Red dwarf rasbora

Care at a glance

Overview

The red dwarf rasbora is a small schooling fish that swims in the middle of a cool nano tank. It is a good choice once you have some experience.

Caring for the red dwarf rasbora

Give red dwarf rasboras at least 12 gal (45 L) of cool, slightly alkaline water. Keep it at 68 to 77°F (20 to 25°C) and a pH of 7.0 to 8.0. They come from a cool lake and dislike sustained warmth, so do not let the tank run above 77°F (25°C).

Feed small foods such as micropellets, crushed flake, and frozen daphnia and cyclops. Keep a group of at least eight to ten, since they are easiest to look after in a group.

Red dwarf rasboras are peaceful schoolers that suit other cool-water nano fish. They are also easiest to breed in a group, and breeding them takes moderate effort.

Good to know

Microrasbora rubescens is one of a handful of small fish restricted to Inle Lake, alongside the Lake Inle danio. Wild fish show a warm red-orange flush along a slim silver body.

In the wild

The red dwarf rasbora lives in Inle Lake, a cool, slightly alkaline, high-altitude lake in the Shan hills of Myanmar. It forms large schools in the open midwater and around the edges among submerged plants.

Common questions

Related species

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  Gold ring danio

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  1.2 in (3 cm)11 gal (40 L)64–79°F (18–26°C)

• 

  Orange hatchet danio

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• 

  Vietnamese white cloud

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• 

  Blackspot dwarf barb

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• 

  Dwarf barb

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  1.4 in (3.5 cm) · 12 gal (45 L)

  1.4 in (3.5 cm)12 gal (45 L)72–79°F (22–26°C)

• 

  Eyespot rasbora

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  1.4 in (3.5 cm) · 9 gal (35 L)

  1.4 in (3.5 cm)9 gal (35 L)68–77°F (20–25°C)