TankBud

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
Family
Danionidae
Origin
Upper Mahakam drainage, Kalimantan Timur, Indonesia

Overview

The teardrop rasbora is a small, peaceful schooling fish for a soft-water community tank. It is best kept by someone with a little experience.

Did you know

The teardrop rasbora was named for a single teardrop-shaped mark at the root of its tail, where its faint side stripe ends. That mark is one of the more wistful features ever chosen to define a species.

Caring for the teardrop rasbora

Keep teardrop rasboras in a group of at least eight, in a tank of 14 gal (54 L) or more. A planted, shaded tank with soft, tannin-tinted water keeps a group settled and colored up. They show best over a dark substrate, with leaf litter and gentle filtration.

Keep the water at 73 to 81°F (23 to 27°C) and a pH of 5.5 to 7.0. Aim for the softer, more acidic end of that range for the best color. Feed small foods, from fine flake and crushed pellet to frozen and live daphnia, cyclops and microworm.

Teardrop rasboras are peaceful and hold the middle of the tank. They suit a calm community of other small Bornean or blackwater species, gentle dwarf gouramis and quiet bottom-dwellers. Breeding them at home is not documented.

Good to know

The teardrop rasbora, Rasbora lacrimula, was described in 2009 and belongs to the family Danionidae. Its species name means little tear. It also carries tiny tubercles that form a rough crest along the back, which helps separate it from similar rasboras.

In the wild

The teardrop rasbora is known from the upper Mahakam drainage in Kalimantan Timur, Indonesian Borneo. It lives in small forest streams with soft, acidic, tannin-stained water.

Weekly picks

Tank mates

The teardrop rasbora is a peaceful, schooling 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 teardrop rasbora need?

A teardrop rasbora needs at least 14 gal (54 L). It spends most of its time in the middle.

What temperature and pH does a teardrop rasbora need?

A teardrop rasbora is comfortable at 73–81°F (23–27°C) with a pH of 5.5–7.0.

What does a teardrop rasbora eat?

A teardrop rasbora eats small foods, from fine flake and crushed pellet to frozen and live daphnia, cyclops and microworm.

How big does a teardrop rasbora get?

An adult teardrop rasbora reaches about 1.6 in (4 cm).

Does a teardrop rasbora need a group?

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

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