Brittan's rasbora
Kottelatia brittani
Also known as Brittan's Orange Spot Rasbora
FreshwaterFish
Care at a glance
- Temperature
- 68–79°F
- 20–26°C
- pH
- 6.0–7.5
- Adult size
- 2.4 in
- 6 cm
- Minimum tank
- 16 gal
- 60 L
- Temperament
- Peaceful
- Social behavior
- Schooling
- Swim level
- Middle
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Breeding
- Medium
- Rarity
- Very rare
- Family
- Cyprinidae
- Origin
- Malaysia
Overview
Keep a group of six or more, since this is a schooling fish that's nervous and washed out in small numbers. They're active swimmers in the middle and upper levels and are peaceful with other calm community fish. A 60 liter tank suits a school. Feed small flake, micro-pellets, and frozen brine shrimp or daphnia. Keep pH from 6 to 7.5 and the water on the soft side.
In the wild
Brittan's rasbora lives in slow, shaded streams in Malaysia and the surrounding region, over substrate covered in sand, leaf litter, and decaying plant matter. That kind of habitat means soft, slightly acidic to neutral water stained with tannins. Recreate it with subdued light, plants, and some leaf litter or driftwood. Temperatures in the low to mid 20s C work well.
Good to know
Recently moved to the genus Kottelatia, this fish is in the family Cyprinidae and reaches about 5 to 6 cm. It's a peaceful schooling species and an egg scatterer that gives no parental care, with eggs hatching in roughly a day. It isn't listed as endangered.
Did you know
The genus Kottelatia was named after Maurice Kottelat, a Swiss ichthyologist who has described a huge number of Southeast Asian freshwater fishes. The species itself honors the late aquarist and collector Martin Brittan.
Weekly picks
Tank mates
Brittan's rasbora 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.
White spotted rabbit snail
Tylomelania towutica
Freshwater4.3 in (11 cm) · 16 gal (60 L)75–84°F (24–29°C)
Fire-tail dwarf cichlid
Apistogramma eremnopyge
Freshwater1.8 in (4.5 cm) · 16 gal (60 L)73–81°F (23–27°C)
Spotted splash tetra
Copella nattereri
Freshwater2 in (5 cm) · 16 gal (60 L)75–82°F (24–28°C)
Robustulus tetra
Hyphessobrycon robustulus
Freshwater1.7 in (4.4 cm) · 16 gal (60 L)70–81°F (21–27°C)
Gold rabbit snail
Tylomelania gemmifera
Freshwater2.8 in (7 cm) · 16 gal (60 L)75–82°F (24–28°C)
Elegant cory
Gastrodermus elegans
Freshwater2.1 in (5.4 cm) · 16 gal (60 L)68–79°F (20–26°C)
Common questions
What size tank does a Brittan's rasbora need?
A Brittan's rasbora needs at least 16 gal (60 L). It spends most of its time in the middle.
What temperature and pH does a Brittan's rasbora need?
A Brittan's rasbora is comfortable at 68–79°F (20–26°C) with a pH of 6.0–7.5.
How big does a Brittan's rasbora get?
An adult Brittan's rasbora reaches about 2.4 in (6 cm).
Does a Brittan's rasbora need a group?
Yes. A Brittan's rasbora is a schooling species and should be kept in a group, not singly.
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