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Elegant Rasbora
Rasbora elegans
📍 Southeast Asia (Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, Borneo)
The Elegant Rasbora (Rasbora elegans) is a striking, larger rasbora species featuring a silvery body adorned with bold black blotches, making it a visually appealing addition to community aquariums. Native to the slow-moving, blackwater streams of Southeast Asia, it thrives in well-planted tanks with soft, acidic water. It is an active schooling fish that does best when kept in groups of six or more.
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Care Guide
Diet
Elegant Rasboras are omnivores that readily accept high-quality flake and micro-pellet foods as a staple diet. Supplement regularly with frozen or live foods such as bloodworms, daphnia, and brine shrimp to promote vibrant coloration and good health. Feed small amounts two to three times daily, only what they can consume within two minutes.
Behavior
Elegant Rasboras are active, peaceful schooling fish that spend most of their time in the middle water column. They are best kept in groups of six or more, as smaller numbers can cause stress and timid behavior. In a well-planted aquarium they will display natural shoaling behavior and become bolder and more confident.
Breeding
Breeding Elegant Rasboras in captivity is considered moderately challenging and is not commonly achieved by hobbyists. They are egg scatterers that prefer to spawn among fine-leaved plants in soft, slightly acidic water; conditioning with live foods can help trigger spawning. Eggs and fry are very small and vulnerable, and adults may consume eggs if not separated promptly.
Tank Mates
Similar water requirements and peaceful temperament; both thrive in soft, acidic blackwater conditions
Peaceful gourami that shares similar water parameter preferences and occupies a different swim zone
Bottom-dwelling and peaceful; will not compete with mid-water rasboras and prefers similar soft, acidic water
Small, peaceful tetra that thrives in similar blackwater conditions without competing for space
Peaceful algae eater that occupies the bottom zone and shares soft, acidic water preferences
Gentle, slow-moving gourami compatible with peaceful community fish in soft, warm water
Common Diseases
Ich (White Spot Disease)
White salt-like spots covering the body and fins, flashing against surfaces, lethargy, loss of appetite
Raise temperature gradually to 28-30°C, treat with aquarium-safe ich medication such as malachite green or formalin-based products; perform regular water changes
Velvet Disease (Oodinium)
Gold or rust-colored dust-like coating on skin, rapid gill movement, flashing, lethargy
Dim tank lighting, treat with copper-based medication or acriflavine; quarantine affected fish and perform water changes
Fin Rot
Fraying, discoloration, or deterioration of fins; ragged fin edges, sometimes with reddening at the base
Improve water quality with frequent water changes, treat with antibacterial medication such as kanamycin or erythromycin; address any underlying stress factors
Dropsy
Swollen abdomen, raised or pinecone-like scales, lethargy, loss of appetite
Isolate affected fish immediately; treat with broad-spectrum antibiotics such as kanamycin; improve water quality and reduce stress; prognosis is often poor if caught late
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Quick Facts
- diet
- Omnivore – accepts flakes, pellets, frozen/live foods such as bloodworms and daphnia
- lifespan
- 5-8 years
- max size
- 10 cm (4 in)
- tank size
- 40 gallons minimum
- temperament
- peaceful
Water it likes
- ph
- 5.5-7.0
- ammonia
- 0 ppm
- nitrate
- <20 ppm
- hardness
- 1-10 dGH
- temperature
- 73–82°F (23–28°C)