The Blue Sundadanio Axelrodi although on the small side, is a beautiful and classic piece of art that will look amazing in any aquarium. Put them in a nano tank in a small school or into a larger tank with other species of Rasboras and tetras and they will dance around playfully and keep you and your house guests entertained for hours. This is why its popularity is rising in the aquarium hobby with great enthusiasm from hobbyists.
They originate from South East Asia and its habitat range varies from Solomon Island, Papau New Guinea, to Indonesia. In the wild you will find plenty of driftwood and fallen dead leaves in their natural environment. The water is soft and acidic and also is very rich in tannins. The visibility is quite very poor compared to our standard aquariums at home. Therefore they do not appreciate bright lighting used for light demanding plants. They always travel in large schools, and many different species of rasboras can school together. This micro-rasbora reaches no larger than 2.5cm and they can be separated in 3 different species. The first is the blue axelrodi we have been talking about. It has the beautiful array of deep and bright blues and reds of the sunset beautifully displayed on its back. The second is golden green. This fish will change from blue to green at different angles, and the belly of the fish is red and a small blue line on the stomach area. Lastly there is the red variation. Its colour is a fiery orange red and is body is semi-transparent. They are the smallest of the species and are very shy. They are the hardiest and easiest to keep as long as the water is clean, soft and acidic in your aquarium.
When differentiating between male and females, look at the fishes overall shape and color. The males are usually bigger and the color is darker and richer. The anal fin is also black. Females are not as long (smaller and stumpy), are less colorful and the anal fin is usually transparent. Also, there isn’t as much solid black on the female. Females’ stomachs are also fatter for more room to carry eggs.
For such a beautiful and exotic looking fish they are quite easy to keep for the beginner aquarium enthusiast. Keep your aquarium temperature between 22-28 degrees Celsius, which will be easy even in cold weather with a good aquarium heater. Try to keep your pH between 4-7, and make sure to test your pH, ammonia and do regular water changes (25%) about once a week***. They do well in lightly planted tanks and feel right at home around driftwood and stained tannic waters. This may not look as pleasant to us, but if you love your fish the tannic acids that tint the water also help dim the tank slightly making even more comfortable for the fish. Remember that when you try to keep fish in as natural as possible conditions they will show you the best colors and possibly also breed for you too! They can be around similar sized tank mates as well, and good with juvenile and adult shrimp as well***.It is best to keep them in groups of at least 10, to help them feel safe and secure in their environment. This will bring out the most brilliant colours in your fish. You can feed them well with small to micro sized pellets, baby brine shrimp, bloodworms, fresh or frozen. Other than that, just sit back and enjoy watching these amazing fish explore and interact with each other in your tank.
Sundadanios are amazing fish to keep because they are easy to take care of and will look extremely beautiful in any tank big or small. Add them to your tank in your home and your guests will ask and talk about how beautiful and fascinating these little guys are. A beautiful nature aquarium with these fish will make a great focal point to bring nature, color and style into your living space.
*** If kept with shrimp do a 25%-30% water change every two weeks instead of every week because some more fragile shrimp cannot tolerate frequent water changes. Always use the drip method for water changes that involve shrimps.