Eurasian Minnow Care Guide
Phoxinus phoxinus is a small cool-water shoaling minnow native across Eurasia, suited to unheated, well-oxygenated tanks.
Compiled by Aquairi from published sources · Published · Updated
Overview
Phoxinus phoxinus, the Eurasian minnow, is a small cool-water shoaling fish of the family Leuciscidae. FishBase records a maximum length of about 14 cm, with a typical length near 7 cm. It is a temperate species requiring an unheated tank.
Taxonomy
- Family: Cyprinidae
- Genus: Phoxinus
- Scientific name: Phoxinus phoxinus
Habitat
According to FishBase, the species ranges across Eurasia from the Garonne in France eastward to the Anadyr and Amur drainages and Korea, including Scandinavia and Great Britain. It lives in small, fast-flowing streams, large lowland rivers and well-oxygenated lakes at temperatures around 2-20 °C, and migrates upstream to spawn.
Tank requirements
- Minimum tank volume: 100 L
- Temperature: 4-20 °C (39-68 °F)
- pH: 6.5-8.0
- GH: 8-20 °dGH
- School size: 6 or more individuals
- Lifespan: 3-7 years
Diet
The species is omnivorous. FishBase reports a diet of algae, plant debris, mollusks, crustaceans and insects. In the aquarium it accepts a varied mix of prepared, frozen and live foods.
Compatibility
Eurasian minnow is a peaceful, highly gregarious shoaling fish that forms tighter groups when threatened and detects an alarm substance from injured conspecifics. It should be kept in groups of six or more with other cool-water native species and not mixed with tropical fish.
Breeding
According to FishBase, the species spawns over clean gravel; Wikipedia notes that breeding begins around late spring, with males developing intense colour and chasing behaviour while eggs are laid in gravel.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List: Least Concern (assessed 2024).
Breeding Eurasian Minnow
Overview
The Eurasian Minnow (Phoxinus phoxinus) is a schooling river cyprinid of cool waters, occurring in streams at 12-20 degrees C (54-68 degrees F) and well-oxygenated lakes and ponds. It is a gravel egg-scatterer that spawns in late spring, with males developing strong nuptial colours.
Sexing
Breeding males intensify their contrast so that dark areas darken and light areas lighten; the fins, throat and some other areas redden, while the gills become very pale with iridescent light-blue patches towards the bottom. Scales on the lower body stand out and become slightly gold-lined, and all the fins, especially the dorsal, become more prominent. Females simply deepen toward the abdomen as they fill with eggs.
Breeding Setup
The species requires clean gravel areas in well-oxygenated flowing water, or where waves wash on lake shores. A cool, well-oxygenated tank with a current and a clean gravel bed reproduces these spawning conditions for this schooling fish.
Spawning Behavior & Trigger
Breeding begins around late May when the fish become noticeably more active. The males chase the females, rubbing their sides against them in an increasingly frenzied and aggressive courtship that culminates in spawning over the gravel.
Egg & Fry Care
Fertilised eggs promptly sink to the bottom and into the gravel, which shelters them from the current. The male then ferociously guards the eggs for a period of time, providing brief parental protection during incubation.