# Does anyone keep Dwarf Rasboras (Boraras maculatus)?



## snail

I went to a fish shop today that is closing down (which is a shame because I liked the owners and they actually care about their fish). They only had a very few fish left and were already taking down the tanks. Anyway the guy knows I like small fish and he asked if I didn't want to buy the three little rasboras he had left. It's against my rules to buy a fish I haven't researched properly but he offered them to me for 50 cents each, I think he just wanted them to go to a good home, and it didn't seem like they would be getting a better home if I left them there. So I came home with the three tiny rasboras.

I've found out they are Dwarf Rasboras and I'm doing research but just wondering if anyone here has any experience with them?


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## sik-lid

where are they located?


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## snail

I'm in Portugal, sorry I didn't make it clear in my first post, despite my usual rules the fish did come home with me.


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## snail

So no one keeps them? 

They seem to be doing well. They are coloring nicely They are tiny, smaller than the red cherry shrimp. It surprises me how bold they are, as what I have read says they are shy and it was weeks before my CPDs would come out when I was in the room. I think the guy from the shop must have spent time with them so they are used to people already. Although they are a little jumpy about loud noises and sudden movements they are not afraid of me at all and come right to the front of the tank to be fed.


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## NeonShark666

As with most Rasboras they like to live in schools. They need water that is soft, ph below 7.0 and temp below 79F. They should not be mixed with larger fishes that might bother or try to eat them. Other smaller Rasboras or Tetras would be great compnion fishes for them. Try and keep their water clean.


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## snail

Thanks NeonShark, do you keep rasboras?

I am planning to get more to make up a better school if I can find them anywhere else. My PH is above 7, which I was worried about but the guy from the store said they were in the same water I have and they seem to be doing fine so far, I could mix with RO water if I need to but thought it would be better just to keep them at the same PH for now.


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## Gizmo

I keep some emerald dwarf rasboras and I love them to death. What type of dwarf rasboras are yours? If you say celestial pearl danios or galaxy rasboras I'm going to fly out there and steal them from you.

Mine are very timid but absolutely gorgeous, about the same size as my RCS (I keep them in the same tank), and they are very picky eaters but I've trained them to flake food.

I've got a scarlet badis in there with my two EDR's and they get along great (same temperaments). Unfortunately, EDR's aren't usually offered until the spring here so I have to wait some months before I add to my school.


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## snail

These are Boraras maculatus, sometimes called Dwarf Spotted Rasbora or just Dwarf Rasbora. I have a lone celestial pearl danio male, who now seems fat and healthy but I had problems keeping them alive when I first got them, would like to try again. I've never seen emerald dwarf rasboras in the flesh, I've been keeping an eye out.


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## Gizmo

EDR's are great but I would love some celestial pearl danios as well. Look into a scarlet badis - only fish I know that is the same size as a dwarf rasbora and actually prefers to be alone instead of in a school. Opens up a ton of possibilities for a nano tank or something like that.

I keep my EDR's in a tank woth pH ~7.2 to 7.6 (pH swing from plants), with wisteria and a ton of moss and frogsbit in the tank. No fertz, and I use yeast fermentation CO2, LOTS of light (48W T5HO over a 10 gallon) and good substrate. The EDRs and scarlet badis enjoy eating my baby RCS, but I have about 100 adults in the tank they leave alone, and I isolate berried females to breed more in my 1.5 gallon.

Looks like your dwarves like black water and medium-low current, low light, and lots of plants (like mine). I have lots of light, but my tank is covered in frogsbit which blocks out the majority of the light (and the shrimp love the frogsbit).

You're lucky - my girlfriend has been looking for dwarf spotted rasboras ever since she set her tank up. Are yours more red or more pink?


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## snail

They are more on the pale pink/orange side, though in the few days I've had them they have colored up a lot and the smallest one is getting quite red, maybe he is a male.

Scarlet badis is another fish I've looked out for for ages but have never seen. 

Funnily enough my Celestial Pearl Danios have never eaten my baby RCS, even though everyone said they would. They were captive bred and already ate flake food so maybe they were not used to hunting. I had a really hard time with them to start off with and eventually lost all but one. The final one I have left is a beautiful male and he looks really healthy and happy, he has even become quite bold (they were very shy to start with). I just wish I had ended up with a pair at least! I do plan to try again when I find them again.


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## holly12

I used to have a school of Chili Rasboras: Redirect Notice (link works even though it says 'redirect notice'.)

They are a type of Dwarf Rasbora. Seriously tiny and super adorable!

I found mine were always very peaceful. They do like to be in schools of 8+ though. The most I was able to get my hands on at at time was 5 though, and I think being in not a big enough school may have stressed them, because they all died one by one. (Nothing else in the tank died, just them.)

Good luck!


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## snail

Thanks thats a nice link. Chilli rasboras seem to be very similar to dwarf rasboras. I think the chilli rasboras are a little prettier but I am loving mine. I cant believe how lively and healthy looking they are. They eat like pigs. Can I ask what water you had them in? At the moment mine are in hard water with a high PH which is the opposite of what is recommended. I might set up an aquarium just for them with more ideal conditions and see if I can get them to breed.


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## holly12

I had them in really hard water. PH is around 7.6-8.0. Maybe that's why they didn't do well...... but if you acclimate them properly, they should do just fine in hard water.


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## snail

I have them in hard water but I think I was lucky because the shop I got them from had already acclimated them and got them in good condition, I think that's why they have done well.


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