Species description

Care, breeding and tankmates

Fish profile

Temperament

Semi-aggressive

They are a very peaceful, active, and schooling fish. Males display stunning colors when showing off to females. They can be slightly shy if not kept in a large enough school.

Diet

Omnivore

They are micropredators that eat zooplankton and small insects. Offer them high-quality micro-pellets and crushed flakes. Live baby brine shrimp or microworms are excellent supplements.

Sex ratio

School

Keep them in a large school of at least 10 individuals. A higher ratio of females to males helps reduce male harassment. Males will spar harmlessly to establish dominance.

Feeding frequency

Twice daily

Feed them very small amounts once or twice a day. Their stomachs are tiny, so they can only eat a little at a time. Remove any uneaten food to prevent water fouling.

Bioload

This tiny cyprinid has a very small bioload. A standard sponge filter or small HOB filter is perfectly adequate. They do require clean water to thrive and show their best colors.

Flow

Stagnant

They prefer sluggish to moderate water movement, similar to their native lake habitat. Strong currents will exhaust them quickly. A gentle sponge filter provides ideal flow and filtration.

Reproduction

Oviparous

They are continuous egg scatterers in heavily planted setups. They will eat their own eggs if not separated. Providing a spawning mop or dense moss increases fry survival.

Compatibility & tankmates

They are completely peaceful and ideal for a nano community tank. Keep them with other nano fish like micro rasboras or small shrimp. Larger fish will easily view them as a snack.

Tank level

Top/Middle

They spend most of their time in the middle and upper levels of the tank. They are active swimmers that dart around the plants. They rarely venture down to the substrate.