All fish / Cyprinidae

Pearly Rasbora

Rasboroides vaterifloris

Also known as orange finned rasbora, fire rasbora, vateria flower rasbora, pearly rasbora, rasbora vaterifloris, orange-finned rasbora, singhalese fire barb, ラスボラ・バテリフローリス, 斯里兰卡波鱼

A small, fairly deep-bodied rasbora with a pearly silver body and orange to red fins, with males showing the strongest colour. It comes from shaded, clear forest streams in Sri Lanka and is kept for its gentle nature and warm colouring in soft-water, planted tanks.

Care at a glance

Care level

Moderate

Temperament

Peaceful

Adult size

3.5 cm

Temperature

22 to 27 °C

pH

5.5 to 7

Smallest tank

60 litres

Keep as

Shoal of 8 or more

Diet

Omnivore: small live and frozen foods such as daphnia, cyclops and bloodworm, plus quality flake and micro pellets

Swims

Middle of the tank

Lifespan

3 to 5 years

Water

Freshwater

Wild range

Southwestern Sri Lanka (Kalu, Bentota and Gin river basins)

Breeding

An egg scatterer that lays adhesive eggs among fine-leaved plants or moss and gives no parental care. Spawning is possible in soft, acidic water, but the adults eat the eggs, so they are best moved to a separate tank, and the tiny fry need infusoria at first.

Good to know

It is endemic to Sri Lanka and listed as threatened in the wild, so captive-bred stock is the better choice. It does poorly in hard, alkaline water and is easily outcompeted by boisterous tankmates.