Strawberry Rasbora (Boraras naevus)

Strawberry Rasbora (Boraras naevus) is a tiny, red-blushed nano rasbora for aquarists who enjoy calm planted aquariums, careful feeding, and natural shoaling behaviour. It is one of the most delicate-looking fish in the Boraras and rasbora group: small enough to suit a mature nano aquarium, but detailed enough to reward close viewing with ruby marks, clear fins, and a dark body spot that gives the species its name.

This is not a fish for rough community tanks. Strawberry Rasboras do best in a quiet group with soft, clean water, dense planting, low flow, and tiny foods that they can eat easily. In the right setup they spend less time hiding, hold better colour, and move as a loose shoal through the upper and middle water. The aim of this listing is to help you decide whether Boraras naevus is the right fit before you buy, not to push it into every aquarium.

Our gallery is part of the care information, not just decoration. The first image is the SKU-owned source photo for this listing, showing the real strawberry-pink body tone and the dark lateral blotch. The additional planted-aquarium visuals show how this species looks in natural cover, near fine-leaved plants, and in scale against a compact aquascape. No existing product image has been removed.

Quick Care Snapshot

Care point	Recommendation	Why it matters
Scientific name	Boraras naevus	Described by Conway & Kottelat in 2011; the name refers to the marked body spot.
Common name	Strawberry Rasbora	Also seen in the trade as a small red Boraras or strawberry dwarf rasbora.
Adult size	About 1.3-2 cm	A true micro fish; food size and tank mates must be chosen around its mouth size.
Temperament	Very peaceful, shy if exposed	It should be kept with tiny, gentle species or as a species-focused shoal.
Group size	8 minimum, 10-20 preferred	Larger groups look better and feel safer than pairs or trios.
Tank size	20 litres bare minimum; 40 litres better	Small tanks can work only when mature, planted, and stable.
Temperature	20-28C, with 24-26C ideal	Warm but stable water is more important than chasing a single number.
pH	Soft to neutral, roughly pH 5.0-7.0	They colour and settle best in soft, slightly acidic conditions.
Diet	Omnivore; tiny live, frozen, and micro dry foods	Large flakes and pellets are often ignored because the fish is so small.
Care level	Intermediate	Not difficult when settled, but sensitive to poor water quality and unsuitable tank mates.

Origin and Natural Habitat

Boraras naevus is a freshwater rasbora from Thailand, with records around swampy areas north of Surat Thani and the lower Tapi drainage. It is associated with shallow, slow or still water, often with marginal plants, leaf litter, and soft acidic conditions. This explains why the species looks most confident in aquariums that feel sheltered rather than bright and open.

In the wild, small Boraras feed on tiny invertebrates, micro-organisms, and fine suspended foods. They are built for detail work: hovering near plants, picking at small prey, and using cover whenever larger animals pass nearby. A bare tank can keep them alive, but it rarely shows their best behaviour. A planted layout lets them move naturally, rest under cover, and display the warm red tone that makes the species so appealing.

Because many natural swamp habitats in Southeast Asia have been altered by agriculture and drainage, responsible aquarium keeping matters. Never release aquarium fish into local waterways, and avoid mixing similar Boraras species if you are trying to maintain clear breeding lines.

Appearance and Identification

The Strawberry Rasbora is small, translucent, and delicately coloured. Healthy settled fish show a warm pink to red body wash, darker edging around the body mark, and fine red or black pigment in the fins. Under strong lighting they may look washed out; under subdued light and plant cover the colour becomes richer.

The dark body spot is important. FishBase notes that Boraras naevus differs from similar blotched Boraras by the sexually dimorphic front body blotch: males tend to carry a larger oval mark, while females have a smaller rounder mark. In home aquariums this distinction is easier to see when the fish are settled, mature, and not stressed from transport.

Do not expect every individual to look intense red on arrival. These are micro fish, and transport, bright shop tanks, or sparse holding systems can mute their colour. Give them a mature planted aquarium, tiny food, and a calm shoal, and the colour usually improves as they settle.

Tank Setup for Strawberry Rasbora

The best aquarium for Strawberry Rasbora is not complicated, but it must be gentle. Think of a quiet planted edge rather than a fast community tank. Fine-leaved plants, moss, floating cover, botanical leaves, and dark substrate all help the fish feel secure. Open swimming space is useful, but it should be broken up by plants so the shoal can move between cover.

Setup area	Best choice	Avoid
Filtration	Air-driven sponge filter or baffled gentle filter	Strong flow, exposed intakes, or blasting outlets
Planting	Mosses, stems, floating plants, and fine-leaved cover	Bright bare tanks with no refuge
Substrate	Dark sand or fine gravel	Sharp gravel that traps waste in a nano tank
Decor	Leaf litter, small wood, roots, and shaded corners	Large hardscape that removes all hiding space
Lighting	Moderate to low, shaded by plants if needed	Very bright light without cover
Maintenance	Small regular water changes, stable temperature	Large sudden swings in pH or temperature

A 20 litre aquarium can house a small group only when it is mature and carefully maintained. A 40 litre tank is much easier because the water is more stable and the shoal has room to behave naturally. If you want a mixed nano community, choose the larger option and keep the stocking light.

Water Parameters

Strawberry Rasboras are often described as blackwater or soft-water fish, but the practical goal is stability. Aim for soft to moderately soft water, low nitrate, and a calm routine. If your tap water is very hard, sudden attempts to force the pH down can be more dangerous than keeping the fish in steady, slightly higher values. Use botanicals, suitable substrate choices, or prepared soft water only if you can keep the result consistent.

Parameter	Target range	Practical note
Temperature	20-28C	24-26C is a useful everyday target for active feeding.
pH	5.0-7.0	Soft acidic water brings out natural behaviour, but avoid sudden changes.
Hardness	Low to moderate	Many keepers aim around 1-8 dGH for specialist setups.
Flow	Slow and sheltered	They are poor competitors in fast current.
Nitrate	As low as possible	Small fish in small tanks suffer quickly when waste builds up.

Feeding Guide

The most common mistake with Strawberry Rasbora is food that is too large. These fish may investigate a normal flake, but they need powdered dry foods, crushed micro pellets, frozen cyclops, baby brine shrimp, microworms, vinegar eels, daphnia, and other tiny items. A varied diet improves body condition and colour.

Feed small amounts once or twice daily. In a nano aquarium, a pinch that looks tiny to you can still be too much. Food should disappear quickly, and slow fish should have time to feed before shrimp or faster tank mates take everything. If the group hides at feeding time, dim the light and let floating plants create cover near the surface.

Food type	Use	How often
Powdered flake or micro granule	Daily staple when sized correctly	Small portions most days
Baby brine shrimp	Colour, condition, and breeding preparation	Several times per week if available
Cyclops and daphnia	Natural movement and variety	Rotate with other frozen foods
Microworms or vinegar eels	Excellent for fry and conditioning	Use in breeding projects
Large pellets	Generally unsuitable	Avoid unless crushed very finely

Compatibility and Tank Mates

This is a peaceful fish, but peaceful does not automatically mean compatible. Strawberry Rasboras are so small that many ordinary community fish are too large, too quick, or too competitive. The safest companions are tiny, gentle species that enjoy similar planted, low-flow conditions.

Good possibilities	Use caution with	Avoid
Other small Boraras in spacious planted tanks	Mixing similar Boraras if breeding purity matters	Large barbs, cichlids, and predatory fish
Dwarf Rasbora or Phoenix Rasbora style nano groups	Fast midwater shoalers that dominate food	Fin nippers and boisterous feeders
Ember Tetra in a larger calm layout	Any species that needs harder, brighter, or faster water	Fish large enough to swallow a 2 cm rasbora
Neocaridina shrimp colonies once the tank is mature	Tiny newborn shrimp may still be sampled	Large crayfish or large predatory shrimp
Small nerite snails and other peaceful snails	Very crowded clean-up crews in nano tanks	Anything that damages plants or disturbs the substrate heavily

For a simple species setup, keep 10-15 Strawberry Rasboras in a mature 40 litre planted aquarium with moss, floating plants, and snails. For a larger community, a 60 litre tank could hold a shoal of Strawberry Rasboras with a small group of Ember Tetras or tiny rasboras, plus shrimp or snails, provided the filter flow is gentle and food reaches the Boraras.

Behaviour in the Aquarium

New arrivals may be cautious. Give them dim light, cover, and time. Once settled, the group usually occupies the middle and upper areas, moving between plants rather than racing around the tank. They are most confident in numbers; single fish or tiny groups often hide and lose colour.

Watch for active feeding, rounded bodies, clear eyes, and steady schooling. A healthy group will explore cover, respond to tiny foods, and spread out when relaxed. If they clamp fins, stay pale, or avoid food, check temperature, nitrate, flow, and whether larger tank mates are intimidating them.

Breeding Notes

Strawberry Rasbora can spawn in aquariums, but fry survival is much better in a dedicated breeding setup. Like many small cyprinids, they scatter eggs and do not guard them. Adults may eat eggs, so fine moss, spawning mops, mesh, or a separate breeding tank helps protect the spawn.

Condition adults with tiny live and frozen foods, keep the water soft and clean, and use low light. Eggs may hatch after a few days depending on temperature. The fry are extremely small and need microscopic first foods before moving to newly hatched brine shrimp or microworms. This is a rewarding project, but it is not a casual community-tank breeding plan.

Search Result and Shopper Clarity

The page title, meta description, gallery order, and first paragraphs all need to describe the same fish in a consistent way. For this listing, that means leading with “Strawberry Rasbora” and Boraras naevus, then supporting the page with care details for a soft planted nano aquarium. Search snippets are strongest when the page has a clear identity, a useful benefit, and honest availability information, rather than a long chain of repeated buying phrases.

The preferred search result message is simple: this is a specialist nano rasbora for planted tanks, with care guidance, real product imagery, the Live Arrival Guarantee, and WELCOME10 where eligible. If stock is unavailable, the page should still help shoppers understand the fish and prepare the aquarium instead of pretending the product is ready to dispatch.

Page element	What it should communicate	What this repair avoids
H1	Common name and scientific name	Stuffed buyer phrases in the main heading
Meta title	Short, readable species identity	Repeated “UK” wording or duplicated names
Meta description	Nano shoal, planted setup, guarantee, discount	Overpromising dispatch when inventory is zero
Image alt text	What each image shows	Keyword lists hidden inside accessibility text
Structured data	Accurate stock and product condition	Claiming in-stock status for an out-of-stock fish
Internal links	Relevant rasbora, shrimp, snail, and nano community routes	Links to large or unsuitable fish just to add keywords

Keeper Profile

Strawberry Rasbora is best for someone who enjoys watching subtle behaviour. It is not a centrepiece fish that dominates the tank from across the room. Its appeal is in the details: a tiny group moving through moss, the red colour improving under cover, and the shoal becoming braver as the aquarium matures.

It suits aquascapers who already maintain stable planted systems, shrimp keepers who want a gentle midwater species, and rasbora enthusiasts comparing the different Boraras forms. It also suits patient beginners who are willing to learn soft-water nano care before buying. It does not suit impulse purchases for newly filled tanks, mixed tanks with large fish, or aquariums where food is thrown in once daily as large flakes.

Before ordering, check that the aquarium has been running long enough to be stable, the filter is mature, the heater is reliable, and the fish food is small enough. Prepare a backup plan for hot or cold weather delivery, and avoid arranging arrival on a day when you cannot observe the fish after release. Small species benefit from a quiet first evening.

Why the Price Can Look Higher Than Common Rasboras

Some shoppers compare Strawberry Rasbora with common, larger rasboras and wonder why a tiny fish can cost more. The answer is usually availability, handling, and specialist care. Micro rasboras are more delicate in transit, harder to condition on the wrong food, and often arrive in smaller supplier batches than everyday community fish.

The right comparison is not body size alone. Compare the holding care, the need for small foods, the careful packing, and the time spent checking that a micro fish is feeding before dispatch. A healthy group that arrives ready for a planted aquarium is worth more than a cheaper group that has been stressed, starved of correctly sized food, or mixed with unsuitable species.

Arrival, Acclimation and Live Delivery Guarantee

When available, Strawberry Rasboras are packed as delicate nano fish: insulated, seasonally protected, and prepared for licensed courier transport. Because they are small, they benefit from a calm arrival routine. Keep the aquarium lights low, float and acclimate carefully, avoid sudden pH changes, and release them into a planted area where they can find cover immediately.

Our Live Arrival Guarantee applies under the published conditions, and the first-time buyer discount code WELCOME10 can be used where eligible. Availability can change quickly because this is a specialist micro species; if the product is out of stock, use the availability alerts and prepare the aquarium before the next group arrives.

Who Should Choose Strawberry Rasbora?

Choose this fish if you want a small, peaceful, plant-loving shoal and you are prepared to feed tiny foods. It is a beautiful choice for aquascapers, shrimp keepers who want gentle movement above the plants, and hobbyists building a soft-water nano display.

Choose something else if your aquarium is bright, bare, hard-flowing, stocked with large fish, or maintained with irregular water changes. The species is small enough that poor choices show quickly. For aquarists who can provide stability, cover, and a proper group, Strawberry Rasbora is a refined little fish with far more character than its size suggests.

Visual Buying Checklist

When you inspect Strawberry Rasboras, look for steady posture, clean fins, and a body that is slim but not pinched behind the head. A settled fish should hold itself level, respond to food, and move with the group. The red body tone may be modest in shop or holding conditions, but the fish should not look grey, clamped, or weak.

The source photo for this SKU shows three key visual points: the small body size, the warm blush around the mid-body, and the dark lateral mark. The planted-aquarium images then show why this species benefits from green cover and shaded spaces. On a product page, this kind of mixed gallery is useful because shoppers can see both the fish itself and the environment that helps it display properly.

What to check	Healthy sign	Warning sign
Body shape	Slim, even body with no hollow belly	Pinched belly, bent spine, or obvious swelling
Fins	Open and clear when the fish is settled	Clamped fins, tears, or cloudy edging
Group behaviour	Loose shoaling with calm movement	One fish isolated, spinning, or breathing heavily
Colour	Soft red to strawberry tone under cover	Very pale fish that do not recover after settling
Feeding	Quick response to tiny foods	Ignoring all food or failing to swallow fine particles

Detailed Stocking Plans

Because Boraras naevus is so small, the best stocking plan is usually simpler than customers first expect. More plants and fewer fish often produces a better display than a busy nano community. A group that feels safe will use the tank more openly, while a group surrounded by larger fish may hide even in a beautiful aquarium.

For a species-focused nano layout, start with a mature 40 litre aquarium, a sponge filter, floating plants, moss, dark substrate, and 10-15 Strawberry Rasboras. Add snails first if you want a light clean-up crew. Shrimp can work well too, especially hardy Neocaridina, but add plenty of moss if you want young shrimp to survive.

For a larger planted community, keep the Strawberry Rasbora group as the smallest and most protected fish in the layout. Gentle species such as Dwarf Rasbora, Phoenix Rasbora, or Ember Tetra can be considered when the aquarium is roomy and calm. Add Cherry Shrimp, Blue Velvet Shrimp, or Sun Nerite Snails only where water parameters and feeding routines overlap.

Aquarium style	Suggested direction	Notes
20 litre mature nano	8-10 Strawberry Rasboras only, with snails if desired	Keep feeding very controlled and water changes steady.
40 litre planted species tank	10-15 Strawberry Rasboras, moss, leaves, gentle filtration	The best balance for colour, behaviour, and stability.
60 litre calm community	12-20 Strawberry Rasboras with one other tiny peaceful group	Avoid adding too many midwater shoalers competing for the same food.
Shrimp display	Small rasbora group above a mature Neocaridina colony	Expect some pressure on newborn shrimp unless cover is dense.
Breeding project	Selected pairs or small group in a separate soft-water tank	Use moss, mesh, or spawning mops to protect eggs.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

The first mistake is buying too small a group. A pair of Strawberry Rasboras can survive, but it will not show the natural confidence or movement that makes the species special. Treat them as a shoaling fish from the start.

The second mistake is feeding normal community food. Even if the food is high quality, pieces that are too large lead to missed meals, weak fish, and poor colour. Crush dry foods very finely and rotate live or frozen micro foods when possible.

The third mistake is using bright open aquascapes. Many display tanks are designed for the human viewer first, with strong light and open foregrounds. Strawberry Rasboras need shaded areas and fine cover. You can still keep a beautiful aquascape, but include floating plants, stems, moss, or darker corners.

The fourth mistake is combining them with fish that are merely labelled peaceful. Larger rainbowfish, active barbs, robust tetras, and many cichlids may not be aggressive in the usual sense, but they are still poor companions for a 2 cm rasbora. Size, feeding speed, and swimming energy matter as much as temperament.

How This Listing Has Been Prepared

This page has been written to give care-first information rather than repeating the same search phrases. The title uses the common name and scientific name clearly, the handle includes the SKU for a stable product URL, and the care tables are designed to answer practical buying questions quickly. That helps both human shoppers and search engines understand what the page is about without forcing unnatural wording into every paragraph.

The image plan follows the same principle. The real source photo is placed first for identification, while the existing planted visuals are retained to show environment, scale, and aquascape context. Alternative text is written for accessibility and accuracy, not as a dumping ground for keywords. The product remains out of stock when inventory is zero, so the structured data should not claim that fish are available when they are not.

For browsing, the most relevant category is the Rasbora and Boraras collection. If you are still choosing between small shoaling fish, compare body size, water preference, food size, and temperament before deciding. A fish that looks similar in a thumbnail may need a very different aquarium.

Care Depth for Long-Term Success

Long-term success with Strawberry Rasbora depends on consistency. Small water changes are usually safer than occasional large changes, especially if your tap water chemistry differs from the aquarium. Keep the filter mature, rinse media only in old aquarium water, and avoid medication unless you have a clear diagnosis. Tiny fish can react badly to heavy-handed treatment.

Observe the shoal at the same time each day. If the fish suddenly stop coming forward for food, something has changed: water quality, temperature, lighting, flow, bullying, or food size. Early observation is valuable because nano fish can decline quickly once they lose condition.

Plant growth also matters. Healthy plants provide cover, compete with algae, soften the look of the aquarium, and create micro-life for the fish to pick at between meals. Mosses and floating plants are especially useful because they create safe feeding zones close to the surface.

If you want a more natural look, add dried botanicals gradually. Leaves and small seed pods can tint the water and encourage biofilm, but they should be used with restraint in very small aquariums. Remove decaying material if it begins to foul the water, and remember that botanicals are a support tool, not a substitute for maintenance.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many Strawberry Rasboras should I keep?

Keep at least 8, with 10-20 preferred where space allows. A larger group gives them confidence and makes the display much more natural.

Can Strawberry Rasboras live in a 20 litre tank?

Yes, but only as a small, lightly stocked, mature planted setup. A 40 litre aquarium is better for stable water and group behaviour.

Are they suitable for beginners?

They are better for careful keepers with some experience. They are peaceful, but their tiny size makes feeding, water quality, and tank mate choice more important.

Will they eat shrimp?

Adults are usually safe with adult Neocaridina shrimp. Very tiny newborn shrimp may be sampled, so dense moss and plant cover are useful.

Why are my Strawberry Rasboras pale?

Common reasons include transport stress, bright lighting, sparse cover, small group size, poor food size, or unsuitable tank mates. Colour usually improves once they settle.

What is the best food?

Use tiny foods: powdered dry food, crushed micro granules, cyclops, daphnia, baby brine shrimp, microworms, and other fine live or frozen foods.

Can I mix them with Chili Rasbora or Phoenix Rasbora?

It can work in a larger planted tank, but avoid mixing similar species if you are trying to breed them or keep identification lines clear.

Do they need blackwater?

They do not need extreme blackwater, but soft, slightly acidic, tannin-influenced water with plant cover suits them very well.

How big do they get?

Expect roughly 1.3-2 cm. Their tiny adult size is the reason they need small foods and carefully chosen companions.

What should I prepare before ordering?

Prepare a mature planted aquarium, gentle filtration, tiny foods, dim arrival lighting, and a calm acclimation plan before the fish are dispatched.