Harlequin Rasbora

Trigonostigma heteromorpha · Peaceful · Beginner care

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A timeless community favourite — warm copper-orange with a bold black triangle on its rear half. Peaceful, hardy and beautiful in a tight shoal through green plants.

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SKU: harlequin-rasbora-10-pcs
Beginner care Peaceful Schooling - keep in groups of 8+ Middle dweller

At a glance

Species profile Trigonostigma heteromorpha

Origin

Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, Thailand and Singapore, Southeast Asia

Family

Cyprinidae (carp and minnow family)

Adult size

Up to 5 cm (2 in)

Diet

Flake, micro-pellets and small live/frozen foods (daphnia, brine shrimp, bloodworm) (Omnivore)

Temperament

Peaceful

Swimming level

Middle

Minimum group

8+ (shoaling)

Lifespan

5-6 years

Minimum tank

60 L (15 gal)

Water type

Freshwater

Size to scale

Natural range

Where it comes from — Southeast Asia

Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, Thailand and Singapore, Southeast Asia

Water

Singapore tap water vs its needs

pH 6–7.5 tap 8
Temperature 22°–28° tap 29°
Hardness (dGH) 2–15 tap 3

Hardness: Soft to medium (2-15 dGH).

Adjusting pH the natural way — Singapore tap water (pH ~8.0) sits above this fish's ideal. Soften and gently lower pH the natural way — driftwood, catappa (Indian almond) leaves or other botanicals. Skip chemical "pH-down".

In the aquarium

How it lives in the tank

Swims in the middle of the tank

Keep in a group of 8+

Gensou's take 2/5

Sensitivity Index — Hardy

Hardy and beginner-friendly; keep up routine water changes and it will thrive.

Our own read on how forgiving this species is of water changes — not a formal standard.

Keeping & care

What this fish needs

Special care — Hardy and adaptable but colours best in soft, slightly acidic, planted water; keep a good-sized shoal for natural schooling behaviour.

Family

About the Cyprinidae family carp and minnow family

Cyprinidae is one of the largest families of freshwater fishes, native to North America, Africa, and especially Eurasia, and includes many of the hobby's most familiar aquarium fishes — barbs, danios, rasboras, "sharks," and goldfish among them. Members are typically small to medium, toothless-jawed (they grind food with pharyngeal teeth), egg-laying schooling fishes, and most popular species are active, peaceful, and undemanding. Care demands vary by species, but the common aquarium members generally prefer soft-to-moderate, slightly acidic-to-neutral water and thrive in groups.

Keep the schooling species (barbs, danios, rasboras) in groups of at least six to eight in a planted, gently-to-moderately flowing tank; larger and boisterous species can nip fins or outgrow small aquaria, so match adult size and temperament to tankmates.

Breeding

Egg-scatterer (most common; some substrate/plant depositors)

Most aquarium cyprinids are egg-scattering spawners that release adhesive eggs among fine-leaved plants, spawning mops, or over a substrate, giving no parental care. Breeding is typically triggered by conditioning adults on rich foods and then providing warmer, slightly softer water and morning light; the parents should be removed after spawning because they readily eat their own eggs and fry. Many species — danios, rasboras, barbs, and white cloud mountain minnows — spawn reliably in home aquaria, while others are bred only in commercial or specialist setups.