All fish / Danionidae

Bali Rasbora

Rasbora baliensis

Also known as bali rasbora, lake bratan rasbora, rasbora bali, ラスボラ・バリエンシス, wader bali, ikan rasbora bali, 巴厘岛波鱼

This is a slim, silvery rasbora with a dark stripe along the side and warm orange to reddish tones on the fins. It comes only from a cool highland lake on Bali, and people keep it as a lively, hardy shoaling fish that is rarely seen in shops.

Care at a glance

Care level

Easy

Temperament

Peaceful

Adult size

5 cm

Temperature

20 to 26 °C

pH

6.5 to 7.5

Smallest tank

60 litres

Keep as

Shoal of 8 or more

Diet

Omnivore: quality flakes and small pellets plus live or frozen daphnia, bloodworm and brine shrimp

Swims

Middle of the tank

Lifespan

3 to 5 years

Water

Freshwater

Wild range

Indonesia: Lake Bratan, Bali

Breeding

It scatters its eggs among fine-leaved plants or moss and gives no parental care. Spawning in captivity is fairly easy, but the adults will eat the eggs, so spawners should be separated or a densely planted tank used.

Good to know

It is endemic to a single lake where introduced species put it at risk, so captive-bred stock is preferable. It likes slightly cooler water than most tropical rasboras.