By Hannah NielsenThe jewel of the nano tank
Few fish earn their nickname like the galaxy rasbora. A deep blue-green body scattered with pearl-white spots, fins barred in red and black — and all of it packed into a fish barely two centimetres long. It arrived in the hobby in 2006 under the trade name "galaxy rasbora", was almost collected to extinction within a year, and is now widely captive-bred and correctly known as the celestial pearl danio.
If you keep a planted nano tank, this is one of the best small fish you can stock. A group settled into a mature, well-planted 30–40 litre aquarium, with cherry shrimp grazing below, is one of the most rewarding small displays in freshwater fishkeeping.
Care at a glance
Galaxy rasboras want slightly cooler water than most tropical fish — 20–25 °C is ideal, which means they pair beautifully with cherry shrimp and other temperate nano species but not with warmth-loving fish like discus or rams. They're micro-predators: small mouths, so feed accordingly. And they're shy, so dense planting is not optional — a sparse open tank leaves them hiding and washed-out.
In a centrally heated UK home a galaxy rasbora tank often needs only a low heater setting, or none in summer. Their preference for 20–25 °C is one of the reasons they suit nano aquascapes, which run cooler than fish-house tropicals.
Tank mates
Match them with peaceful nano species and invertebrates. The classic planted-nano community is galaxy rasboras up top, a chili rasbora or ember tetra shoal through the middle, pygmy corydoras working the bottom, and a colony of cherry shrimp throughout.
Read our harlequin rasbora care guide and cherry shrimp care guide for the two easiest companions to start with.
Buying galaxy rasboras in the UK
Every fish ships in an oxygen-charged bag inside an insulated box, dispatched Tuesday or Wednesday for Wednesday–Thursday delivery, covered by our live arrival guarantee. Because galaxy rasboras are small and shy, give them a quiet, dimly lit, planted tank to settle into on arrival — drip-acclimate, lights off, and don't add them to a brand-new uncycled tank.
Browse the wider range: rasboras & danios, nano tank fish, or the full tropical fish for sale UK listing.
