TankBud

European minnow

Phoxinus phoxinus

Also known as Common minnow

FreshwaterFish

European minnow (Phoxinus phoxinus)
Adrien Pinot · CC BY-SA 3.0

Care at a glance

Temperature
54–68°F
12–20°C
pH
6.5–7.5
Adult size
5.1 in
13 cm
Minimum tank
45 gal
170 L
Temperament
Peaceful
Social behavior
Schooling
Swim level
Middle
Difficulty
Medium
Breeding
Egg scatterer · Hard
Rarity
Very rare
Family
Cyprinidae
Origin
Europe and northern Asia

Overview

The European minnow is a small, active coldwater shoaling fish for an unheated tank. It is a step up from the easiest fish.

Did you know

The European minnow is a landmark in the study of animal behavior. In the 1930s, the biologist Karl von Frisch showed that an injured minnow releases an alarm substance from its skin, later called Schreckstoff. It sends the whole shoal darting for cover, and it was one of the first clear demonstrations of chemical alarm signaling in fish.

Caring for the European minnow

Give a shoal of European minnows a tank of 45 gal (170 L) or larger, so the active fish have room to move. Recreate their streams with brisk flow and a substrate of gravel and rounded stones. Robust planting around the sides is fine, but current, oxygen and cool temperatures come first.

Cool, spotlessly clean, well-oxygenated water matters more to the European minnow than anything else. Hold it at 54 to 68°F (12 to 20°C) and a near neutral pH of 6.5 to 7.5. It appreciates a seasonal drop in temperature. It is an eager feeder that takes flake and small pellets, with frozen or live foods such as bloodworm and daphnia.

Keep European minnows in a group of at least eight, and preferably more. They are highly social and get nervous in small numbers. They swim busily in the middle and upper water and are entirely peaceful. Keep them in an unheated tank with other temperate species of similar size and temperament.

Breeding males develop dark, contrasting colors and small white tubercles on the head. Spawning takes place in spring over gravel, and the scattered eggs are left without parental care. Breeding them in an aquarium is difficult and rarely done.

Good to know

The European minnow, Phoxinus phoxinus, is a small, slim member of the family Cyprinidae, also called the common minnow. Most stay smaller than its full adult size. It is one of the most widespread freshwater fishes in Europe and a familiar sight in clean upland streams.

In the wild

The European minnow lives in cool, clear, well-oxygenated streams, rivers and stony lake shallows across Europe and northern Asia. Its range runs from Britain and Spain eastward into Siberia.

Weekly picks

Tank mates

The European minnow is a peaceful, schooling species that keeps to the middle. These picks share a community profile with it, are safe together in both directions, and overlap on water type, temperature and pH.

Check the full mix in the stocking calculator

Common questions

What size tank does a European minnow need?

A European minnow needs at least 45 gal (170 L). It spends most of its time in the middle.

What temperature and pH does a European minnow need?

A European minnow is comfortable at 54–68°F (12–20°C) with a pH of 6.5–7.5.

What does a European minnow eat?

A European minnow is an eager feeder that takes flake and small pellets. Give it frozen or live foods such as bloodworm and daphnia too.

How big does a European minnow get?

An adult European minnow reaches about 5.1 in (13 cm).

Does a European minnow need a group?

Yes. A European minnow is a schooling species and should be kept in a group, not singly.

How can you tell a male European minnow from a female?

Males develop dark, contrasting colors and small white tubercles on the head when they breed.

How does a European minnow breed?

European minnows spawn in spring over gravel and leave their scattered eggs without parental care. Breeding them in an aquarium is difficult and rarely done.

Related species