Teardrop rasbora

Rasbora lacrimula

Also known as Little tear rasbora, Red cherry rasbora

FreshwaterFish

Teardrop rasbora (Rasbora lacrimula) — The Wet Spot Tropical Fish · Used with permission

Care at a glance

Temperature: 73–81°F (23–27°C)
pH: 5.5–7.0
Adult size: 1.6 in (4 cm)
Minimum tank: 14 gal (54 L)
Temperament: Peaceful
Social behavior: Schooling
Swim level: Middle
Difficulty: Medium
Breeding: No record
Rarity: Rare
Origin: Upper Mahakam drainage, Kalimantan Timur, Indonesia
Family: Danionidae

Overview

The teardrop rasbora is a small, peaceful schooling fish that shows best over dark substrate in soft, gentle water, so keep at least eight together. It holds the middle of the tank and suits a calm community of other small Bornean or blackwater species, gentle dwarf gouramis, and quiet bottom-dwellers. Feed small foods, from fine flake and crushed pellet to frozen and live daphnia, cyclops, and microworm. A planted, shaded tank of around 54 liters with soft, tannin-tinted water keeps a group settled and coloured up.

In the wild

It is known from the upper Mahakam drainage in Kalimantan Timur, Indonesian Borneo, small forest streams with soft, acidic, tannin-stained water. Recreate that with a planted, shaded tank, dark substrate, leaf litter, and gentle filtration. Keep the temperature between 23 and 27 C and the pH from 5.5 to 7.0, aiming for the softer, more acidic end for best colour.

Good to know

Rasbora lacrimula, family Danionidae, was described in 2009 and stays around 4 centimeters. The name means little tear, for the small teardrop-shaped mark at the base of the tail where its faint side stripe ends. It also carries tiny tubercles forming a rough crest along the back, a detail that helps separate it from similar rasboras. Home breeding is not documented.