Lambchop Rasbora
Trigonostigma espei
- Care level
- Beginner
- Adult size
- 2.5–3 cm
- Minimum tank
- 55 litres
- Temperature
- 23–28 °C
Species profile
Harlequin Rasbora
Trigonostigma heteromorpha
Common names: Harlequin Rasbora, Harlequin
Recognized speciesRasboras
Adult size
Up to 4.5 cm
Typical adult length 3–4.5 cm.
Up to 4.5 cm
Countries of origin
Good fit for your tank?
Good fit for
- A first planted community aquarium
- A shoal of 8 to 10 in a 60 cm tank
- Mixing with small tetras, corydoras, and gouramis
Think carefully if
- Your tankmates are big enough to swallow it
- The tank has no plants or cover
- You can keep only a few fish
A peaceful Southeast Asian shoaling fish with a copper body and a black triangle on the flank. It is hardy, easy to feed, and ideal for planted community tanks.
Appearance and Identification
A deep-bodied copper to orange fish with a black triangular wedge on the rear half of the body.
The Lambchop Rasbora is similar but slimmer and smaller, with a narrower marking. Check the shape of the black wedge when buying.
Females are rounder-bellied and often a little larger. Males are slimmer and more colourful, and their flank marking has a sharper outline.
Tank Requirements
- Suggested filter
- About 220–280 litres an hour
- Suggested heater
- About 50–75 W for this tank
- Minimum tank volume
- 55 litres
- Minimum tank length
- 60 cm
- Minimum group size
- 8
- Recommended group size
- 10
- Activity level
- Moderate
- Flow preference
- Low to moderate
- Planting preference
- Heavily planted
- Hiding places
- Yes
- Lid recommended
- Yes
- Jumping risk
- Low
Include broad-leaved plants such as Cryptocoryne, soft light, and open water for the group to swim together. Dark substrate improves the colour.
Behaviour and Tankmates
A peaceful schooling fish that moves together through the middle of the tank.
Keep at least 8 to 10. Larger groups show better colour and behaviour.
Not territorial.
Suitable with small tetras, corydoras, dwarf cichlids, honey gouramis, and similar peaceful fish. Adult shrimp are usually safe, but shrimplets may be eaten.
Water Parameters
Soft, slightly acidic water is ideal. Farm-bred fish adapt to moderately hard water if the change is gradual.
Parameter caveat
Acclimate slowly and keep ammonia and nitrite at zero. Colour is a good guide to how settled the fish are.
Feeding
- Diet types
- Insectivore, Omnivore
- Feeding frequency
- Once or twice daily
- Preferred foods
- Fine micro granules or crushed flakeUse a particle size the fish can swallow whole, and feed only what is eaten within a couple of minutes.
- Frozen or live daphnia and cyclopsSmall crustaceans add variety and help bring adults into breeding condition.
- Frozen or newly hatched brine shrimpA good small meat food a few times a week rather than the only food.
An omnivore that eats small invertebrates in the wild and readily takes small prepared foods.
Use small foods, and vary them across the week.
Breeding
- Breeding type
- Egg Layer
- Breeding difficulty
- Moderate
- Brood or egg count
- Typically dozens of small eggs
- Incubation
- 1 days
- Parental care
- None
- Baby foods
- Infusoria or parameciumNeeded for the first days after fry become free-swimming, because the fry are very small.
- Fine powdered fry foodUse sparingly as a supplement, and siphon out anything left uneaten.
- Newly hatched brine shrimpIntroduce once the fry are large enough to swallow it, usually after several days.
- MicrowormsA useful next step for fry that are still too small for brine shrimp.
Eggs are attached to the underside of broad plant leaves or similar objects, and there is no parental care. A separate tank with soft, acidic water and broad-leaved plants gives the best chance, with adults removed after spawning.
Habitat and Origin
- Geographic origin
- Indonesia, Malaya, Malaysia, Singapore, Southeast Asia, Sumatra, Thailand
- Natural habitat
- Blackwater, Freshwater Stream, Slow River, Swamp
- Aquarium contexts
- Breeding Aquarium, Planted Aquarium
- Audience level
- Beginner
Classification
- Profile type
- Recognized species
- Genus
- Trigonostigma
- Family
- Danionidae
- Species group
- Fish, Rasboras
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Neon Blue Rasbora
Sundadanio axelrodi
- Care level
- Intermediate
- Adult size
- 2.2 cm
- Minimum tank
- 12 litres
- Temperature
- 23–26 °C
Neon Green Rasbora
Microdevario kubotai
- Care level
- Intermediate
- Adult size
- 2 cm
- Minimum tank
- 54 litres
- Temperature
- 20–27 °C
Phoenix Rasbora
Boraras merah
- Care level
- Intermediate
- Adult size
- 2 cm
- Minimum tank
- 40 litres
- Temperature
- 20–28 °C