Chili rasbora

Identity and search names

Single-species profile for Boraras brigittae. Distinguish it from other small red Boraras using pattern, provenance and accepted identity. Search names: mosquito rasbora

Environment and housing

Dense fine-leaved plants, floating cover, dark substrate, gentle filtration, leaf litter and open lanes where every fish can be seen feeding

Feeding and nutrition

Feeding ecology: Minute zooplankton, tiny insect larvae and finely crushed or micro-sized prepared foods

Feeding routine: Offer tiny foods once or twice daily across several calm feeding points

Breeding and reproduction

Egg scatterer among fine plants or moss; adults provide no brood care

Parental care: No parental care; adults may consume eggs and fry

System demands

Filtration: Use mature biological filtration sized for the adult stock and feeding load, with guarded intakes and a flow pattern the species can use without continual effort.

Aeration: Maintain strong gas exchange and stable dissolved oxygen, especially overnight, during warm weather, medication, crowding or any interruption to filtration.

Maintenance: Test ammonia and nitrite after changes or abnormal behaviour; remove waste from the occupied zone and perform regular water changes matched to temperature and mineral chemistry.

Detailed husbandry

Identity scope

Single-species profile for Boraras brigittae. Distinguish it from other small red Boraras using pattern, provenance and accepted identity.

Adult size and space

Usually about 1.8–2 cm standard length. At least 45 L for a group of twelve or more. Adult dimensions, activity, social structure and waste production matter more than sale size.

Social structure

Keep at least twelve; larger shoals are more secure and easier to feed evenly

Swimming zone

Primary zone: Middle and upper water. Keep that zone usable and provide unobstructed feeding access, movement and refuge appropriate to the species.

Feeding ecology

Minute zooplankton, tiny insect larvae and finely crushed or micro-sized prepared foods

Feeding plan

Offer tiny foods once or twice daily across several calm feeding points

Water stability

Maintain 24–28 °C; pH: 4.5–7.0; hardness/minerals: Very soft to soft. Stable temperature, oxygen, mineral chemistry and nitrogen-cycle control matter more than chasing a single exact number.

Habitat structure

Dense fine-leaved plants, floating cover, dark substrate, gentle filtration, leaf litter and open lanes where every fish can be seen feeding

Compatibility plan

Use only tiny peaceful tankmates with similar water needs and feeding speed; avoid busy mixed communities

Breeding plan

Egg scatterer among fine plants or moss; adults provide no brood care. Parental care: No parental care; adults may consume eggs and fry. Do not trigger reproduction without capacity for aggression, eggs or fry and lawful long-term placement.

Quarantine

Quarantine new fish in a separate cycled aquarium with dedicated nets, containers and siphons. Match temperature and mineral chemistry gradually, confirm normal feeding, respiration, skin, fins and waste, and never pour transport water into the established aquarium.

Welfare checks

Check individual body fullness, shoal cohesion, colour, surface breathing, food capture and whether any fish remains pale or hidden at feeding time.

Biosecurity and release

Never release fish, eggs, fry, aquarium water, sediment, plants or foods into drains, dams or natural waterways. Check the exact accepted identity in current BICON, Australian live-fish import requirements and applicable South Australian rules before import, sale or movement; import eligibility does not authorise release or wild collection.

Main risk

Their tiny mouth, timid feeding and predation risk make them unsuitable for a typical community. A fish can starve while appearing to participate in the shoal.

Adult Projected Load

Low by biomass but sensitive at group scale. A proper shoal needs stable warm acidic water, tiny foods and low competition; small errors can affect the entire group quickly.

Filtration

Use mature gentle filtration with fully guarded intakes and low turbulence while maintaining excellent biological capacity for frequent fine feeding.

Aeration

Maintain reliable surface exchange without exposing the shoal to exhausting current; increase oxygen support during warm weather and bacterial blooms.

Maintenance

Remove uneaten microfoods, use small chemistry-matched water changes, monitor the least dominant fish and keep the aquarium covered.

Overridable Warnings

Do not override shoal size, tiny-food access, predation risk, gentle flow or water-stability requirements.

Welfare and risk

Check individual body fullness, shoal cohesion, colour, surface breathing, food capture and whether any fish remains pale or hidden at feeding time.

Sources

• Eschmeyer’s Catalog of Fishes — Boraras brigittae — Accepted name, synonym and taxonomic placement
• Australian Government — Boraras brigittae risk assessment terms — Identity, distribution, adult scale and Australian assessment context
• IUCN Red List search — Boraras brigittae — Conservation and provenance cross-check
• Australian Government — importing live ornamental fish — Australian import pathway and biosecurity requirements
• PIRSA — South Australian noxious fish list — South Australian possession, trade and release context
• Eschmeyer’s Catalog of Fishes current search — Boraras brigittae — Current accepted-name, synonym, distribution and habitat cross-check