Lipstick Barb (Pethia erythromycter)

Lipstick Barb (Pethia erythromycter) is a small, peaceful barb from Myanmar, known for the red lip or moustache marking that gives the fish its trade name. This page had drifted toward Rosy Barb copy in older data, so the care below is written for the Petra Aqua Lipstick Barb listing and the scientific anchor Pethia erythromycter, not Pethia conchonius.

It is best treated as a shoaling, plant-friendly community fish for mature freshwater aquariums with clean, well-oxygenated water, planted margins and open swimming room. It stays much smaller than a Rosy Barb, but it is still active enough to deserve a proper group and a tank with space rather than a tiny desk aquarium.

Quick Care Summary

Natural Look and Behaviour

Lipstick Barbs are compact cyprinids with a silvery body, a dark caudal-peduncle spot and red pigment around the mouth, especially noticeable in mature males. Males may darken and display during courtship, while females are usually fuller-bodied and more understated. Do not expect every fish to show maximum colour immediately after transport; colour improves with settled water, a good group and varied food.

In the aquarium they are active but not rough when kept properly. A group of six is the practical starting point, while ten or more is better if space allows. A larger shoal spreads male display behaviour, improves confidence and makes the fish more visible.

Aquarium Setup

Use a mature freshwater aquarium with a secure lid, reliable filtration and a steady maintenance routine. A planted layout with open swimming space works well: keep plants, wood, stones and darker retreats around the sides and back, then leave a clear middle area where the shoal can move together. Moderate flow and good oxygenation are useful, but provide calmer corners as well.

This species is often more comfortable in a calm, natural-looking aquarium than in a bare bright tank. Floating plants or tall background plants can soften the light. Weekly partial water changes are recommended, especially because small active fish are usually fed often.

Tank Mates

Choose peaceful community fish that enjoy similar clean, moderately cool to tropical freshwater conditions. Small danios, rasboras, peaceful tetras, Corydoras and other gentle barbs can work when the aquarium is large enough and feeding is fair. Avoid keeping a tiny group of Lipstick Barbs with fast, pushy fish that take all the food.

Do not mix them with large predators, aggressive cichlids or delicate long-finned fish that may be stressed by active barbs. Maidenhead Aquatics also cautions against fancy long-finned tank mates for this species. Shrimp adults may be ignored in planted aquariums, but tiny shrimp fry can be eaten, so breeding shrimp tanks are not the safest match.

Feeding

Lipstick Barbs are omnivorous micropredators and grazers. Feed small portions of quality flake, micro pellet or fine granule food, then rotate frozen or live foods such as daphnia, brine shrimp, cyclops, mosquito larvae and small bloodworm. A little algae-based or vegetable content can be useful, but heavy messy feeding is not.

Small fish lose condition quickly if they are outcompeted, so watch feeding rather than just dropping food in. The best routine is varied food, small portions and clean water. Remove uneaten food so the aquarium does not build nitrate between water changes.

Breeding Notes

This is an egg-scattering barb. Well-conditioned adults may spawn among fine plants or spawning mops, and adults should be removed if you are deliberately raising fry because barbs often eat eggs. A separate small breeding setup with mature filtration, soft clean water and fine-leaved cover gives much better control than hoping fry survive in a busy display tank.

Buying and Restock Notes

When the listing returns to stock, eligible livestock orders are packed for UK live-fish courier delivery with oxygen, insulation and weather-aware dispatch timing, and are supported by the Tropical Fish Co Live Arrival Guarantee when the delivery and acclimation instructions are followed.

If an exact supplier or owner-approved photo becomes available later, it should be added to this SKU without deleting the existing media.

Best For

• Peaceful planted community aquariums with clean, stable water.
• Keepers who want a small active shoal rather than one centrepiece fish.
• Room-temperature or gently heated freshwater setups around 20-25 C.
• Aquarists who can keep six or more and feed small foods reliably.

Not Ideal For

• Tiny aquariums where a proper shoal cannot move naturally.
• Large predatory fish or aggressive community tanks.
• Fancy long-finned tank mates that may be harassed by active barbs.
• Shrimp-breeding tanks where fry survival is the main goal.

Care Sources Used

Care and identity were cross-checked against the Petra supplier record, FishBase, Aquarium Glaser and Maidenhead Aquatics.