Phoenix rasbora

Boraras merah

FreshwaterFish

Care at a glance

Temperature: 72–81°F; 22–27°C
pH: 5.0–7.0
Adult size: 0.8 in; 2 cm
Minimum tank: 11 gal; 40 L

Temperament: Peaceful
Social behavior: Shoaling
Swim level: Middle
Difficulty: Medium
Breeding: Egg scatterer · Medium
Rarity: Common
Family: Cyprinidae
Origin: Southern Borneo (Kalimantan Tengah, Indonesia)

Overview

The phoenix rasbora is a tiny, red shoaling fish for a mature blackwater nano tank. It needs a keeper with some experience.

Did you know

The phoenix rasbora's species name, merah, is Indonesian for red. In a bright, bare tank it often washes out to a pale orange, so its color shows whether the tank conditions are right.

Caring for the phoenix rasbora

Give phoenix rasboras a stable, mature tank of at least 11 gal (40 L), with gentle sponge filtration. Add fine sand, driftwood and dense planting with some floating cover. A handful of leaf litter releases tannins. Over a dark substrate in tannin-stained water, the males deepen to a solid brick red.

Keep the water soft and acidic to neutral, at 72 to 81°F (22 to 27°C) and a pH of 5.0 to 7.0. Their mouths are tiny, so feed small foods such as microworms, baby brine shrimp and crushed flake.

Keep them in a school of 8 to 10, and ideally 12 or more. A bigger group brings out the deep red and steadier behavior. They are peaceful and hold in the middle of the water, moving together when something passes. They are safe with shrimp, snails and fry, and do best with other small, gentle tank mates.

Phoenix rasboras are egg scatterers with no parental care. The fry need a mature tank and small live foods to survive, so breeding takes moderate effort.

Good to know

Boraras merah is a tiny cyprinid in the family Cyprinidae, and one of the smallest aquarium fish. A healthy adult can live a few years. Most phoenix rasboras in the trade are wild caught, though tank-bred stock turns up too.

In the wild

Phoenix rasboras come from soft, acidic blackwater in southern Borneo, in the peat swamps and slow forest streams of Kalimantan Tengah, Indonesia. Fallen leaves and botanicals stain the water brown with tannins, and plant cover keeps the light dim.

Weekly picks

Tank mates

The phoenix 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.

Check the full mix in the stocking calculator

Common questions

What size tank does a phoenix rasbora need?

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

What temperature and pH does a phoenix rasbora need?

A phoenix rasbora is comfortable at 72–81°F (22–27°C) with a pH of 5.0–7.0.

What does a phoenix rasbora eat?

A phoenix rasbora has a tiny mouth and needs small foods. Offer microworms, baby brine shrimp and crushed flake.

How big does a phoenix rasbora get?

An adult phoenix rasbora reaches about 0.8 in (2 cm).

Does a phoenix rasbora need a group?

Yes. A phoenix rasbora is a shoaling species and should be kept in a group, not singly.

How can you tell a male phoenix rasbora from a female?

Males color up to a solid brick red when kept over a dark substrate in tannin-stained water.

How does a phoenix rasbora breed?

Phoenix rasboras scatter their eggs and give no parental care. The fry need a mature tank and small live foods to survive, and breeding takes moderate effort.