Phoenix Rasbora (Boraras merah)

Phoenix Rasbora (Boraras merah) is a minute red-and-black freshwater fish for a mature, quiet and densely planted aquarium. Published records place the species in western and southern Borneo, where tiny fishes live among shaded forest water, submerged roots, leaf litter and other fine cover. Its adult body remains very small, but its care is not simply a matter of choosing the smallest tank: stable soft water, tiny food, a proper social group and freedom from larger or boisterous tank mates all matter.

Each selected quantity is one unsexed live fish in the supplier's approximate 1.5-2 cm dispatch grade. It is not a pair, a fixed shoal or a guaranteed male or female. Use the live quantity control for the number required, and plan the complete group before ordering. The centimetre band is a living trade grade rather than a millimetre guarantee; it does not certify age, maturity, sex or final colour.

The supplier identifies this stock as Rasbora / merah, which supports the customer identity Phoenix Rasbora and the scientific field Boraras merah. It does not provide a collection locality, breeder, wild-caught or captive-bred status, lineage, sex ratio or batch photograph. Those limits are stated because closely related Boraras are often mixed in aquarium lists. This page keeps Chili Rasbora and Dwarf Rasbora as comparison species, not alternative names for the fish supplied.

What You Receive

Living fish vary in body condition, colour and marking strength. Transported individuals can be pale, and juveniles may not show the contrast seen in a settled adult. The supplier grade is the useful dispatch reference. Do not use one photograph to promise a particular sex, stripe, blotch shape or exact shade of red.

Quick Care Summary

These aquarium values are not a claim that this batch came from one measured locality. Natural peat-swamp water can be more acidic and mineral-poor, but copying an extreme pH without the buffering, testing and preparation to keep it stable creates unnecessary risk. Test the actual aquarium and ask for current holding-water information when available.

Is This The Right Nano Fish For You?

A small adult size does not make the species disposable, solitary or maintenance-free. A well-planned group in a stable planted aquarium can be an excellent choice for a careful newer keeper, but a newly set-up nano tank leaves little room for mistakes. Use our small tropical fish guide to compare adult size with the less obvious demands of water stability, feeding and social behaviour.

Identity: Phoenix Rasbora And Boraras merah

FishBase records Boraras merah as a valid tropical freshwater species described by Kottelat in 1991. It places the species in western and southern Borneo and gives 2.0 cm as the maximum recorded standard length. Phoenix Rasbora is the useful English aquarium name; Rasbora merah and Phoenix Dwarf Rasbora can also appear in trade lists.

The genus name is important because these fishes were historically placed in Rasbora. The modern combination is Boraras merah, not Rasbora merah, although the older-style trade wording remains understandable. Merah means red in Indonesian and refers to the warm body colour. Scientific names distinguish the species and should not be treated as interchangeable trade names.

The 2013 catalogue of Southeast Asian inland fishes gives the type locality in the Jelai Bila basin of Central Kalimantan. It also discusses why aquarium-trade fish can be difficult to assign from colour alone: known-locality material showed sex-linked spotted and striped patterns, and the real origin of traded stock is often uncertain. The supplier record supports B. merah, but it cannot establish a locality, lineage or guaranteed pattern for the present batch.

Gallery Image Disclosure

The complete gallery contains five images. The first is a product-specific historical photograph from the former stock source. It shows a small Boraras on a black background with a dark flank blotch and warm lateral colour. It supports the listed identity, but it is not a photograph of the current batch or the exact fish that will be dispatched.

The remaining four images are site-owned representations: a planted driftwood scene, a two-fish shoal context, a clean side view and a plant-scale scene. They help customers visualise the general body plan and aquarium context, but generated eye, scale, fin and colour details are not diagnostic. The two-fish image does not mean that one selected quantity is a pair, and the leaf does not provide a measured size reference.

The gallery keeps the source-backed photograph first and the four views after it. The image descriptions identify which is which. Compare the complete set with the written identity and selected dispatch grade rather than expecting every living fish to match one pose or colour intensity.

Published Adult Size And The 1.5-2 cm Grade

FishBase gives a maximum of 2.0 cm standard length. Standard length is measured from the front of the snout to the base of the tail fin, so the complete fish looks slightly longer when the caudal fin is included. The supplier's 1.5-2 cm band is an approximate living dispatch grade and may therefore include individuals approaching the published adult body length, but it does not certify maturity.

Tiny fish still need swimming length and social space. Tank planning should be based on the group, plant structure, feeding access and water stability, not on multiplying a single fish's body length by a simplistic litres rule. Check the real dimensions with the tank-volume tool; footprint is more informative than litres alone for this active midwater species.

Natural Distribution, Habitat And Conservation

Published distribution covers western and southern Borneo. The type locality lies in Central Kalimantan, and specialist habitat accounts associate the species with blackwater streams and rivers linked to old forest peat swamps. Decomposing leaves, branches and other plant material release tannins and organic acids, staining the water brown. Overhead forest and dense marginal vegetation reduce glare, while roots and litter create countless small refuges.

This context explains the aquarium priorities. The fish benefits from shade, fine cover, gentle water movement and very clean water with low mineral content. It does not mean that the aquarium should be dirty or oxygen-poor. A blackwater-style display still needs mature biological filtration, gas exchange and controlled waste. Botanicals are habitat structure, not permission to leave decaying food or unstable water unattended.

FishBase reports the 2019 IUCN assessment as Data Deficient. That category does not mean the species is secure; it means available information was insufficient for a more precise extinction-risk assessment. Peat-swamp and heath-forest habitats face drainage, fire, agriculture and development pressures. Because the supplier has not supplied origin documentation, this listing does not claim that the current fish are wild-caught, captive-bred or collected from the type locality.

Aquarium Footprint And Layout

A base of at least 45 x 30 cm is the specialist planning minimum used here. That footprint gives a social group room to move, allows dense cover without filling every swimming route and provides more stable water than an ornamental desktop cube. A larger, mature aquarium is preferable for a group above the minimum or for any community. Height is less valuable than usable length, cover and consistent water quality.

Place fine plants and moss along the rear and sides, then retain a shaded open lane where the group can be observed and fed. Floating plants soften direct light. Dark substrate and a dark background often make translucent red-orange fish easier to see. Use a close-fitting lid because small fish can jump through surprisingly narrow gaps, especially after transport or during maintenance.

Water Chemistry: Stable Before Extreme

A practical aquarium range is about 25-28°C, pH 5.0-7.0 and roughly 1-8 dGH. Natural blackwater may be more acidic and nearly mineral-free, but a home aquarium at the edge of that chemistry has little buffering capacity. For most keepers, a repeatable soft-water recipe in the moderate part of the range is safer than repeatedly dosing chemicals to chase pH 4.

Test tap water before committing to the species. If it is very hard, use reverse-osmosis water only with a planned remineralisation or blending method; pure RO without appropriate minerals is not automatically safe. Record the recipe so each water change is similar. The water-matcher tool can help compare a proposed community, but actual test results and gradual acclimation remain essential.

Filtration, Flow And Maintenance

Use a mature sponge filter or a well-baffled filter with a guarded intake. The group should not have to swim continuously against a forceful jet, and no fish should be able to enter an intake gap. Gentle flow does not mean poor oxygenation: keep the surface moving, maintain the filter and avoid letting floating plants seal the whole surface.

Nano aquariums respond quickly to overfeeding, dead plant matter and blocked filters. Complete small, regular water changes using prepared water of closely matched temperature and chemistry. Siphon obvious debris from open feeding areas, but do not sterilise every surface or replace all biological media at once. Rinse media gently in removed aquarium water when flow begins to fall.

Observe the group for several minutes after maintenance. Gasping, clamped fins, sudden hiding or frantic movement can reveal a temperature, chlorine, pH or oxygen problem before a test kit is opened. A stable routine should feel uneventful. Large corrective changes are sometimes necessary in an emergency, but they should not be the normal way the aquarium is managed.

Plants, Wood And Leaf Litter

Fine-leaved stems, mosses, floating plants and branching roots give cover at the fish's scale. Plants such as Java moss, Taxiphyllum, Ceratopteris and fine Rotala or Limnophila can create sheltered edges while leaving a central feeding lane. Attach epiphytes to smooth wood and secure every piece of hardscape before fish are introduced.

Leaf litter and small botanicals can add tannins, microbial grazing surfaces and visual shelter. Add them gradually to a mature aquarium and watch pH, oxygen and decomposition. Replace or remove material if it becomes a heavy waste trap. A thin, managed layer is easier to inspect than a deep bed in which uneaten food disappears.

Bright aquascape lighting can be used for plants if floating cover and shaded retreats remain available. Increase light gradually and provide a regular dark period. The fish should be able to leave the brightest area at any time. A layout that allows choice usually produces calmer swimming and stronger settled colour than an exposed display built only for photographs.

Feeding A Fish With A Tiny Mouth

The mouth is small enough that ordinary community flakes and pellets may need crushing. Use a high-quality micro granule or finely rubbed flake as a measured staple, then rotate appropriately sized frozen or clean cultured foods. Cyclops, small daphnia, microworms and newly hatched Artemia can improve feeding response and condition when they are small enough to swallow.

Feed small portions once or twice daily according to body condition and aquarium maturity. Watch the group eat instead of relying on the amount placed in the tank. A gently rounded abdomen after feeding is useful; persistent hollow bellies, spitting or withdrawal from food need investigation. In a community, spread tiny food through more than one area so one fast species cannot intercept everything.

Social Behaviour And Group Size

This is a social micro-fish rather than a solitary display animal. Keep at least eight, with ten or more preferred where the aquarium can support them. A larger group spreads attention, increases confidence and gives a more natural pattern of loose grouping, short displays and movement between cover. Buying two or three does not create a stable social unit.

The word shoaling is more accurate than promising a tight school at all times. Secure fish may spread through the planted area and regroup when startled. Mature males can show stronger colour and may defend very small temporary display spaces around spawning, but this is not comparable with sustained cichlid territory. Dense structure lets subordinate fish move away without leaving the whole aquarium.

Group size cannot compensate for an undersized or unstable tank. Twelve fish in a well-run larger layout may be easier to manage than eight in a crowded decorative cube, but adding fish beyond filtration and food capacity is not beneficial. Select the group according to the finished aquarium, not according to a temporary juvenile holding plan.

Tank Mates And Community Planning

Choose tiny, calm species that share soft-water conditions and do not dominate feeding. The rasbora and danio hub is useful for browsing, but every candidate still needs an adult-size and behaviour check. A species-only group is often the clearest and safest display at the minimum footprint.

Compare the separate Dwarf Rasbora, Mosquito or Chili Rasbora and Strawberry Rasbora listings rather than assuming the names describe one interchangeable fish. No named tank mate is automatically safe. Adult size, temperature, hardness, food size, swimming speed and individual behaviour all have to overlap.

Shrimp, Snails And Invertebrate Risk

Adult dwarf shrimp may coexist in some planted aquariums because the fish are extremely small and not equipped to tackle a healthy adult. That is not a guarantee for eggs, newly hatched shrimplets or weakened animals. Any fish capable of eating moving micro-food can investigate tiny offspring. Provide moss and dense cover if this risk is accepted.

Water chemistry may be the greater conflict. Some Neocaridina lines tolerate moderately soft water, while many snails need more available calcium than an acidic peat-style aquarium provides. Shell erosion is a warning that a snail is being kept outside suitable conditions. Do not harden the aquarium abruptly for a snail while stressing the fish, or acidify a shrimp aquarium without understanding mineral needs.

Small peaceful snails can be useful where chemistry overlaps, but they still add waste and consume food. Quarantine plants and invertebrates where practical, avoid copper exposure and never treat the entire display casually. Medication choice should account for every animal in the tank.

Appearance, Sexing And Colour Limits

A Phoenix Rasbora can show a translucent to warm red-orange body, a darker blotch or broken stripe on the flank and additional small dark markings toward the tail. Colour changes with sex, maturity, genetics, background, light, social confidence, food, stress and transport. A pale arrival can colour up after several quiet days without becoming identical to a saturated adult photograph.

Kottelat's catalogue is particularly useful here because it describes spotted females and more striped males in known material, while also warning that traded origin is uncertain. Mature males may be slimmer and more strongly coloured; females may be fuller-bodied and retain a spotted pattern. These are contextual tendencies, not a reliable promise for a juvenile-sized unsexed sale.

Do not identify this product as Chili Rasbora solely because one individual develops a stronger stripe, and do not call it Dwarf Rasbora solely because another looks spotted. Diagnostic work uses provenance, morphology and comparison, not one generated image or a stressed shipping colour. The product identity is based on the supplier record plus accepted species references, with the batch limitations made visible.

Breeding Context Without A Promise

Specialist aquarium accounts describe Boraras as small egg scatterers without parental care. Well-conditioned adults may release small numbers of eggs among moss or fine plants, and adults or other fish can eat the eggs and minute fry. This listing does not supply sexed, paired, mature, locality-certified or breeding-ready fish.

A deliberate project needs a mature separate aquarium, very soft stable water, dim light, fine cover and cultures of truly minute first food. Newly hatched fry can be too small for Artemia at first, so infusoria and other microscopic foods may be needed before larger live food. Raising fry also requires steady water quality without abrupt cleaning or feeding excess.

Do not buy two unsexed fish and assume they will form a productive pair. Build a healthy social group first, observe mature condition and keep lineage records if breeding is attempted. Conservation value depends on accurate identity and provenance, not simply producing red micro-fish under an uncertain label.

Arrival, Acclimation And The First Week

Prepare the aquarium before dispatch. Confirm zero ammonia and nitrite, stable temperature, covered intakes, a secure lid and gentle flow. Dim the room and aquarium before opening the parcel. Inspect the bag without exposing it to strong light, and photograph any genuine arrival concern while the bag remains sealed so the current guarantee process can be followed.

Temperature equalisation is only one part of acclimation. Water chemistry can differ, particularly for a soft-water fish. Use the new-fish acclimation guide and acclimation timer, adjusting the pace to the actual difference and condition of the fish. Avoid leaving an opened shipping bag warm and aerated for an unnecessarily long period, because shipping-water chemistry changes after opening.

Transfer the fish without adding transport water to the display where possible. Keep lighting low for the rest of the day and offer only a very small, correctly sized first meal after the group has settled. During the first week, watch breathing, posture, grouping, appetite and body condition. Avoid major aquascaping, new tank mates and rapid chemistry changes while the fish recover from transport.

Health And Troubleshooting

Small body size means decline can become serious quickly. Keep a quarantine or hospital plan, but avoid catching tiny fish repeatedly without cause. If treatment is needed, calculate the real water volume, check the active ingredient and account for shrimp, snails, plants and biological filtration. Seek a fish-experienced veterinary professional for unexplained losses or persistent symptoms.

Phoenix, Chili And Dwarf Rasboras Are Different

Care overlaps because all are miniature fishes needing small food, calm tank mates and thoughtful group management. Overlap does not make the names synonyms. This fish is identified as B. merah; Chili, Dwarf and Strawberry Rasboras remain separate species. For broader comparison, use the rasbora care guide without applying larger-rasbora size advice blindly to this species.

Live Delivery And New-Customer Saving

Eligible livestock purchases are covered by the current Live Arrival Guarantee when its instructions and reporting window are followed. Delivery dates, weather restrictions, postcode eligibility and dispatch options can change, so confirm the current policy and checkout options before ordering.

Eligible new customers can use WELCOME10 for 10% off their first purchase. The discount does not change the care requirement: finish cycling the aquarium, prepare the complete group and confirm suitable water before ordering. Check the quantity selector for live availability and any current multi-buy saving.

Planning The Group As One Project

Prepare for the intended social group rather than treating each fish as an isolated decoration. Adding one fish now and another much later can mean repeated transport, repeated acclimation and an extended period below the preferred group size. Decide the adult stocking plan first, then confirm that filtration, plant cover, food distribution and quarantine capacity can support it. The right number is constrained by the finished aquarium, not merely by the quantity available on the day.

Introduce the group to an established biological system, not to an aquarium that only looks finished. A planted display can still be immature if the filter has not processed an ammonia source consistently or if newly installed substrate is changing chemistry. Measure ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, temperature, pH, GH and KH before dispatch. Keep a written baseline so an unusual reading after arrival can be compared with a real earlier value.

A Practical Care Calendar

Consistency is more useful than dramatic intervention. A small planted aquarium can change quickly, so short observations made every day are often more valuable than a long inspection once a month. Watch the fish before feeding, during feeding and again after the food has cleared. Normal behaviour for the settled group becomes the reference against which hiding, rapid breathing, uneven body condition or exclusion from meals can be recognised.

Do not clean the filter and alter the hardscape, water recipe and stocking on the same day unless an emergency requires it. Staggering routine work makes the cause of any reaction easier to identify and protects biological stability. Replace evaporated water with the appropriate source water rather than treating evaporation as a normal water change; minerals remain behind when water evaporates.

Soft-Water Records And Change Control

Soft water gives less chemical buffering than hard alkaline water. That makes measurement and repeatability especially important. If reverse-osmosis water is blended with tap water, measure both components and use the same remineraliser, scale and container each time. GH, KH or conductivity can help confirm consistency, while pH should be interpreted alongside buffering rather than as an isolated target.

Botanicals can gradually alter colour and acidity, but their effect depends on water volume, starting chemistry and decomposition. Add leaves or cones in measured stages and record the date. A sudden large botanical load is not a controlled way to correct unsuitable source water. Remove material that traps excessive food, develops an unpleasant anaerobic smell or prevents the substrate from being inspected.

When a reading moves outside the normal record, first check the test method, expiry date and sample container. Then look for a missed water change, dead animal, decomposing plant, excessive food, exhausted filter flow or accidental dosing. Correct the cause at a pace the fish can tolerate, except where ammonia, nitrite, chlorine or oxygen shortage creates an immediate emergency. The written trend is what distinguishes a true shift from one doubtful test.

Heat, Power And Equipment Contingencies

Warm water carries less dissolved oxygen, and a densely planted nano aquarium can become vulnerable during a summer heat event or power interruption. Keep the aquarium away from direct sun, ensure surface movement and have a battery air pump available. Cooling must be gradual: increase room ventilation, float sealed cool packs only with close temperature monitoring, and never pour ice or untreated cold water directly into the aquarium.

During a power failure, oxygen and filter bacteria become the first priorities. Reduce feeding, keep filter media wet in aquarium water and provide battery aeration. Do not seal wet biological media in a stagnant container for many hours. When power returns, inspect and smell the media before flushing accumulated stagnant water into the display, then monitor ammonia and nitrite.

A failed heater can be just as dangerous as a cold room. Use an independent thermometer and position the heater where guarded circulation can distribute warmth without exposing fish to an intake or hot contact surface. Spare equipment should be tested before it is needed. Emergency preparation is part of keeping a small soft-water fish responsibly; it is not something to improvise after the group begins gasping.

Sources And Further Reading

• FishBase: accepted identity, distribution, maximum standard length and Data Deficient assessment
• Kottelat (2013): type locality, taxonomy and aquarium-trade identity caution
• Specialist habitat and aquarium-planning summary for Boraras merah

Sources are used within their limits. Species records support identity, distribution and published size; specialist aquarium guidance supports conservative setup planning. Neither proves the breeder, collection locality, wild/captive origin, sex, lineage or exact appearance of the present batch.