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Wilpita rasbora

Rasbora wilpita

Also known as Sri Lankan copper rasbora

FreshwaterFish

Wilpita rasbora (Rasbora wilpita)

Care at a glance

Temperature
73–81°F
23–27°C
pH
6.0–7.2
Adult size
3.3 in
8.5 cm
Minimum tank
29 gal
110 L
Temperament
Peaceful
Social behavior
Schooling
Swim level
Middle
Difficulty
Medium
Breeding
No record
Rarity
Rare
Family
Danionidae
Origin
Nilwala, Gin and Kalu drainages, southwestern Sri Lanka

Overview

The Wilpita rasbora is a peaceful, coppery schooling fish for the middle of a planted, shaded tank. It suits a keeper with some experience.

Did you know

The Wilpita rasbora is one of Sri Lanka's single-region endemics. The island's wet-zone forests hold fish found nowhere else on earth, sometimes in streams narrow enough to step across.

Caring for the Wilpita rasbora

Give a group of Wilpita rasboras a planted tank of 29 gal (110 L) or more, with driftwood, leaf litter, cover and subdued light. A tight lid matters, as this fish is a capable jumper.

Keep the water soft and well oxygenated, with gentle flow rather than a strong current. Hold it at 73 to 81°F (23 to 27°C) and a pH of 6.0 to 7.2. Feed a varied diet of flake, small pellets, and frozen or live foods to keep their color up.

Keep at least eight, since they settle best in a group. They are peaceful, and once settled in they are steady and undemanding. Other wet-zone Sri Lankan species, such as cherry barbs, make a coherent island community with them. Their aquarium breeding is not recorded.

Good to know

The Wilpita rasbora, Rasbora wilpita, is in the family Danionidae and was described in 1991 from the Wilpita forest area. It is also sold as the Sri Lankan rainbow rasbora. It is listed as vulnerable in the wild, where its populations are restricted and tied to shrinking wet-zone forest.

In the wild

The Wilpita rasbora lives in the Nilwala, Gin and Kalu drainages of southwestern Sri Lanka. Its streams run through rainforest in the wet zone, and they are shallow, slow and heavily shaded.

Weekly picks

Tank mates

The Wilpita 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 Wilpita rasbora need?

A Wilpita rasbora needs at least 29 gal (110 L). It spends most of its time in the middle.

What temperature and pH does a Wilpita rasbora need?

A Wilpita rasbora is comfortable at 73–81°F (23–27°C) with a pH of 6.0–7.2.

What does a Wilpita rasbora eat?

A Wilpita rasbora eats a varied diet of flake, small pellets, and frozen or live foods, which keeps its color up.

How big does a Wilpita rasbora get?

An adult Wilpita rasbora reaches about 3.3 in (8.5 cm).

Does a Wilpita rasbora need a group?

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

Related species