Clown Rasbora (Rasbora kalochroma) Species Profile & Care Guide

The Clown Rasbora is a very peaceful schooling fish, and it would be better if you purchased at least 8-10 specimens. Keeping them in decent-sized groups will not only make these fish less nervous but will result in a more active, natural-looking display. Males will also exhibit their dazzling colours as they compete with each other for female attention, and will spread out any aggression among the group.

This fish is ideal for a community aquarium as long as their tankmates are a similar size with the same temperament; however, this fish is not recommended for the beginner aquarist as it can be quite delicate.

Clown Rasboras have a variety of different patterning depending on whereabouts they came from. Their bodies are a pinkish-red colouration, and they display two large, dark blotches on their body, the first one is behind the gill cover, and the second is on the midsection of the flank between the anal and dorsal fin. Other forms of Clown Rasbora display a row of spot-like markings that connect the two dark blotches on their body.

Natural Habitat of the Clown Rasbora

The Clown Rasbora is endemic to the Malay Peninsula, the Greater Sunda Islands in Borneo and Sumatra in Indonesia in Southeast Asia.

They inhabit very soft and acidic rivers and forest streams associated with peat swamps where the water is tannin-stained brown because of decaying plant matter. Their habitats substrate is made up of scattered twigs, fallen leaves and branches and is often shaded due to the forest canopy above.

Other Rasboras of interest

Diet

In the home aquarium, the Clown Rasbora is unfussy and is easily fed. To enable it to develop its best condition and colours you should offer them daily meals of frozen and live fare such as daphnia, bloodworm and artemia along with high quality dried flakes, granules and freeze-dried foods.

Sexing the Clown Rasbora

It is relatively simple to differentiate males and females. Females are slightly bigger and more heavily built, and the males are slimmer and exhibit more vibrant colours than the female.

Breeding the Clown Rasbora

The Clown Rasbora is an egg-scatterer and a continuous spawner that shows no parental care.

When this fish is well-fed, it will usually spawn, and small numbers of fry may appear and survive in a densely planted community tank.

If you would like to maximize the yield, then you will require a separate breeding tank. This tank should be relatively shallow, dimly lit and the bottom of the tank should have some mesh, marbles or pebbles so that the non-adhesive eggs can fall through, or plenty of delicate leaved plants that can protect the eggs and fry from the adults. The water should be slightly acidic and filtered with a mature air-driven sponge filter, and you should raise the temperature slightly compared to what they usually have.

You can breed them in pairs, and you can induce spawning by topping up the tank with small amounts of cold water to resemble rain and conditioning the pair with portions of live foods.

Once spawning is complete, you should remove the adults as they will consume the eggs and fry. The Incubation period all depends on the temperature, but usually, the eggs will hatch around 24 - 48 hours later. One or two days after that, the fry will become free-swimming.

It would be best if you fed the newly hatched fry with infusoria or commercial liquid fry food initially until they are grown-up enough to accept baby brine shrimp and equivalent.

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