Abstract:The stocking density is an important factor influencing the welfare of fish. In this study, under 7 stocking densities (D30: 1.02 kg/m3, D45: 1.53 kg/m3, D60: 2.05 kg/m3, D75: 2.56 kg/m3, D90: 3.07 kg/m3, D105: 3.58 kg/m3, D120: 4.09 kg/m3), the effects of stocking density on the growth, feeding, and water quality of Hyphessobrycon rosaceus were investigated. The results showed that the survival rate decreased with the increase in stocking density. On the 9th and 12th days, the survival rates of the D120 and D105 groups were both below 60%, while during the 30-day culture period, the survival rate of the D90 group remained above 97.8%, with the other groups being 100%. After 30 days of culture, the D45 group exhibited the best performance in terms of weight gain rate (WGR=59.91 ± 16.79%) and specific growth rate (SGR=1.55 ± 0.35%/d); whereas the growth rate of the D90 group was the slowest (SGR=0.36 ± 0.09%/d), significantly lower than the other groups (P<0.05). The feed coefficient initially decreased and then increased with the increase in stocking density, with the D45 group having the smallest feed coefficient (1.96 ± 0.55) and the D90 group having the largest (10.17 ± 2.64), significantly higher than the other groups (P<0.05). Water quality parameters were affected by density stress over time, with ammonia nitrogen content increasing over time and density, while nitrite nitrogen and nitrate nitrogen initially increased and then decreased. In the later stages of the experiment, except for the D90 group, the nitrite nitrogen content of the other groups tended to stabilize. The nitrite nitrogen content in the D90 group (0.091 ± 0.023 mg/L) was the highest and significantly different from the D30, D45, and D60 groups (P<0.05). The nitrate nitrogen concentration in the D90 group accumulated to the highest level, reaching 33.95 ± 4.61 mg/L, significantly higher than the other groups (P<0.05); the D45 group had the lowest nitrate concentration (13.66 ± 4.14 mg/L), with no significant difference from the D30 group (14.74 ± 0.55 mg/L). The study showed that stocking density significantly influenced the growth performance, feeding status, and water quality of Hyphessobrycon rosaceus. The optimal stocking density was determined to be D45 (1.53 kg/m3), with the regression equation for body length (L) and body weight (W) at the optimal stocking density being W45=1.61×10-5×L453.13 (R2=0.78). This study provided a systematic investigation of stocking density for Hyphessobrycon rosaceus for the first time, enriching relevant data for ornamental fish culture and providing a theoretical basis for the large-scale artificial breeding of Hyphessobrycon rosaceus.