All fish / Danionidae

Chili Rasbora

Boraras brigittae

Also known as mosquito rasbora, chilli rasbora, chili rasbora, brigittae rasbora, phoenix rasbora, dwarf rasbora, ปลาซิวแคระ, ボララス・ブリジッタエ, ブリジッタエ, rasbora cabe, ikan cabe, 小辣椒灯

One of the smallest fish in the hobby, the chili rasbora has a bright red body with a dark stripe along the flank and red and black marks in the fins. Its vivid colour, peaceful nature and tiny size make it a favourite for planted nano tanks and blackwater setups.

Care at a glance

Care level

Moderate

Temperament

Peaceful

Adult size

1.6 cm

Temperature

20 to 28 °C

pH

4 to 7

Smallest tank

20 litres

Keep as

Shoal of 10 or more

Diet

Carnivore: small live and frozen foods such as cyclops, daphnia, baby brine shrimp and microworms, plus fine crushed flake

Swims

Middle of the tank

Lifespan

4 to 8 years

Water

Freshwater

Wild range

Southwestern Borneo, Indonesia (Kalimantan Barat and Kalimantan Tengah)

Breeding

It scatters eggs among fine plants or moss and gives no parental care, often spawning on its own in mature, densely planted tanks. Fry are very small and need infusoria, so raising them in numbers takes patience but is achievable.

Good to know

Its tiny size means it will be eaten or bullied by larger tankmates, so keep it with other very small, calm species or shrimp. It looks similar to Boraras merah and is sometimes sold under that name.