Chili rasbora
Boraras brigittae
intermediate careOverview
The chili rasbora (Boraras brigittae) is a true nano jewel — a fish barely 2 cm long that, in a mature shoal, glows a deep neon red with a dark lateral stripe. It comes from soft, tannin-stained blackwater peat swamps in Borneo, and it is the classic centrepiece for a small, heavily planted nano tank. It is peaceful and rewarding, but its tiny size and preference for soft, stable water make it an intermediate keeper’s fish.
Tank & water
A shoal thrives in a mature planted nano of 20 litres (5 gallons) or more. Stability is everything at this scale.
- Temperature: 24–28 °C, held steady with a small heater.
- Water: soft and acidic to neutral, pH 5.0–7.0, is ideal; botanicals and leaf litter that release tannins suit them well.
- Filtration: a gentle sponge filter cleans the water without sucking in such tiny fish or creating strong flow.
- Planted: dense plants, dark substrate and dim light bring out their best colour and confidence.
Feeding
Chili rasboras are micropredators with minute mouths. The staple should be fine powdered or crushed micro-food, supplemented generously with small live and frozen foods — baby brine shrimp, cyclops, microworms and daphnia. Feed little and often; watch that food actually reaches them and isn’t intercepted by larger tankmates.
Tankmates
Keep the company gentle. Chili rasboras shine in a species tank or alongside other calm nano life: celestial pearl danios, pygmy corydoras, small snails and dwarf shrimp such as cherry shrimp, which share their love of a planted nano. Avoid anything large, fast or nippy that will out-compete or intimidate them.
Give chili rasboras a mature, soft-water planted nano and a full shoal, and few small fish reward you with more colour for the space.
Chili rasbora — frequently asked questions
Are chili rasboras hard to keep?
They are not fragile once settled, but their tiny size means they need mature, stable water, very small foods and no boisterous tankmates. That makes them an intermediate rather than a first fish — best added to an established, gently stocked planted nano.
How many chili rasboras should I keep?
Keep at least eight to ten, and more if the tank allows. In small groups they hide and lose colour; in a proper shoal the males display and flush deep red. They are so tiny that even a 20-litre nano can hold a good group.
What do chili rasboras eat?
They are micropredators with minute mouths. Offer fine crushed micro-pellets and powdered foods plus small live and frozen foods such as baby brine shrimp, cyclops and microworms. Many foods are simply too big for them, so size everything down.
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