Scissortail Rasbora Care Guide - Aquarium Setup, Diet & Breeding

The Scissortail Rasbora is a sleek, silver-bodied schooling fish named for its deeply forked tail, whose upper and lower lobes move in a characteristic scissoring motion. A dark lateral stripe runs along the body, while the tail is marked with contrasting black and yellowish-orange accents that become especially striking when the fish is active.

This is one of the larger and more athletic rasboras commonly kept in home aquariums. Scissortail Rasboras spend much of their time in open water, swimming continuously and turning together with impressive coordination. Their lively behaviour is generally peaceful, although they can appear restless or timid when kept in very small numbers.

In the wild, they are associated with calm forest waterways and shaded pools rather than fast torrents. Their natural habitats may contain submerged roots, overhanging vegetation and accumulations of fallen leaves, creating a subdued environment with areas of open water for shoaling.

Rasbora trilineata has a relatively long, streamlined profile compared with many familiar small rasboras. Healthy adults show strong colour contrast and confident group behaviour, making a sizeable shoal a dynamic feature in a planted Southeast Asian community aquarium.

Scissortail Rasboras are native to mainland and island Southeast Asia, including parts of Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Sumatra and Borneo. They inhabit slow-moving forest streams, peat swamps, pools and other quiet waters, often in areas influenced by leaf litter and submerged vegetation.

A group of Scissortail Rasboras should be provided with an aquarium of at least 120 litres, ideally measuring around 90 cm long by 30 cm wide or more to give them room for sustained swimming. Use a secure lid, as active rasboras may jump, and combine open swimming space with dense planting around the sides and rear. A dark, fine-grained substrate, driftwood, roots, smooth stones and some leaf litter can create a natural shaded setting. Moderate filtration, gentle to moderate circulation and subdued or broken lighting suit their forest-stream origins, while leaving the central area unobstructed.

Up to about 10 cm (4 inches) in total length. Females are usually slightly larger and deeper-bodied than males.

Scissortail Rasboras are omnivorous and readily accept quality small pellets, flakes and granules. For the best condition and colour, regularly supplement these foods with frozen or live daphnia, brine shrimp, mosquito larvae and bloodworms. Feed small portions once or twice daily, offering only what the group can consume promptly. A varied diet is particularly valuable when conditioning fish for breeding.

Scissortail Rasboras are peaceful community fish and can be kept with similarly peaceful species such as harlequin rasboras, larger peaceful rasboras, danios, small barbs, peaceful gouramis, kuhli loaches, Corydoras and small to medium-sized peaceful tetras. Avoid housing them with large predatory fish, fin-nipping species or highly aggressive tankmates. Their active swimming style and adult size make them less suitable for very small, delicate nano fish that may be intimidated by constant movement.

Scissortail Rasboras are egg-scattering spawners that can breed in a mature, well-conditioned aquarium. Provide soft, slightly acidic water, fine-leaved plants or a spawning mop, and gentle flow. A separate breeding tank is preferable, as adults may eat the eggs. Condition the fish with plenty of small live or frozen foods, then introduce a well-matched pair or group. Eggs are scattered among plants and usually hatch within roughly 24–36 hours; once free-swimming, the fry need infusoria or another suitably tiny first food before progressing to baby brine shrimp and larger foods.

Females are generally fuller through the abdomen and may be marginally larger, particularly when carrying eggs. Males tend to be slimmer, with a more streamlined profile and often slightly stronger colour contrast in the tail markings.