What tank size does a Lambchop Rasbora need?

A Lambchop Rasbora needs an aquarium of at least 45 litres (11.9 US gallons) with a footprint at least 60 cm (23.6 in) long — for this species, swimming length matters as much as raw volume.

What water parameters does a Lambchop Rasbora need?

Lambchop Rasbora does best at 23–28 °C (73.4–82.4 °F), pH 5.5–7.5 and a general hardness of 1–12 °dGH.

What group size does a Lambchop Rasbora need?

Lambchop Rasbora is a social species — keep a group of at least 8 so natural behaviour emerges and stress stays low.

Is the Lambchop Rasbora suitable for beginners?

Yes — Lambchop Rasbora is one of the easier species to keep and forgives typical first-tank mistakes, as long as the aquarium is cycled and maintained.

Species library

Lambchop Rasbora

Trigonostigma espei

Cyprinidae

FishDifficulty: ●●○○○Data: well-established

📷 AverageWalrus · CC BY-SA 4.0 · resized · Wikimedia Commons

Lambchop Rasbora — Trigonostigma espei — 📷 AverageWalrus · CC BY-SA 4.0 · resized · Wikimedia Commons

About

The lambchop rasbora is a small, coppery-orange shoaling cyprinid from the slow blackwater streams, ponds and swamps of Thailand and Cambodia, named for the tapering black lambchop-shaped mark along its rear flank. A slimmer, more subtly coloured cousin of the harlequin, it is peaceful and undemanding, and looks its best in a densely planted, dimly lit tank kept in a tight group.

Care

Keep in a shoal of 8 or more in soft, slightly acidic, well-planted water with gentle flow and dim lighting. A peaceful nano community fish best paired with similarly small, calm tankmates.

Diet

Micro-omnivore that hunts tiny invertebrates in midwater; feed small dry foods plus frequent frozen or live micro-foods to bring out its colour.

Tankmate compatibility

Gets along with (48)

Possible with care (123)

Altum Angelfish Amano Shrimp Assassin Snail Bamboo Shrimp Betta (Siamese Fighting Fish)Bladder Snail Blood Parrot Cichlid Bloodfin Tetra Blue Acara Blue Dolphin Cichlid Blue Tiger Shrimp Blue Velvet Shrimp Boesemani Rainbowfish Bolivian Ram Borneo Sucker Brichard's Teleogramma Bristlenose Pleco Bronze Corydoras Buenos Aires Tetra Buffalohead Cichlid Bumblebee Goby Butterfly Hillstream Loach Cardinal Tetra Celebes Rainbowfish Celestial Pearl Danio Checkerboard Cichlid Checkered Barb Cherry Shrimp Chinese Algae Eater Chocolate Cichlid Chocolate Gourami Clown Pleco Colombian Ramshorn Snail Congo Tetra Convict Cichlid Crystal Red Shrimp Denison Barb Discus Doctor Fish Dojo (Weather) Loach Dwarf Chain Loach Dwarf Flag Cichlid Dwarf Gourami Dwarf Neon Rainbowfish Dwarf Orange Crayfish Dwarf Pea Puffer Elephantnose Fish Ellioti Cichlid Emerald Cory Endler's Livebearer Festivum (Flag Cichlid)Firemouth Cichlid Forktail Rainbowfish Freshwater Clam German Blue Ram Ghost Shrimp Glowlight Danio Gold Barb Green Discus Green Neon Tetra Guppy Heckel Discus Honey Gourami Japanese Trapdoor Snail Kissing Gourami Kribensis Least Killifish Leopard Danio Malaysian Trumpet Snail Medaka Ricefish Moonlight Gourami Mystery Snail Neon Tetra Nerite Snail Odessa Barb Otocinclus Panda Corydoras Paradise Fish Paraguay Eartheater Pearl Danio Pearl Gourami Peppered Corydoras Platy Polka Dot Loach Port Cichlid Rabbit Snail Rainbow Cichlid Rainbow Shark Ramshorn Snail Red Rainbowfish Red Whiptail Catfish Red-Tail Shark Redhead Cichlid Reticulated Hillstream Loach Rosy Barb Rubber Lip Pleco Salt and Pepper Cory Scarlet Badis Scissortail Rasbora Severum Siamese Algae Eater Silver Tip Tetra Sterbai Corydoras Sulawesi Cardinal Shrimp Sunshine Peacock Sveni Eartheater T-Bar Cichlid Thai Micro Crab Thick-lipped Gourami Threadfin Acara Three-spot Gourami Tiger Barb Turquoise Rainbowfish Uaru (Triangle Cichlid)Upside-down Catfish Vampire Shrimp Venezuelan Cory White Cloud Mountain Minnow Wrestling Halfbeak X-ray Tetra Yoyo Loach Zebra Danio Zebra Pleco

Avoid (100)

Acei Cichlid Adonis Pleco African Butterflyfish Angelfish Auratus Cichlid Bala Shark Black Moor Goldfish Borleyi (Redfin Hap)Brevis Shell Dweller Brichardi (Fairy Cichlid)Bumblebee Cichlid Calvus Cichlid Clown Loach Cobalt Blue Zebra Comet Goldfish Common Goldfish Common Pleco Compressiceps Cichlid Cuckoo Catfish Cylindricus Cichlid Cyprichromis Demasoni Cichlid Demon Eartheater Dogtooth Cichlid Duboisi Tropheus Dwarf Petricola Catfish Electric Blue Ahli Electric Yellow Lab Elongate Mbuna Endlicheri Bichir Even-spotted Synodontis Fantail Goldfish Featherfin Squeaker Figure-8 Puffer Five-bar Cichlid Frontosa Goby Cichlid Golden Julie Golden Wonder Killifish Green Spotted Pufferfish Green Terror Hongi Cichlid Iridescent Shark Jack Dempsey Jaguar Cichlid Jewel Cichlid Johanni Cichlid Kenyi Cichlid Koi Lemon Cichlid Livingstoni Maingano Cichlid Malawi Eyebiter Malawi Hawk Marlieri Cichlid Masked Julie Molly Multifasciatus Shell Dweller Ocellatus Shell Dweller Oranda Goldfish Ornate Bichir Oscar Peacock Bass Peacock Cichlid Pictus Catfish Pike Cichlid Powder Blue Cichlid Ranchu Goldfish Red Devil Red Empress Red Terror Red Zebra Cichlid Regan's Julie Reticulated Flying Fox Rostratus Rosy Red Minnow Royal Pleco Rusty Cichlid Ryukin Goldfish Sailfin Molly Sailfin Pleco Salvini Cichlid Sand-sifting Xenotilapia Saulosi Cichlid Shubunkin Goldfish Silver Arowana Silver Moony Similis Shell Dweller Spotted Hoplo Star Sapphire Striped Raphael Catfish Swordtail Taiwan Reef Cichlid Telescope Goldfish Texas Cichlid Threadfin Petrochromis Tropheus Venustus (Giraffe Cichlid)Wolf Cichlid Zebra Mbuna

Computed by the AquaSage engine for a spacious reference tank — always check the full verdict for your exact setup in the calculator.

Telling males from females

What works for this species, most reliable first.

Belly depthA hint only · only on well-fed adults, and only as a comparison
For most tetras, barbs and rasboras this is all there is: a conditioned female is deeper through the belly than a male of the same length.

All the methods, with diagrams

Also in these lists

Fish for a 54 litre tank Shrimp-safe fish Fish for a first aquarium Peaceful community fish

Frequently asked questions

What tank size does a Lambchop Rasbora need?: A Lambchop Rasbora needs an aquarium of at least 45 litres (11.9 US gallons) with a footprint at least 60 cm (23.6 in) long — for this species, swimming length matters as much as raw volume.
What water parameters does a Lambchop Rasbora need?: Lambchop Rasbora does best at 23–28 °C (73.4–82.4 °F), pH 5.5–7.5 and a general hardness of 1–12 °dGH.
What group size does a Lambchop Rasbora need?: Lambchop Rasbora is a social species — keep a group of at least 8 so natural behaviour emerges and stress stays low.
Is the Lambchop Rasbora suitable for beginners?: Yes — Lambchop Rasbora is one of the easier species to keep and forgives typical first-tank mistakes, as long as the aquarium is cycled and maintained.

Sources

Water & tank

Temperature23–28°C

Optimal temp.24–26°C

pH5.5–7.5

Hardness (GH)1–12°d

Carbonate (KH)0–8°d

Adult size3 cm

Min. volume≥ 45 L

Min. tank length≥ 60 cm

Group size≥ 8

Swimming zoneMid

TemperamentPeaceful

Water typeFreshwater

FlowLow

Lifespan~5 yrs

Try in the calculator