What are my Rasboras up to?

While sitting by my tank a week ago, I noticed some weird (playful) behaviour by my Rasboras. I grabbed my phone and took a video. I uploaded the video here:

. (

). Does anyone know what they are doing? I bought the school of 8 from an LFS about 6 weeks ago. They were tiny Babies at the time. They seem very healthy and happy - swim all over the tank and are the most aggressive eaters in the tank. The tank is a 40 gallon high tech tank (below is a pic from a few months ago, before I put in the raboras) and gets 7.5% water changes daily (I have it automated). Parameters are excellent - 0 ammonia, 0 nitrates, <10 Nitrates, 180 TDS).

If you have any ideas what the behaviour in linked video is please post below.
)

 

Welcome to Fishlore!
I couldn't access the video, but their behaviour sounds pretty normal to me. Rasboras are active fish.

 

If they were swimming in loops and rubbing themselves on plants upside down it means they want to spawn. Mine do this pretty much all day but never actually get busy.. they won't lay eggs unless the conditions are very specific and it's hard to get right in a home Aquarium. So just watch the fun and enjoy they are super cool fish

 

Welcome to Fishlore!
I couldn't access the video, but their behaviour sounds pretty normal to me. Rasboras are active fish.

Thanks for your response. I am not sure why, but you are right in that the hyperlink only seems to show up in some browsers. I inserted the video directly, hopefully that will work.

I agree that the rasboras are super active. But I thought this specific instance was odd because they were swimming upside down and pushing so close to each other that they were forming essentially a ball of fish, inside the plants. Never saw that before. Perhaps they are extremely playful.

Hope you can see the video now, and if not please let me know and I'll see if I can figure out what is going on.

If they were swimming in loops and rubbing themselves on plants upside down it means they want to spawn. Mine do this pretty much all day but never actually get busy.. they won't lay eggs unless the conditions are very specific and it's hard to get right in a home Aquarium. So just watch the fun and enjoy they are super cool fish

Thanks, that is exactly what they were doing. Hopefully you can now see the video. And I agree, they are one of my favourites. Is there a guide in this site on how to get them to spawn?

 

Thanks, that is exactly what they were doing. Hopefully you can now see the video. And I agree, they are one of my favourites. Is there a guide in this site on how to get them to spawn?

Ph needs to be lowered to 5.5-6.0 range, kh 0-2, temp 80 to 82.5. they need low light and you have to feed them blood worms every day for 1 week. 4-5 small feedings daily too lol not just one. Any live or frozen live food works though. After they spawn you'll have to remove the adults immediately and black out the tank like you would with neons for 48 hours. They hatch quickly and feed off yolk for 24 hours, after that you feed them infusoria and baby brine shrimp, microworms etc

 

That’s breeding behavior, my Rasboras do the same thing. Usually in the morning. Here’s a good link that will give you some idea of the conditions that are helpful for them to successfully breed.
Trigonostigma heteromorpha – Harlequin (Rasbora heteromorpha) — Seriously Fish

 

Ph needs to be lowered to 5.5-6.0 range, kh 0-2, temp 80 to 82.5. they need low light and you have to feed them blood worms every day for 1 week. 4-5 small feedings daily too lol not just one. Any live or frozen live food works though. After they spawn you'll have to remove the adults immediately and black out the tank like you would with neons for 48 hours. They hatch quickly and feed off yolk for 24 hours, after that you feed them infusoria and baby brine shrimp, microworms etc

Wow - that's quite the list of requirements. Ph is no problem since I always use remineralized RODI water with Aquasoil, so my Ph is always around 6. Having to feed them 4-5 times should be ok too - now that I work from home. How would you know when they lay their eggs to remove the adults.

I figure, the best way would be for me to place them in a small tank - I have a spare 7 gallon. I can use an inexpensive light and a spare heater. How would I set up that tank - lots of plants? Anything else needs to be included?

That’s breeding behavior, my Rasboras do the same thing. Usually in the morning. Here’s a good link that will give you some idea of the conditions that are helpful for them to successfully breed.
Trigonostigma heteromorpha – Harlequin (Rasbora heteromorpha) — Seriously Fish

Thanks. I'll read that carefully.

 

Wow - that's quite the list of requirements. Ph is no problem since I always use remineralized RODI water with Aquasoil, so my Ph is always around 6. Having to feed them 4-5 times should be ok too - now that I work from home. How would you know when they lay their eggs to remove the adults.

I figure, the best way would be for me to place them in a small tank - I have a spare 7 gallon. I can use an inexpensive light and a spare heater. How would I set up that tank - lots of plants? Anything else needs to be included?


Thanks. I'll read that carefully.

Actually it sounds like they might spawn on their own in that environment haha. Just up your heat to the required range and make sure to have lots of live plants with broad leaves. You can either put the adults into the 7g after or you can just remove the eggs and place the eggs in the 7g. The rasboras will spawn on the undersides of broad leaves so the eggs will be very visible. You can simple cut the leaf off and transfer it very carefully in a Tupperware with tank water in it to the other tank. BUT the eggs are photosensitive so the light needs to be as low as possible during this entire process. You'll need to have a small nightlighr in the corner of the room with a tissue over it or something and sit in the room for 20 minutes and let your eyes adjust. Use the bare minimum amount of light you need so the eggs dont die

 

If you decide to try to get them to spawn, be aware of changing parameters for your other fish like your neons which may not tolerate changes. I would establish an rasbora tank just for mating if you are serious. When The eggs have been laid and you're ready to take out the adults, just put them back in your neon tank and you have babies that don't have to be caught or isolated. Thanks for the video, it was very cute!

 

If you decide to try to get them to spawn, be aware of changing parameters for your other fish like your neons which may not tolerate changes. I would establish an rasbora tank just for mating if you are serious. When The eggs have been laid and you're ready to take out the adults, just put them back in your neon tank and you have babies that don't have to be caught or isolated. Thanks for the video, it was very cute!

Thanks for liking the video Vivo. I think you are right - not only would it bother the neons but I’d worry that the fry may end up being food for them. It looks like I have my work cut out.

 

Thanks for liking the video Vivo. I think you are right - not only would it bother the neons but I’d worry that the fry may end up being food for them. It looks like I have my work cut out.

Your tank is ideal, you only need to adjust a couple parameters and keep things dark. You'll be fine keep this thread active because I want to spawn my own rasboras