Chili Rasbora

[LindaOi]

Hello,

Do Nano fish like Chili or Strawberry or Exclamation Point Rasbora do best in a 5 gallon or smaller.  I've bought 20 from Aqua Huna.  The fish arrived healthy and I QT and do regular water changes.

 

Right now, I have them in a 20 long along with Green Neons and Pygmy Corys.  It looks like I have maybe 6 left.  The tank is bare bottom with plants in clay pots. I don't see bodies but obviously I've lost them. 

 

Any recommendations about tank size or other tips? 

 

Thanks.

Edited October 13, 2022 by LindaOi
Typo

[billango]

I wouldn't say reducing the tank size would help anything. They should be perfectly fine in a 20 long. How long have you had your tank setup for and do you monitor your water parameters like ammonia/nitrites/nitrates? Adding all those 20 fish at once could have caused a spike. 

[LindaOi]

Hi Billango,

The tank has been established for over a year.  I run two Aqua Clear 30s with an air stone. I change water at least twice a week, 50 percent. 

 What you say makes sense about a possible spike.  I will add the next batch in smaller numbers out of my QT tank next time.

Thanks.

[anewbie]

On 10/13/2022 at 11:04 AM, LindaOi said:

Hello,

Do Nano fish like Chili or Strawberry or Exclamation Point Rasbora do best in a 5 gallon or smaller.  I've bought 20 from Aqua Huna.  The fish arrived healthy and I QT and do regular water changes.

 

Right now, I have them in a 20 long along with Green Neons and Pygmy Corys.  It looks like I have maybe 6 left.  The tank is bare bottom with plants in clay pots. I don't see bodies but obviously I've lost them. 

 

Any recommendations about tank size or other tips? 

 

Thanks.

The more space the better; people just look for fishes that will 'fit' in a 5; that doesn't mean a 5 is good for them. The only catch with small fishes; avoid large fishes that might be hungry... also they tend to like a lot of plants and friends to feel more comfortable.

[nabokovfan87]

On 10/13/2022 at 10:39 AM, billango said:

I wouldn't say reducing the tank size would help anything. They should be perfectly fine in a 20 long. How long have you had your tank setup for and do you monitor your water parameters like ammonia/nitrites/nitrates? Adding all those 20 fish at once could have caused a spike. 

One of the biggest issues with smaller fish is that they have a few main issues.  Their mouths are very small and so powder or very fine foods will be a lot easier for them to chew and eat.  Flake foods, or even using pellets in a pepper grinder works very well also.  The other main issue is often flow inside the tank.  The big difference between a 5G nano and a 20L is that you're often trying to move water around with a much larger pump.  If they are over stressed, or the water is lower in oxygenation they can wilt away and wear themselves out over time.  Some body shapes (barbs, rainbowfish, etc.) are tuned for higher flow.  Pay attention to the fish themselves and you'll see the behavior signs if that is an issue. 

Try to feed smaller amounts at least 2x a day and that should encourage them to eat / graze as they naturally would.

On your hardscape, consider getting some glue and some moss or anubias / java ferns so that you can give those fish a bit of a place to hide and more things in the tank to disturb the flow.  This also helps with parameters, gives them more surfaces to graze for algae and aufwuchs on.

[Jeff]

I have over 20 Chilis in my 10g. I run an AquaClear 30; with the tube pushed off to the side for gentler flow. 

They're thriving and coloring up. I'm going to be getting some more soon for my tank. 
 

Get yourself a Ziss Brine Shrimp Hatchery. I hatch live baby brine once every 3-4 months. Freeze the rest, and have lots of frozen brine for them for many months. 

Edited October 13, 2022 by Jeff

[Patrick_G]

Even full grown Chilis are pretty small. Among the fish I’ve owned I’d say they’re the best suited to a five gallon, but I keep mine in a 11 gallon. 

[Odd Duck]

I have chilis in my 100 gallon so there’s no need to worry about too much space for them as long as they’re being offered appropriately sized food.  They really do have tiny mouths and can’t take anything bigger than Grindal worms.  The ember tetras in that tank can handle whiteworms but the chilis don’t even try.  I couldn’t tell you how many chilis I have in the tank since they love to hang out among the plant leaves.  I’m sure it’s less than I had (I never see any bodies) but they appear to be doing well.  I don’t ever see anybody sick.  I’m about to add more into the tank since they’ve finished quarantine.  I just need to disassemble the tank they’re in since I’ll also be catching clown plecos out of the tank and it’s going to be impossible to get them out without removing all the potted plants.  That’s going to be tomorrows project.  Wish me luck!  😆 

[Traumfahrer]

On 10/13/2022 at 6:04 PM, LindaOi said:

Hello,

Do Nano fish like Chili or Strawberry or Exclamation Point Rasbora do best in a 5 gallon or smaller.  I've bought 20 from Aqua Huna.  The fish arrived healthy and I QT and do regular water changes.

Not at all, Chilis shouldn't be kept in below 10G tanks imo, Least Rasboras arguably not below 15G.

How did you acclimatize them? Those miniature species are very sensitive to water chemistry changes and problems, and should be acclimatized slowly, via Drip Acclimation, especially if you acclimatize them to softer water. They're generally very sensitive to biologically immature tanks and while Chili Rasboras naturally inhabit slow flowing blackwaters (in Borneo), Least Rasboras live in still, densely vegetated waters (in Thailand). You wrote that you have two filters and do 50% water changes. Flow can tire them out and water changes that are that big might shock them (osmoregulatory stress & shock, as with acclimatization), leading to their demise. If acclimatized properly and kept in a stable environment, those species can get quite old and are rather hardy, living many years.

 

On 10/13/2022 at 6:04 PM, LindaOi said:

Right now, I have them in a 20 long along with Green Neons and Pygmy Corys.  It looks like I have maybe 6 left.  The tank is bare bottom with plants in clay pots. I don't see bodies but obviously I've lost them.

I don't know why you would want to keep them in a bare bottom tank. A tank with substrate is biologically way more resistant and capable to process waste and house a healthy ecosystem.

On 10/13/2022 at 6:04 PM, LindaOi said:

Any recommendations about tank size or other tips?

What are the water parameters you keep those two shoals in? Check the https://www.reddit.com/r/Boraras/ community, esp. the About page for a lot of background info on these species.

[Mr Gumby]

I keep mine in a 250 litre (65 US gallon)

they're in there with emerald dwarf Rasbora, CPD's, Kubotai Rasbora, a couple of Hillstream loaches and a few different Corydora species. There are also a loan guppy, a head and tail light tetra and two cardinal tetras that got dumped in when my daughter closed her tank down and all get along fine.

They get vibra bites and bug bites that I do crush up a bit, crushed flake and live BBS every other day.

They tend to stay in one corner amongst the val which is bizarrely right next to the filter output but I do use a spray bar with oversize holes to dissipate flow. The show could colour and race around the tank when the BBS go in but theyre a pretty chilled little fish

[_Eric_]

I have heard from an LFS that chilis can be sensitive to shipment and they often lose a decent amount in QT when they get them in.  I’ve never ordered any that were delivered so no personal experience - but thought I’d pass along.  Smaller tank size would not help.  I’d reach out to Aqua Huna - they have a decent reputation for trying to make things right.

[Jess]

I have just over a dozen in my 7.5 gallon with a sponge filter...they've been in there over a year.  I agree with everything @nabokovfan87 said.  Mine used to be in a 17 gallon with an Eheim 2211 filter and I felt that the flow made them uncomfortable so I set up a cube tank with a Co-op sponge filter.  They seem much happier there.  Here they are in the front of that tank, waiting for food.  I crush up Xtreme Nano pellets with my fingers and also feed them baby brine shrimp (live and frozen).  I feed other stuff as well, but these are the main ones...they really do have tiny mouths.

All that said, I agree the size of your tank is not the problem.  They may have had a hard time with shipping.  If you decide to get more, try live or frozen baby brine shrimp, small quantities often, to help them get enough food to build immunity, etc.