All fish / Cyprinidae

Slender rasbora

Rasbora daniconius

Also known as slender rasbora, blackline rasbora, black-line rasbora, striped rasbora, common rasbora, daniconius rasbora, ラスボラ・ダニコニウス, 细长波鱼

This is a slim, silvery rasbora with one dark stripe running from the snout to the base of the tail. The fins often have a faint yellow tint. It is a hardy, active fish that suits a roomy community tank, and it looks its best when kept in a decent-sized shoal.

Care at a glance

Care level

Easy

Temperament

Peaceful

Adult size

8 cm

Temperature

20 to 26 °C

pH

6 to 7.8

Smallest tank

120 litres

Keep as

Shoal of 8 or more

Diet

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

Swims

Middle of the tank

Lifespan

5 to 7 years

Water

Freshwater

Wild range

South Asia: India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan, Myanmar

Breeding

It scatters its eggs among plants and does not look after them, so the adults will eat the eggs if they get the chance. Spawning in a separate tank with fine-leaved plants or mesh, then taking the adults out afterwards, works fairly well. The fry need infusoria first and can move on to baby brine shrimp.

Good to know

It grows bigger than most rasboras and is a quick, strong swimmer, so it needs a long tank with a tight lid because it can jump. It is easily mixed up with Rasbora paviana and similar striped rasboras.