Strawberry rasbora

Boraras naevus

FreshwaterFish

Care at a glance

Temperature: 73–81°F (23–27°C)
pH: 5.0–7.0
Adult size: 0.8 in (2 cm)
Minimum tank: 11 gal (40 L)
Temperament: Peaceful
Social behavior: Schooling
Swim level: Middle
Difficulty: Medium
Breeding: Medium
Rarity: Common
Origin: Southern peninsular Thailand (Tapi river drainage)
Family: Cyprinidae

Overview

Keep them in a group of 8 to 10 or more, since this is a strict schooler that gets nervous and loses color in smaller numbers. They are peaceful fish that hold to the middle and upper water column, in a tank of 40 liters or larger. Water should sit between 23 and 27 C, soft, and acidic to neutral at a pH of 5 to 7, and they react badly to swings, so only add them to a mature, fully cycled tank and go slow on changes. Feed small foods their mouths can manage, like crushed flake, micro pellets, and frozen daphnia or baby brine. Pair them only with tiny calm species and shrimp, since anything large or boisterous will outcompete or eat them.

In the wild

Strawberry rasboras come from slow blackwater streams and swampy pools in the Tapi river drainage of southern peninsular Thailand. The water there is soft, acidic, and stained dark by leaf litter, with dim light filtered through overhanging plants. To match that, give them a densely planted tank of at least 40 liters with a dark substrate, leaf litter on the bottom, and gentle flow. Keep the water warm at 23 to 27 C, soft, and acidic with a pH from 5 to 7, and keep the lighting low.

Good to know

This is a tiny cyprinid in the family Cyprinidae, one of the dwarf rasboras in the genus Boraras. Adults reach only about 2 cm, so they stay small their whole lives. They are egg scatterers with no parental care, dropping eggs among fine plants and moss. Most fish you find for sale are tank bred for the trade.

Did you know

The males carry a bold red body with a single dark blotch on the side, which is where the naevus name comes from, since it means birthmark or mole in Latin. The species was only formally described in 2011, so it is a fairly recent arrival in the hobby compared to its better known cousins.