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Encyclopedia / Danios & Rasboras / Dwarf rasbora
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Variations

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Dwarf rasbora

Boraras maculatus · Spotted rasbora, Maculatus, Dwarf spotted rasbora, Pygmy rasbora

Peaceful and shy; keep eight or more in a heavily planted tank with gentle flow.

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2.5 cmBody length, without tail ✓
20–26 °CTemperature ✓
4–6.5pH ✓
41 LSmallest tank ✓
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Tank mates
Check your own mix →
Not recommended
  • Tinfoil barb eats animals up to about 5 cm. Dwarf rasbora only grows to 2.5 cm.
Not recommended
  • Betta eats animals up to about 2.5 cm. Dwarf rasbora only grows to 2.5 cm.
Not recommended
  • Dwarf gourami eats animals up to about 2.5 cm. Dwarf rasbora only grows to 2.5 cm.
With conditions
  • Only a narrow pH range suits both: exactly 6.5.
With conditions
  • Only a narrow pH range suits both: exactly 6.5.
Compatible
Compatible
Compatible
Compatible
Compatible

222 species in our list are a good match.

Facts checked against sources on 16 Oct 2026. ✓ means a source backs it; ? means no reliable source yet. See sources

Care and water

Hardness ✓1–5 dGH
Group size ✓8 or more
Temperament ✓Peaceful
Swims at ?Middle
Care level ✓Moderate
Diet Omnivore
Lifespan ?Unknown
Size in shops 1.5–2 cm
Growth Medium

Behavior

Peaceful and shy; keep eight or more in a heavily planted tank with gentle flow. Avoid boisterous tankmates.

Food

Micro pellets and frozen or live cyclops, daphnia and baby brine shrimp.

Tap a food to see what it is.

Male or female

Mature females are noticeably rounder-bellied and often a little larger than males; males are more colourful, dominant males intensely so.

Health

Common problems. Tap one to see the signs. This is a guide, not a diagnosis.

Breeding

Egg-scatterer · Hard

Egg-scattering continuous spawner with no parental care. Eggs are laid among fine-leaved plants or java moss; for a planned spawn use a small, dimly lit tank with soft, acidic water (pH 5.0-6.5, 1-5 dGH) and remove the adults after a couple of days, as they will eat eggs.

Pairing

Keep a group of 8-10 and condition them on live and frozen foods; pairs form on their own in the group.

Setup

10-20 L bare tank with soft, acidic water (pH 5.5-6.5), dense java moss or fine-leaved plants, dim light and a sponge filter on very gentle flow.

What starts it

Soft acidic water, small cool water changes and plenty of live food; a dim, planted tank with morning light.

Eggs

A continuous spawner: when in condition, small numbers of eggs are laid every day rather than one large batch. Eggs hatch by about the second day and the fry live on their yolk sacs for about another 24 hours.

Raising the fry

Rotifers or infusoria for 3-5 days, then newly hatched brine shrimp.

Common mistakes
  • Using hard tap water
  • Keeping the tank too bright
  • Feeding only dry food during conditioning
Full breeding guide, day-by-day plan and simulator →

Where it lives in the wild

RegionMalay Peninsula, Singapore and Sumatra
Rivers and lakesLowland swamps and streams
HabitatShallow, vegetated blackwaters
Native rangeAbout 600 km across
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The story of the dwarf rasbora

A tiny cyprinid with a red body and a few dark blotches, from blackwater peat-swamp streams of Peninsular Malaysia, southern Thailand, eastern Sumatra and Singapore. Described by Duncker in 1904; the name maculatus means "spotted". Colour intensity varies between populations.

Georg Duncker described the dwarf rasbora in 1904. It is one of the smallest fish in the hobby. It lives in soft, acidic swamp waters.

First described by Georg Duncker in 1904.

  • Adults reach only about 2 cm.
  • It has dark spots on a red body.
  • It is ideal for small, planted aquaria.

Sources

15 facts checked with sources