Dwarf rasbora

Boraras maculatus

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: Schooling
Swim level: Middle
Difficulty: Medium
Breeding: Hard
Rarity: Rare
Origin: Malaysia, Thailand, Sumatra
Family: Cyprinidae

Overview

Keep them in a group of at least six, and a larger shoal looks far better and keeps them confident. They sit in the middle and upper water, darting between plants and open space. Their mouths are very small, so feed crushed flakes, micro-pellets, baby brine shrimp, and microworms. They are peaceful nano fish that suit small planted tanks with other gentle, similarly tiny species.

In the wild

Dwarf rasboras come from blackwater streams, swamps, and peat bogs in Malaysia, Thailand, and Sumatra. The water is soft, acidic, and stained brown by tannins, with dense plant growth shading everything. Recreate that with a planted, dimly lit tank, driftwood, leaf litter, and a low pH down toward 5 to 7. Even a small tank of around 25 liters works for a group.

Good to know

This is a tiny cyprinid in the family Cyprinidae, reaching only about 2.5 cm. The body is reddish with dark spots along the side, and well-conditioned males color up the deepest. It is an egg scatterer that gives no parental care, and breeding in the home tank is difficult. It prefers warm, soft, acidic water in the mid to high 20s C.

Did you know

Males 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.