Popular Rasboras

Rasboras are great shoaling fish that are perfect for community aquariums.

By Iggy Tavares, Ph.D. |

Rasboras are a group of small freshwater aquarium fish that belong to the Cyprinidae family, most of which come from Southeast Asia and a few from Africa. They are popular because they are usually colorful, active, hardy and inexpensive. Additionally, rasboras are generally peaceful fish that do well in the community aquarium with other small, peaceful species.

Rasboras should be maintained in well-planted tanks with soft and slightly acidic water that reflects the conditions in their wild habitat. They do best when kept in a small shoal rather than in ones or twos, as they are playful fish that like interacting with others of their own species. This makes them feel secure and results in the rasbora shoal spending a lot of time out in the open.

Readily available rasboras usually come from one of four genera: Boraras, Microrasbora, Rasbora and Trigonostigma. The Rasbora genus is the largest with 70 species, while Trigonostigma and Boraras have four species each, and Microrasbora has a small number, some of which are still under dispute.

Want to read the full story? Pick up the August 2010 issue of Aquarium Fish International today.