How to Make Rosy Red Minnows Grow

Rosy red minnows are often sold in bait stores in the U.S. with flathead minnows to be used as bait for fishing. When kept as pets or bred and cared for to provide bait for fishing, rosy red minnows should be kept at an optimum temperature and fed twice a day. Young rosy red minnows should be kept in a school with a group of fish of a similar age. It is also important not to place too many minnows in a tank. Favorable water conditions and aquarium location are important factors in allowing minnows to grow.

Things You'll Need

  • Aquarium
  • Fish food flakes
  • Shrimp brine
  • Filtration system
  • Fish net
  • Thermometer
  • Water test kit
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Instructions

  1. Care

    • 1

      Position an aquarium in a location without direct sunlight or drafty conditions. Fill the tank with sufficient water for the number of rosy red minnows and other fish to be placed in the aquarium, usually around 1 gallon of water per inch of full grown fish.

    • 2

      Feed young fish, or fry, newborn brine shrimp, infusuria or cyclops during the first few weeks of life when they rise to the surface of the water. The fry should grow quickly during the first weeks of life and can be switched to fish food flakes when they are large enough to bite the food.

    • 3

      Feed rosy red minnows only the amount of fish food flakes they can eat in one to three minutes when sprinkled on the water surface. Feeding should take place only once or twice each day.

    • 4

      Measure the temperature of the water within the aquarium to ensure the water temperature is correct. Although rosy red minnows can survive in temperatures just above freezing to around 90 degrees Fahrenheit, growth is often best around 70 degrees Fahrenheit.

    • 5

      Test the quality of water within the aquarium using a water test kit and add chemicals when required. A filtration system can also be installed to keep oxygen levels high and the water clean to ensure the growth of rosy red minnows is not inhibited.