Family: Cyprinidae
Distribution: Rasbora steineri, commonly known as Chinese Rasbora, is an Asian freshwater species found in Vietnam, Laos and south-eastern China.
PH: 6.0 – 6.5
Temperature: 22°C – 24C (72 – 75F)
Hardness: 10 – 15 dH
Description: Rasbora steineri can reach a maximum length of around 10 cm, but is often smaller. It has a dark lateral stripe that runs down its entire body and a curved line that goes to the bottom of the body. It has a blotch-less dorsal fin and four and a half scales between its dark lateral stripe and the origin of its dorsal fin. It is often mistaken for other small fish.
Diet: This rare species probably eats invertebrates in the wild, but has a preference for dried foods in an aquarium environment. You can feed it Daphnia, bloodworm and other live foods to prime it for breeding and also to bring out its best colours.
Breeding: There is not much information available on Rasbora steineri but, like most cyprinids, it is probably an egg-scatterer that exhibits no parental care. You should provide a mesh netting at the base of your tank for the eggs to fall through out of harm’s way, so as to stop them being eaten by the parents.
Comments: You can house a small group of Rasbora steineri in a 200 litre tank. Your tank should resemble this species’ natural habitat – hill streams and lower areas of lowland streams – as closely as possible. Rasbora steineri is extremely rare and was once thought to be extinct locally. Given the lack of information and the sheer rareness of this species, it is probably better suited to hobbyists with some experience.
Article/Books:
Recommended Compatible Species: They will live happily with most Tetra species (particularly the Neon Tetraand Black Tetra). They are also great tank mates with Discus, Apistogramma‘s like Apistogramma Cacatouides and Apistogramma Borelli, CorydorasCatfish (particularly Corydoras Sterbai and Corydoras aeneus) Angelfish, Clown loach, the common Guppyand Platyand most Gourami(such as the Blue Gourami and Dwarf Gourami like the Honey Gourami) Also can live happily with most Danio(particularly the Zebra Danioand Pearl Danio) and also many Killifish make great tank mates.
Originally posted 2010-01-25 13:16:11. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
