While rasboras are generally easy to care for, breeding rasboras does require some specialized knowledge.
This article will provide an overview of breeding basics for hobbyists looking to try their hand at raising rasbora fry.
Are Rasboras Easy to Breed?
Most rasbora species breed fairly easily compared to other egg-scatterers like tetra fish.
Their continuous spawning behavior means you don’t have to worry about carefully timing breeding cycles.
However, raising the fry to adulthood can pose some challenges.
Fry are extremely tiny at hatching and require infusoria or similarly small foods for their first few weeks.
Maintaining excellent water quality is also crucial when dealing with such delicate young fish.
Overall, breeding rasboras itself may be easy, but successfully rearing fry takes more effort and care.
How Do Rasboras Breed?
Rasboras are egg-scattering fish that show little parental care for their offspring.
When ready to spawn, the female will lay a small number of eggs each day that the male then fertilizes.
She will choose fine-leaved plants, moss, or other suitable surfaces to deposit her eggs on.

The parents show no interest in the eggs or fry after spawning occurs. The eggs are adhesive and normally hatch within 24 to 36 hours.
Newly hatched fry will cling to plants or decor for another 1-2 days, living off their yolk sacs before becoming free-swimming.
Setting Up a Breeding Tank
A basic 10-20 gallon aquarium equipped with plants and mosses makes an ideal rasbora breeding tank.
Use an air-powered sponge filter for gentle filtration and keep the water level slightly lowered. Subdued lighting also helps encourage spawning activity.
Since rasboras prefer soft, acidic water, use peat filtration, alder cones, driftwood, or RO water adjusted with an acid buffer to achieve a pH under 7.0.

An optimal temperature range is 75-82°F.
Introduce a breeding group of 1-2 males and 3-5 females, conditioning them beforehand with high-quality live and frozen foods.
Rasboras may scatter eggs daily once acclimated and ready to spawn.
Raising the Fry
Newly hatched rasbora fry are tiny, small enough to pass right through a fish net!
They will subsist on infusoria and microorganisms growing in the tank for the first week or two until large enough to accept powdered fry foods, baby brine shrimp, microworms, or crushed high-protein flakes.
Maintaining scrupulously clean water via frequent small water changes is mandatory when raising such delicate fry.
Remove the parents after spawning concludes so they don’t consume eggs or fry.
The entire process from hatching to adulthood averages 9-12 weeks, depending on species and rearing conditions.
With some dedication to their specialized care requirements, breeding rasboras can yield many generations of gorgeous little fish!
Specific Rasbora Species

While general rasbora breeding habits are similar across the board, you may wish to focus on a particular species. Some of the most popular options include:
Harlequin Rasboras: Stunning red, orange, and silver fish that spawn daily. Fry hatch rapidly in under 24 hours. One of the easier egg-scatterers to breed.
Chili Rasboras: Fiery red nano-rasboras perfect for planted tanks under 10 gallons. Lays just a few eggs daily. Raising the tiny fry poses challenges.
Galaxy Rasboras: Shining blue and red fish with an iridescent patch that looks like a galaxy. Scatter a few eggs each day among fine-leaved plants.
Kubotai Rasboras: Also called the Orange Rasbora, prized for their bright colors. Another frequent, low-volume spawner.
Rasbora espei: Known for their beautiful red fins accented by a black triangle. One of the larger rasbora species, making fry care a bit easier.
Conclusion
From harlequins to chilis, breeding rasboras can be a fun and rewarding challenge for the fishkeeping hobbyist!
With some diligence and effort, you will eventually enjoy seeing new generations of home-raised rasbora fry entering your display tanks.
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