Chili Rasbora

Chili Rasbora (Boraras brigittae) males display an intense, deep red body accented by a bold black lateral stripe and a vivid red dot at the base of the tail — all packed into a fish barely 0.7 inches long. The genus name Boraras is an anagram of Rasbora, acknowledging this fish's close relationship with larger rasboras while recognizing how distinctly different it truly is.

Feeding & Care Tip: Chili Rasboras have very small mouths and require appropriately sized foods. Start juveniles on Sera Micron Nature and transition to Sera Vipan Baby flakes as they grow. Supplement 2–3× per week with Hikari Frozen or Freeze-Dried Baby Brine Shrimp to deepen the vivid red coloration. Feed small amounts 2–3 times daily.

Native to the blackwater peat swamps and slow-moving forest streams of Southwestern Borneo, Indonesia, the Chili Rasbora lives in some of the softest, most acidic water in the world. The water is dark with tannins from decaying vegetation and receives little direct sunlight. Replicating these conditions — dark substrate, tannin-stained water, floating plants, gentle filtration — rewards you with the most vivid coloration this species can produce.

This is a peaceful schooling species that should always be kept in groups of at least eight, and ideally twelve or more. As with most schooling fish, larger groups produce noticeably deeper, more saturated color in males as they compete for female attention. Males in a well-established group will constantly display to one another, creating a glowing red spectacle at the front of a planted tank. Keep only with other very small, peaceful species — shrimp, nano corydoras, other nano fish.

In the aquascape, Chili Rasboras are most effective in large numbers against a backdrop of fine-leaved plants and dark substrate. A cloud of twenty or more swimming through a Pogostemon or Rotala thicket is one of the most breathtaking sights in the freshwater hobby.

Care & Ideal Parameters