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Cascajal toothcarp

Brachyrhaphis cascajalensis

FreshwaterFish

Cascajal toothcarp (Brachyrhaphis cascajalensis)

Care at a glance

Temperature
75–82°F
24–28°C
pH
6.5–8.0
Adult size
3 in
7.5 cm
Minimum tank
11 gal
40 L
Temperament
Mostly peaceful
Social behavior
Social
Swim level
Middle
Diet
Omnivore
Difficulty
Medium
Breeding
Livebearer · Hard
Rarity
Very rare
Family
Poeciliidae
Origin
Costa Rica

Overview

The Cascajal toothcarp is a small, active livebearer for the middle of a hard-water tank. It is best kept by someone with some experience.

Did you know

The genus name Brachyrhaphis means short needle. It is a nod to the compact gonopodium male Cascajal toothcarps use during their quick, darting courtship in fast-flowing water.

Caring for the Cascajal toothcarp

House a small group of Cascajal toothcarps in a tank of at least 11 gal (40 L), with plants and some current. Keep the water clean and well filtered, since steady, oxygen-rich conditions matter most.

It does best in hard water at 75 to 82°F (24 to 28°C), with a pH of 6.5 to 8.0. Offer a mixed diet of quality flake and small frozen foods. Let it graze on soft algae and the tiny creatures that grow in a mature tank.

The Cascajal toothcarp is an active mid-water fish and mostly peaceful. It can nip fins and will snap at very small tank mates, so pick sturdy companions of a similar size. Keep more females than males so that courting males do not wear out any single female.

Males reach about 6 cm, while females grow a little larger, to around 3 in (7.5 cm), and are noticeably deeper-bodied. Males use a gonopodium, a rod-like modified anal fin, to fertilize females internally, and females give birth to live young. Home breeding is possible but less reliable than with common livebearers, so it is a harder species to raise in numbers.

Good to know

The Cascajal toothcarp is a small member of the livebearer family Poeciliidae. It was described from the Rio Cascajal in Panama, the river that gives it its name.

In the wild

The Cascajal toothcarp lives in the warm Caribbean-slope streams of Panama and neighboring Costa Rica. It occupies flowing, mineral-rich fresh water and can stray into slightly brackish stretches near the coast.

Weekly picks

Tank mates

The Cascajal toothcarp is a mostly peaceful, social 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 Cascajal toothcarp need?

A Cascajal toothcarp needs at least 11 gal (40 L). It spends most of its time in the middle.

What temperature and pH does a Cascajal toothcarp need?

A Cascajal toothcarp is comfortable at 75–82°F (24–28°C) with a pH of 6.5–8.0.

What does a Cascajal toothcarp eat?

A Cascajal toothcarp eats a mixed diet of quality flake and small frozen foods. It also grazes on soft algae and the tiny creatures that grow in a mature tank.

How big does a Cascajal toothcarp get?

An adult Cascajal toothcarp reaches about 3 in (7.5 cm).

How can you tell a male Cascajal toothcarp from a female?

Males carry a gonopodium, a rod-like modified anal fin. Females grow a little larger, to around 3 in (7.5 cm), and are noticeably deeper-bodied.

How does a Cascajal toothcarp breed?

A Cascajal toothcarp is a livebearer, and females give birth to live young. Home breeding is possible but less reliable than with common livebearers, so it is harder to raise in numbers.

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