Chili rasbora

Behaviour and habits

The chili rasbora is one of the smallest aquarium fish, a shoaling micro-fish that drifts among plants and rarely strays far from cover. In a group of eight or more it is far bolder, flickering through the greenery in a bright red-orange cloud, while a few lone fish hide and pale. It is completely peaceful and suits a soft, planted nano tank, but it is nervous in an open, bare setup and needs cover to feel secure.

What to feed, and how often

Its mouth is tiny, so it needs micro-foods: micro-pellets, vinegar eels, baby brineshrimp or very finely crushed flake. Feed two small meals a day, and be careful the food is small enough — ordinary flake is too coarse, and a shoal of chili rasboras will starve quietly if it cannot eat what you offer.

Water changes and maintenance

It needs soft, warm, slightly acidic water; change 20–25% weekly, kept gentle. These fish hate instability, so keep the parameters steady and avoid large or cold water changes, which can set the whole shoal back.

Care and how easy it is

For a mature, soft, planted nano tank — not for a new setup, where the water chemistry is still swinging.

Lifespan

With good conditions and steady water quality, this species typically lives around 3–5 years in a home aquarium; some individuals live longer.

Common health problems

Sensitive to water quality and to starvation; can waste away in a poor setup.

If it gets sick

Feed micro-foods consistently and keep the water soft and stable; if one goes thin or pale, isolate and observe, as recovery depends on food and water rather than medicine.