Imagine a tiny fish that looks like it came straight out of a cosmic artist's painting. Like stars scattered across the velvet night sky, its body is covered with sparkling turquoise dots, and the background shimmers with deep orange and golden hues. This micro-rasbora galaxy is a real living treasure of the aquarium world.
It got its poetic name for a reason. When a school of these fish hangs in the water column, it looks like you are watching a miniature, slowly swimming constellation. Each individual is unique, with a pattern of sparkling spots that never repeats itself, making this fish incredibly special.
Despite its starry appearance, it has a rather peaceful and modest character. It is a schooling fish that feels confident and reveals its full beauty only in the company of its own kind. Watching their synchronized movements is a special pleasure for aquarists, reminiscent of the dance of distant stars.
Habitat and characteristics of life in nature
The galaxy's homeland is Myanmar (Burma). The fish lives in the east of the country, in the Salween River basin, in small high-altitude lakes with abundant vegetation. Its native lakes are located between the Nam Lang and Nam Paung tributaries, at an altitude of 1,000 meters above sea level.
It can also be found in the transparent channels of rice fields and in the freshwater reservoirs of Thailand, located near the border with Myanmar.
Margeratidae lead a gregarious lifestyle. Adults inhabit the middle and lower layers of water bodies, while fry tend to stay closer to the surface. Microbarbs behave peacefully and non-aggressively towards other inhabitants of the water body. At the slightest sign of danger, these timid fish hide in thickets of elodea, blyxa, and other aquatic plants.
Males spend most of their time courting females and establishing relationships with each other. Their fights look very peculiar and resemble circular ritual dances. Usually, males do not cause serious injuries to each other, although the dominant male can chase his rival for a long time.
Before the discovery of the galaxy microcichlid by European aquarists, locals paid little attention to this fish, as it had no commercial value. Sometimes the natives caught small fish, dried them in the sun, and gnawed on them like seeds.
The situation changed when the micro rasbora galaxy caused a sensation in the aquarium market. Local residents began to catch them on an industrial scale and sell them to Europeans for literally pennies. Soon, the species was threatened with extinction, and the country's leadership had to take measures to protect the galaxies from uncontrolled fishing.
Fish characteristics
The galaxy micro rasbora is a miniature fish up to 2.5 cm long. Individuals of this species are dark gray in color, with females having silvery-olive scales and males having gray-blue scales.
Milky-colored spots resembling small pearls are scattered all over the fish's body. The fish have yellow bellies, while the males have yellow-orange bellies with a reddish tint on their fins.
Sexual dimorphism in micro rasboras manifests itself in the size, shape, and coloration of the fish.
Sexual dimorphism in micro rasbora galaxia
| Signs of comparison | Males | Females |
| Size | More miniature | Larger |
| Scale color | Dark gray with a blue tint | Dark gray with a greenish tint |
| Coloration | Bright | Muted |
| Body shape | Flattened | More rounded |
| Back line | With a slight bend | It has smooth contours |
| Abdomen shape | Flat or sunken | Round, convex |
| Abdomen color | Orange, with a reddish transition at the pelvic fin | Yellow |
| Fin color | Deep red, with black stripes and transparent inserts | Transparent, with red inserts and black stripes |
| Genital papilla | Reddish, slightly convex | Black, noticeably protruding |
Fish of this species belong to the Cyprinidae family and have a smooth, streamlined body shape. Their eyes are large and bright yellow.
The fins are neat:
- the caudal fin is not divided into lobes, but is solid.
- the dorsal fin is shaped like a smoothed, multi-sided triangle.
- the anal fin is large and identical in shape to the dorsal fin.
The fins have bright, recognizable coloring. In males, they are rich red with two parallel black lines; in females, they are transparent with red and black inserts. The tails of the fish are red, with a wide transparent stripe in the middle. In males, the coloration of the fins is brighter, and during the spawning season it becomes even more intense.
Keeping in an aquarium
Microrasbora is unpretentious in terms of care. This fish feels good in aquariums of any size. It needs clean, clear water and diffused lighting.
Aquarium
Microrasbora galaxy live in schools, so they are kept in groups in aquariums. There should be fewer females than males in the group. It is acceptable to add a single male to 10-15 females. If there are too many males, they will constantly compete with each other and fight. Representatives of this species feel comfortable in both small and large aquariums.
The minimum aquarium volume for keeping a group of fish is 30 liters.
Filling the aquarium
Plant a large number of aquatic plants in the aquarium and equip it with shelters made of stones and driftwood, where the fish can hide from imaginary enemies. These elements of the aquatic environment give the aquarium a more natural look and hide the fish when they get tired of endless competition with each other or lay eggs.
Small-leaved plants such as feather moss or Java moss are suitable for micro-filtration. Dark granite chips can be used as substrate, laying them on the bottom of the aquarium in a layer of 5 cm.
Aeration and filtration
In Myanmar, micro rasboras live in clean, clear waters, so they need filtration and aeration when kept in an aquarium. Small fish find it difficult to withstand strong currents, so the pressure from the filter should not be too powerful.
Light
The lakes where the galaxy micro rasbora lives have dense aquatic vegetation that does not allow much light to pass through. Therefore, in aquariums for micro rasboras, the lighting should be diffused, although if there are aquatic plants, they will tolerate bright lighting. In aquariums without plants, the fish become pale and timid.
Water temperature
In their native habitat, the weather changes significantly throughout the calendar year. In summer, the weather is comfortable, but during the rainy season, it is replaced by wet, cold days.
Therefore, the fish tolerate a wide range of temperatures well. The optimal temperature for them is considered to be between 22 °C and 24 °C.
Hardness and acidity
The water in the aquarium should be soft or medium hard (gH 5-15). The acidity should be almost neutral (pH 6.5-7.5).
Water changes
Micro-galaxy fish are sensitive to the level of nitrogen compounds in the water, so up to 20% of the water in the aquarium should be changed daily.
Diet
In their natural habitat, micro rasboras feed on succulent algae, insects, zooplankton, and small invertebrate worms. In an aquarium, they happily eat high-quality dry food, flakes, and small pellets.
Breeding
Micro rasboras reproduce easily in aquariums. To breed them, prepare a 10-15 liter spawning tank with plants, slow water movement, and the same parameters as in the parent aquarium. There is no need for lighting or filtration. The bottom of the aquarium is covered with a special net that will protect the future eggs from voracious parents.
Reproduction occurs throughout the year. For reproduction, a pair of fish or a male with several females are selected. For additional stimulation, they are fed generously with live food for a week. After mating, females lay 10 to 30 sticky eggs with a diameter of 0.7-0.9 mm. The eggs sink through the water column, penetrate the pores of the net, and settle on the bottom.
The fish do not care for their offspring, but may eat their own eggs, so immediately after spawning, they are returned to the common aquarium. Egg incubation lasts from 2 to 5 days, depending on the water temperature, after which the larvae hatch. For the first 2-7 days, the fry lead a sedentary lifestyle and stay near the surface of the water, and at night they hide among the foliage or attach themselves to the walls of the aquarium.
The fry are fed special food, infusoria, and fine “dust.” At 1.5 months, they grow to 1-1.5 cm. During the first year of life, they grow to the size of an adult, acquire the appropriate coloration, and become sexually mature.
— Alena Petrovna Strizhkova Aquarist and home aquascaper
Compatibility, best neighbors
Microrasboras get along with most aquarium fish, but often suffer from attacks by aggressive neighbors. Given the shy nature of these fish, they should not be kept with larger, more active neighbors that will intimidate them or deprive them of food.
The best neighbors for small galaxies are non-aggressive fish species that inhabit the middle and bottom layers.
Compatibility of the Galaxy microbream with other aquarium inhabitants
| Compatibility | Aquarium inhabitants |
| Fully compatible | Barbs, loaches, guppies, gouramis, danios, labeo, swordtails, mollies, cockerels, pecilias, rainbowfish, rasboras, angelfish, corydoras catfish, plecostomus catfish, tetras |
| Limited compatibility | Crabs, shrimp, eels |
| Incompatible | Astronotus, African cichlids, goldfish, koi carp, South American cichlids |
In an aquarium of the right size, the galaxy gets along well with peaceful small fish:
More care tips:
Advice for owners
Recently, so-called nano aquariums have been gaining popularity.
To make your galaxy fish feel as comfortable as possible, you need to set up their tank as follows:
- The number of plants should be at least 70% of the total area.
- The soil layer should be at least 3 cm.
- Miniature landscape decor elements should be chosen.
When keeping this species in small aquariums, the dominant male may beat weaker rivals to death. Therefore, the number of males in nano aquariums should be regulated. One male is sufficient for 20 females.
If you plan to breed Galaxy micro-cichlids further, it is not recommended to add any neighbors (fish, shrimp, snails) to the tank. This will allow you to organize spawning without transferring the fish, right in the aquarium.
The galaxy micro rasbora is a tiny fish that shines as if sprinkled with stars. Its body shimmers with silver and blue, as if reflecting the light of distant galaxies, and the black spots on its sides make the pattern resemble the night sky. This beauty is ideal for small aquariums, lives in schools, and stays near the surface, creating a feeling of lightness and movement. Despite its size, it attracts the eye and becomes a real gem in any home aquarium.
Video review of the galaxy micro-rasbora
The galaxy micro rasbora is a real treasure for any aquarist. Its appearance in a home aquarium transforms it into a living, shimmering cosmos. Watching a school of these fish is an endless pleasure.
Caring for them is not as difficult as it may seem. The main thing is stable clean water, calm neighbors, and a little time to adapt. In return, you will get an incredibly active and bright life in your aquarium.
If you are looking for fish that will surprise you with their beauty and interesting behavior, the galaxy is an excellent choice. This tiny starburst can become the center of attention and the main decoration of your underwater world.
