Red Tail Rasbora is a tropical freshwater aquarium fish that stands out from other fish with its bright red caudal fin and beautiful silver or dark brown body. They are one of more than 100 common species of Rasbora worldwide. Aquarists love them for their colorful and attractive appearance.
We’ve rounded up all you need to know about the red-tailed Rasbora in this post, including their origin, appearance, behavior, and breeding tips. Scroll down to see more!
About Red Tail Rasbora
Characteristics
This fish is similar in color and shape to the Indian red snapper. It generally has a long, flattened body, a medium head, a small snout, a mouth at the tip of the snout, no antennae, and large eyes on the body axis. The dorsal fin origin is symmetrical to the ventral fin, scale-covered body, and a lateral line extending to the pelvic or anal fin.
In the fry stage, they are quite similar to Neon Kingfish, but as they grow, the light blue streak fades and is replaced by a yellow line, and the red mouth is more clearly shown. Adults have prominent red and black markings on the dorsal and ventral fins.
Behavior
Rasboras are indigenous to Southeast Asia’s humid waters and typically live in or near rainforest areas. It is a fish belonging to the group of goby fish that usually reside and swim in the middle and surface layers. They swim quickly, especially in light currents.
Omnivorous fish prefer insects, worms, and crustaceans to ready-made pellets. They are aquarium fish that are not easy to keep because they need extremely stable aquarium water quality. Red Tail Rasbora can be susceptible to disease when the water quality changes suddenly, so they are suitable for keeping in an aquarium with a lid.
This species is special as they will not care for the fry but will continuously lay eggs if in good physical condition. In adult aquariums, some fries can occur naturally without human intervention. However, it is advised to set up a separate spawning tank if you want to keep larger numbers.
Rasboras lay eggs on soft substrates. It would be best to separate the brood from the eggs after spawning. The eggs will hatch very quickly, after only 24-48 hours.
Lifespan
These fish have an average lifespan of 5 to 7 years. During its lifetime, the Rasbora grows to a maximum size of about 1 1/2 inches. Aquarists must provide the best care to keep their fish healthy and live longer.
The most common and important triggers of the fish disease usually include poor water quality, incorrect water temperature, fish stress, too much ammonia, and lack of dissolved oxygen. These factors cause Red Tail Rasbora fin and tail rot, vertebrae damage, viral septicemia, ascites, Pop-eye disease, oral thrush, and others.
Red Tail Rasbora Care
Diet
Standard-sized dry food is acceptable for red-tailed Rasbora in the tank. However, you’d better regularly feed them live or small frozen fish, such as Daphnia, Artemia, and other similar species, enhancing the color and creating the best conditions for spawning for Rasbora fish.
Water parameters
Rasboras prefer softer and less acidic water with a temperature of 71 – 79 degrees F, a dH level of 5 – 12, and a pH between 6.5 – 7.0.
For them not to feel stressed and to show their best colors, you should decorate the aquarium as naturally as the actual environment at a real river or lake with a very dark background. You can use floating plants or aquarium peat bags to diffuse the light, simulating dark ocean habitats more realistically.
According to aquarists, Red Tail Rasboras should also have access to various real plants so that they can feel comfortable. These fish like to hide in or under specific plants; thus, thick pots will be more appropriate in their tanks.
Tankmates
Aquarists should keep Red Tail Rasbora in groups of 10 to 12 or at least 6 to ensure their well-being. Colorful rasboras can be controlled in aquariums with small carp, live fish, tetra, rainbow fish, catfish, tilapia, loach, and other gentle small fish.
Aquarists can keep other Rasbora species, including Badis, Pangio, Trichogaster, Betta, Danio, Puntius, Trigonostigma, Crossocheilus, and Lepidocephalichthys. Different species of Rasbora can coexist, like the larger scissortail, allowing them to create a pleasant ecosystem.
Redtail Rasbora should not be kept in aquariums with large or aggressive creatures, as they can be considered a potential food source by larger animals.
Red Tail Rasbora Breeding
Before Mating
You should not keep Red Tail Rasbora in an aquarium when spawning but in a separate small tank. The spawning tank’s water needs to be between 75 and 80 degrees F (24 to 26 degrees C) and has a neutral to low acidic pH.
This tank calls for dark light, and the fish will breed better in a tank with plants. Note that the bottom of the spawning tank must have a net to protect the eggs.
After Mating
Red Tail Rasbora reproduces in a male and female pair. Females are slightly larger and have significantly fuller abdomens than males. A female usually lays many eggs before running out of energy, with an average of 30 to 50 eggs and each scrap of 5 to 12 eggs.
Rasbora has no parenting instincts, so adult fish should be removed from the spawning tank as soon as they have finished laying eggs. After 18 to 48 hours, the eggs will hatch, and the fries will be able to swim freely shortly after.
Before the Red Tail Rasbora fries can accept small fish or worms, give them Paramecium first. In addition, fresh and frozen shrimp can only be used as the main food when they are old enough.
Conclusion
The above information makes it easy to understand why inexperienced newbies should choose this fish. As you can see, if you follow our recommendations and dedicate yourself to proper care for the Red Tail Rasbora, keeping this fish is not difficult at all.
Thank you for reading. Good luck, and we hope you will successfully raise Red Tail Rasbora fish.
