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Maximum size : 5.5 cm
Graceful Rasbora - Trigonopoma Gracile : Complete Fish Profile & Care Guide
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Introduction
The Graceful Rasbora is a mesmerizing species of fish known for its distinctive, slender body and stunning iridescent scales, making it a popular addition to aquariums, where it is often kept in schools to highlight its striking appearance. The Graceful Rasbora is also known for its peaceful temperament, making it a great companion for other fish species, especially other Micro Rasboras, Tetras and Dwarf Gouramis. With proper care and attention, this species can live for several years in an aquarium, providing a beautiful and captivating addition to any underwater ecosystem. The choice of décor isn't too critical, but a heavily-planted set-up with a dark substrate tends to show better colouring. Creating plenty of shady spots and caves with wood roots and branches would create a more natural-looking arrangement. The species appears to do best under relatively dim lighting and hardy plants; floating vegetation may help further soften the light. Graceful Rasboras have a sleek, silver-coloured body with transparent fins and a blueish-black lateral stripe running from the tip of the snout to the edge of the median caudal rays. Colour variations vary according to the collection location, with some showing more intense colouration in the fins or a reddish lateral stripe.Graceful Rasbora Photos
Sexual Dimorphism
It is quite simple to differentiate between the male and female Graceful Rasbora. Compared to the slimmer, brightly coloured males, mature females have rounder bellies and are usually slightly larger.Quick Facts
| Scientific Name | Trigonopoma Gracile |
|---|---|
| Year Described | 1991 |
| Other Names | |
| Classification | Actinopterygii |
| Order | Cypriniformes |
| Family | Cyprinidae |
| Genus | Trigonopoma |
| Origins | Indonesia Malaysia |
| Max Size | 5.5 cm |
| Temperament | Peaceful |
| Aquarium Level | Middle |
| Difficulty | Beginner - Intermediate |
| Shoaling | Yes |
| Best kept as | Groups 6+ |
| Diet | Omnivore |
| Reproduction | Egg-Scatterer |
| Lifespan | 3 - 5 years |
Water Parameters
| Water Type | Freshwater |
|---|---|
| PH | 4.0 - 7.0 |
| GH | 10 - 25 |
| KH | |
| TDS | 0 - 179 |
| ℉ | 69 - 79 |
|---|---|
| ℃ | 21 - 26 |
Natural habitat
Located in West Kalimantan and Central Kalimantan in Indonesia, Graceful Rasboras are native to the Kapuas River basin. Sarawak in Malaysia is another place where you can find them. These Rasboras inhabit streams and rivers associated with old forest peat swamps. By decaying organic material and releasing humic acids, the water becomes dark brown.How to breed the Graceful Rasbora
Like other Cyprinids, Graceful Rasboras are egg-scattering, continuous spawners that take no part in parental care. However, when in good condition and if you have both males and females, they will lay relatively small numbers of eggs daily in an adequately furnished aquarium, so small numbers of fry may start to appear without human intervention. However, if you wish to increase the yield of fry, a slightly more controlled strategy is required. You can still condition the adults together, but you should also set up one or more small containers. The decor in the aquarium can be straightforward; good-sized bundles of java moss or a couple of spawning mops will give the fish somewhere to drop their eggs, and a handful or two of natural peat fibre is recommended to create the right water conditions. You can keep the bottom of the tank bare for maintenance purposes. You can have a small air-powered filter containing peat and set to turn over slowly as a good alternative; otherwise, filtration is not essential. Adding a few almond, beech or oak leaves to the tank might also be beneficial. Introducing a pair of well-conditioned adult fish to each container would be best. It is wise to perform the transfer slowly to avoid excessive stress levels, but if they like the conditions, they should begin to spawn daily in the evening. These Rasboras may consume their eggs, although they do not seem to hunt for them as others do actively. Once spawning has begun, it should continue at irregular intervals daily. At this point, the plants or spawning mops become twice as practical as they offer sanctuary for the female when she needs to flee the attentions of the over-eager male. You can leave the pair where they are to spawn, and when the tiny young are born, they will survive on their yolk sacs for a few days. After consuming their entire yolk sac, you should provide them with paramecium or other microscopic foods. Once they get bigger and become free-swimming, you can feed them on microworm and artemia nauplii. While the days pass, additional fry may appear from later spawning results. Therefore, it would be best if you waited a week or two before you started to perform small water changes to avoid unnecessarily shocking the young Rasboras.Diet & feeding
In the home aquarium, Graceful Rasboras will readily accept most good quality dried foods such as granules, flakes and sinking pellets. These modern food products have been developed to provide all adequate nutrition to maintain your fish's health and dietary requirements. Additional foodstuffs such as live, frozen, and freeze-dried meals such as bloodworm, daphnia, and tubifex once or twice a week will provide other benefits to your fish's health and well-being but is not a must for this fish. It should be noted that bloodworms should only be given as an occasional treat and should not be used as the staple diet as they are difficult for fish to digest and can potentially cause blockages. This fish is an omnivore in the wild, consuming some vegetable matter. Although most modern fish foods consider this and include them in their products, you can still supplement your fish's diet with blanched vegetables such as spinach, broccoli, and zucchini. Ensure you do not overfeed your fish and remove any leftovers the following day.Other Rasboras you maybe interested in
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