive he had to be separated from the community. He is in a 20 gallon currently, and to prevent him from getting bored, he has a few training sessions everyday. I'm pretty sure he is the only trained Minnow in the world.

[@MegaMindyLou]

I started a new patio pond and wanted to start with these to cycle it. I bought 20 and put them a small planted tank until the patio pond has substrate in it. They are adorable. Maybe I’ll keep a couple in my tanks inside just for fun. If they breed like cichlids it might be fun to experience. Thanks for the great content.

[@PrairieJournals]

They have become my fav fish. I have 10 rosy reds and 15 mountain minnows. They are so much fun, they enjoy a nice moderate current. They love algae thins because they sink and the tank gets flake food and bloodworms. They are in a non-heated tank loaded with live plants. I keep my cool because I don't want them to die because they spawn..... If this happens naturally, then that's the circle of life. They just eat all day long on all the plant debris etc. Thank you for the informative video, I really enjoyed it.

[@ManBearPigg86]

Used this video today @cabelas to entice some bass in their aquarium. Interesting reactions

[@RAFaquaria]

Interested to know what some of those reactions were!

[@trickygreen7307]

They are so beautiful! I'm going to pick some up tomorrow and put them through meds/quarantine for my tank.

[@MiguelExhale]

My peacock bass cichlid has one in his mouth and one in his stomach as we watch.

[@mrpig408]

Thanks for posting this video. I just bought 6 Rosy-Reds for my backyard water fountain and didn't know much about them. Guess I should bring them in for the winter. I think they are going to work out just fine for me.

[@RAFaquaria]

How did they fair in your backyard fountain...a year later?

[@benjaffe7890]

that music choice is pretty tight my ichthyologist

[@BastaGenug]

They are wonderful aquarium fish. Use sponge filters because they breed very well in captivity and you don't want a baby fish massacre.

[@1065Olivia]

Many people keep them in their koi ponds and water gardens and they can be seen swimming in winter under the ice.

[@chriskoch9829]

1065Olivia I had them in the pond ,and they spawned like crazy.

[@chriskoch9829]

I did and they do eat the fry, but they barely make a dent. The frogs in my opinion seem to eat more fry both goldfish,and rosies that I seen. The first rain of spring they spawn like crazy.

[@tonylogan4092]

Good video...

[@RAFaquaria]

Thank you! Visually one our favorites, too!

[@camerondeml1967]

Hello can you make a sponge filter by putting sponge foam over a regular filter?

[@PlainsPup]

A sponge filter is a different device. It's basically a sponge-like material over a bubble tube, which gently draws water through, chemically (and mechanically) filtering the water without creating too much current for the babies. You can buy sponge filters as a separate product. They work well for nursery tanks.

[@top_mf_n_here1806]

I love using them as a treat for my large cichlids, also my crayfish loves the taste

[@StanTheObserver-lo8rx]

They are not all that hardy. Not near goldfish like. I like them..schooling in big tanks,mixing with other stream like fish such as Rainbow fish,Danio's,White Clouds..only at the price they sell for you can get a public aquarium like look with 50 of these or more in large aquariums. Hey,comets might be feeders...but millions love them in a pond. These fish are vastly underrated. More fun then guppies. Like I tell people- from 2' away,they look like $3 each Danio's or any of the slender fast fish. Only at 50 in numbers ,not 3...

[@someguy3186]

Stan TheObserver I found them to be very hardy. When I was a kid, my family kept them in a small outside pond with no filter, and they lived for about 8 years before a neighbor’s cat got to them.

[@flozal72]

i added some to my pond this winter and they all died within seconds of going in the pond.I even left them in the bag of water that i got from the fish store for 30 minutes in the pond before i released them.

[@MissTrixie29]

I had a small deck pond last year and those fish survived when the water got up to 90 degrees and when the water got down to 40. Then we went on vacation for 2 weeks and the water wasn't changed, it was exceptionally hot and I assumed they'd died. I put more hose water in there, without adding dechlorinator and there they were, swimming around like they were just waiting for a nice spring shower. They usually die because they are kept in deplorable conditions and come with diseases.

[@tsarmi9864]

I keep these on a scientific level, they aren't any hardier than your average tropical aquarium fish.

[@crazy330whiteboy8]

My pirahnas love them

[@watcheroftheabyss8966]

How many you got

[@notmeanttobe6940]

Nice. I've been looking for something plain and not too flashy to put in my 100 gallon plant tank. My tank is 70% aquatic various plants, so will I need to clear open spaces and add a filter and a little log home for them to sleep in????

[@liveonstudios4747]

I want to keep the rosy reds as tankmates for my goldfish

[@nenaj1]

U can. I have 5 living with 8 goldfish. They have been living with each other for 3 years. They even school with the Goldie's. Gonna get cloud minnows too.

[@alexisfishinhuntinandfarmi2923]

I done it. I kinda like them. They are pretty.

[@bigsky445]

Awesome info! Thanks for sharing! Jesus loves you!

[@mikef3300]

Just bought 5 and put them in a newly setup 40 gallon breeder tank to get the nitrogen cycle started. If they all make it I guess I'll have a few minnows in the tank with whatever I decide to stock it with.

[@orandapower]

Nice video, I sub! :D

[@RAFaquaria]

Jean-Michel Gervais many thanks! More videos to come. Just not as quickly as I'd like...

[@orandapower]

that's all right :)

[@Gre993]

If u want more fish plz check meh out BTW I work so hard on my vids! (Dang will good self promo)

[@wesleysceilingfanjoint5255]

Is it just me or are almost all fish a little bit territorial

[@orandapower]

in a big enough aquarium, are they suitable tankmates for goldfish and white cloud montain minnows/danios?

[@RAFaquaria]

Jean-Michel Gervais i dont see why not. however due to the high ammonia content created by goldfish, i wouldnt keep any other fish with them. theyd be fine as long as you did regular water changes and had a really good filtration system.

[@orandapower]

can real plants (anubias and java fern) help? and yes, goldfish are durty so this is why I want more clean fish with a smaller bioload with them :). and im use to do water change, so it won't be a problem :)

[@RAFaquaria]

Jean-Michel Gervais you should be alright, really. I'm not one to tell someone they're wrong unless it's REALLY bad...

[@orandapower]

thanks :). I like to bild my opinion by having the feedback of as many fishkeeper as possible and i do a lot of reaserch :). in this hobby, nothing is set in stone, so I know that what can work for you don,t always work for sombody else, but yeah, a majority of people tend to agree with you and I have kept some minnows with my goldfish too, just not a long time because of a matter of tank size :P. minnows are not fine nippers, like the same water and are generaly to big to be eat by goldfish... if it dosen't work, ill manage to have a back up plan, but yeah, I think it will work to :).

[@drinkbleach7236]

Well this is late, but I keep rosy reds with my goldfish and they are just fine. Just make sure to do regular water changes because of the ammonia and waste.

[@scooter5005]

I have rosy red minnows and IMHO, they are too jumpy to enjoy observing in an aquarium. I also didn't enjoy the fathead minnows as an aquarium fish

[@RAFaquaria]

They're not for everyone. I personally enjoy the erratic behavior. Keeps the aquarium lively. Thanks for visiting!

[@lilyp2928]

Nice vid, and fun fact, the "fathead minnow" (the grey one w/black stripe ) is usually a male The pink rosy red ( the one that is actually rosy) is usually a female.

[@itsjotime]

Can I put two in a tank a 3 gallon?

[@RAFaquaria]

You COULD, but these guys may require a tad more swimming space. I'd recommend guppies for a tank that small. Plus, you may get babies!

[@itsjotime]

@@RAFaquaria oh ok yeah you're right I'll look into guppies thank you 😊

[@RAFaquaria]

@@itsjotime Happy to help. Good luck! Be well!

[@jeanettedonaldson2184]

I have 4 rosy reds in a 1 gallon hexagon tank with a bubbler. They are doing great!

[@zezekingyo2374]

1:06 not only the common goldfish, they also mix the common goldfish with the comet goldfish in a feeder tank so its actually hard to tell one another, but to normal average fishkeepers, gives a simple generic term, "feeder goldfish"

[@fishmansf4]

I have a female fathead minnow in my 29 gallon aquarium and she is not as fat as your minnows and I feed my tank a decent amount of flakes and blood worms.

[@ironbloodbismarck562]

What size tank is required to breed them?

[@RAFaquaria]

We've had success and heard of others just using a 10 gallon. The last time we did it (2015) we used a 20 gallon (long) tank.

[@exo7969]

is there a pond minnow? lol

[@alexisfishinhuntinandfarmi2923]

xLevi no. Both are technically fat head minnows.

[@detiforoowa]

I have one in my 10 gallon

[@RAFaquaria]

Why just one?

[@ogreptiles7130]

How many rosy reds can I keep in a ten gallon

[@PlainsPup]

A good rule of thumb is about 1 inch of fish (standard length) for every 10 gallons of water. Fathead minnows get to be around 2 inches SL, so you could house a nice little school of 5 or 6 of them in a 10-gallon tank.

[@tonylogan4092]

I keep 4 of them in a 10 gallon with 11 other fish. The determinant is mainly in how often you will do water changes. I imagine that doing 2 changes a week would easily keep 10 of them alone alive and happy.

[@lilblaiz9989]

Can I put these with my female betta?

[@PlainsPup]

I tried keeping these with a male betta, and they really nipped his fins to shreds. Granted, female bettas have sorter fins than males of the cultivated varieties, so it might work, but I would be reluctant to try it given what happened to my male. Besides, bettas are tropical fish, while fathead minnows are temperate, so their temperature requirements are a bit different. Generally you want to keep tropicals with tropicals, and temperates with temperates, and not mix the two.

[@RAFaquaria]

Blaiz Donahue I've kept them with a male betta for 7 months without incident. I see no problem with them sharing a tank with a female betta.

[@tonylogan4092]

Yes you can keep them with bettas, both male and female.

[@jelliebeanbag]

I had really bad luck trying to put rosies with both my male and female betta (separate tanks). Their erratic swimming stressed my male betta to the point that he did nothing but hide in his cave for a week and his colors started to fade. My female betta HATED them and chased them around, nipping them. I had to give them their own tank. Both of my bettas were very stressed by having rosy reds as tankmates, but thankfully, they recovered completely after I removed them. I guess it all depends on the individual betta.

[@ogreptiles7130]

Can I put platies with rr minnows

[@PlainsPup]

I keep fathead minnows with mosquito fish (Gambusia holbrookei), which are related to platies, so it would probably work. But again, platies are tropical fish, while fathead minnows are temperate fish, so it's generally not a good idea to keep them together, because their temperature requirements are a bit different.

[@RAFaquaria]

Gecko Master go for it!

[@deaththekid691]

I use them and breed them in my 40g just to feed my pacu and Oscar.

[@joeseymour1491]

these minnows are some of the best bait in my neck of the woods I would love to learn how to get and breed the rosey reds

[@RAFaquaria]

Joe Seymour I haven't attempted to breed them myself, but I am sure having a nicely planted tank would help, and feeding them live foods like insects/mosquito larvae. I've heard that using a clay pot in an aquarium works for a lot of different species of fish, too! When in doubt though, remember they are very inexpensive. i bought these at a dozen for a dollar, but ended up getting over 20. They are so expendable that most pet vendors won't bother to count them.

[@johnnyRandomadness]

+RAFaquaria beliefs aside, they are the perfect cycling fish. They get your tank to perfect level within 3 weeks, And they control algae. They eat through the day so the tank is never dirty. They are perfect first time fish. Some say danios, but i actually prefer these as first time fish because they get larger and just stand out more and have very active behavior and seem more intelligent than danios.

[@Ingeborg323]

Please, the music on the intro from 0 to 17 seconds, what is it ? Name of this music, please? Thank you

[@RAFaquaria]

I'm sorry, I do not have that info as this video was posted 8 years ago. I'm sure I found it under royalty free intro music on KZbin but that won't help much. If you're able to download the audio of this video and crop down t just the intro, you should be fine. Sadly though, I do not have the artist's name nor the title. I appreciate you for reaching out, regardless.