Emerald Dwarf Rasbora 1.5cm

Emerald Dwarf Rasbora

The emerald rasbora is a true nano fish species that only reaches a maximum of 2.5 cm, which makes them the perfect candidate for nano aquariums or to have a minimalistic fish in planted aquariums. They are vibrant, and naturally contrast amazingly against their environment, are relatively easy to care for, and are great schooling fish. Whilst these fish aren't exactly green like an emerald, they do have an amazing metallic sheen over their predominantly blue body. The white stripes across the sea blue body contrast really well with the orange fins and black rail spot.

The gill plate is also mostly translucent in emerald rasboras which highlights the bright red gills. For such a tiny species they really pack a punch with their colours which is truly stellar when they are kept in a school of at least 6+. They are tropical species that need a temperature of 24-26 degrees and need some care taken with the filtration equipment in the aquarium as they have the risk of being caught in it. Emerald rasbora are not the greatest swimmers with their small stature and often hang out in low-flow environments in the wild.

Breeding the emerald rasbora in the home aquarium is possible but needs a lot of preparation and care because of how small these fish are. The eggs are incredibly tiny and can be eaten by almost any other tank mate including snails and shrimp. There are no easy distinguishing factors between males and females so the best bet is to have a school in a well-planted or dedicated breeding aquarium and let the fish breed naturally.

Tank Recommendations for Emerald Dwarf Rasbora
Being a small and relatively easy to care for fish the emerald rasbora can be kept in smaller aquariums with the minimum being 30 litres. This aquarium size allows for a decent school of these fish along with other clean-up crew-style tank mates if required.

The main thing to know about emerald rasbora is that they are incredibly shy and may spend the first few weeks really taking their time to get used to the environment. There are two main things that can help these fish display themselves more readily, the first of which is a decent school of as many as you can get into an aquarium. Whilst the minimum is around 6, the most ideal group would be 20+. They will also highly appreciate a well-planted aquarium and hardscape that gives them refuge.

Suitable Tank Buddies
Since the emerald rasbora is a slow-moving and tiny fish, there is a high chance for predation if there is not a proper selection of tank mates. Ideally, they should be kept in a species-specific environment or with fish that are similar in nature.

Usually Compatible
Shrimp, Celestial Pearl Danios, emerald green rasbora, khuli loaches, Borneo suckers, ender guppies, and similar nano species

Sometimes Compatible
Dwarf gourami, betta, larger fast-moving tetras, rams, and dwarf cichlids such as apistogramma.

Rarely Compatible
Giant Danio, angelfish, Raphael catfish, and any species that will outcompete or predate the small rasbora.

Feeding your Emerald Dwarf Rasbora
Though this species is incredibly small, they should be fairly easy to feed. It is best to feed them a crushed flake or even fry food to ensure their small mouths can eat the food provided. They can also be supplemented with baby brine shrimp or micro worms for added variety.