Dwarf rasbora
Boraras maculatus
Also known as Pygmy Spotted Rasbora
FreshwaterFish
Care at a glance
- Temperature
- 72–82°F
- 22–28°C
- pH
- 5.0–7.0
- Adult size
- 1 in
- 2.5 cm
- Minimum tank
- 7 gal
- 25 L
- Temperament
- Peaceful
- Social behavior
- Shoaling
- Swim level
- Middle
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Breeding
- Egg scatterer · Hard
- Rarity
- Rare
- Family
- Cyprinidae
- Origin
- Malaysia, Thailand, Sumatra
Overview
The dwarf rasbora is a tiny, peaceful shoaling fish for a small planted tank. It is a good choice once you have kept a few easier fish.
Did you know
Male dwarf rasboras spar over patches of territory with quick, flashing displays, spreading their fins and showing off color to each other. It looks intense, but it is mostly bluff, and the fish rarely do any real harm.
Caring for the dwarf rasbora
Keep dwarf rasboras in a group of at least six, and a larger shoal looks far better and keeps them confident. Even a small tank of 7 gal (25 L) works for a group. Give them a planted, dimly lit tank with driftwood and leaf litter.
They prefer warm, soft, acidic water, at 72 to 82°F (22 to 28°C) and a pH of 5.0 to 7.0. Their mouths are very small, so feed crushed flakes, micro pellets, baby brine shrimp and microworms.
Dwarf rasboras are peaceful and sit in the middle and upper water, darting between plants and open space. Keep them with other gentle, similarly tiny species. Well-conditioned males color up the deepest. They scatter their eggs and give no parental care, and breeding them in a home tank is difficult.
Good to know
The dwarf rasbora, Boraras maculatus, is a tiny cyprinid in the family Cyprinidae. Its body is reddish with dark spots along the side. It also goes by pygmy spotted rasbora.
In the wild
Dwarf rasboras come from blackwater streams, swamps and peat bogs in Malaysia, Thailand and Sumatra. The water there is soft, acidic and stained brown by tannins, with dense plant growth shading everything.
Weekly picks
Tank mates
The dwarf rasbora is a peaceful, shoaling 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.
Neocaridina shrimp
Neocaridina davidi
Freshwater1.6 in (4 cm) · 5 gal (19 L)59–84°F (15–29°C)
Guppy
Poecilia reticulata
FreshwaterBrackish2.4 in (6 cm) · 10 gal (38 L)64–82°F (18–28°C)
Neon tetra
Paracheirodon innesi
Freshwater1.5 in (3.8 cm) · 11 gal (40 L)70–77°F (21–25°C)
Clown killifish
Epiplatys annulatus
Freshwater1.4 in (3.5 cm) · 7 gal (27 L)68–79°F (20–26°C)
Tiger shrimp
Caridina mariae
Freshwater1.6 in (4 cm) · 7 gal (25 L)64–73°F (18–23°C)
King Koopa nerite
Neritina juttingae
FreshwaterBrackish1 in (2.5 cm) · 5 gal (20 L)72–82°F (22–28°C)
Common questions
What size tank does a dwarf rasbora need?
A dwarf rasbora needs at least 7 gal (25 L). It spends most of its time in the middle.
What temperature and pH does a dwarf rasbora need?
A dwarf rasbora is comfortable at 72–82°F (22–28°C) with a pH of 5.0–7.0.
What does a dwarf rasbora eat?
A dwarf rasbora has a very small mouth, so it eats crushed flakes, micro pellets, baby brine shrimp and microworms.
How big does a dwarf rasbora get?
An adult dwarf rasbora reaches about 1 in (2.5 cm).
Does a dwarf rasbora need a group?
Yes. A dwarf rasbora is a shoaling species and should be kept in a group, not singly.
How can you tell a male dwarf rasbora from a female?
Males color up the deepest once they are well conditioned.
How does a dwarf rasbora breed?
Dwarf rasboras scatter their eggs and give no parental care. Breeding them in a home tank is difficult.
Related species
0.8 in (2 cm)10 gal (38 L)72–82°F (22–28°C)Chili rasbora
Boraras brigittae
0.8 in (2 cm) · 10 gal (38 L)
0.8 in (2 cm)11 gal (40 L)72–81°F (22–27°C)Phoenix rasbora
Boraras merah
0.8 in (2 cm) · 11 gal (40 L)
0.8 in (2 cm)11 gal (40 L)73–81°F (23–27°C)Strawberry rasbora
Boraras naevus
0.8 in (2 cm) · 11 gal (40 L)
0.6 in (1.6 cm)11 gal (40 L)73–81°F (23–27°C)Exclamation-point rasbora
Boraras urophthalmoides
0.6 in (1.6 cm) · 11 gal (40 L)
0.6 in (1.5 cm)8 gal (30 L)72–79°F (22–26°C)Micro rasbora
Boraras micros
0.6 in (1.5 cm) · 8 gal (30 L)
1 in (2.5 cm)12 gal (45 L)73–81°F (23–27°C)Somphongs's rasbora
Trigonostigma somphongsi
1 in (2.5 cm) · 12 gal (45 L)