Rummynose Rasbora (Sawbwa resplendens)

Common Name

Naked Micro Rasbora
Rummy nose rasbora
Sawbwa resplendens

A tiny cyprinid from the Inle Lake system that looks like polished silver in motion. Males glow blue silver with a bright red snout and red tail tips, females are subtler with a neat dark spot near the belly. The body lacks obvious scales, which gives the fish that smooth metallic sheen.

Origin and Habitat

Endemic to Myanmar’s Shan Plateau, centered on Inle Lake and its connected marshes and channels. Inle sits in a limestone valley with clear water, floating plant mats, and broad, plant-rich shallows. The chemistry is naturally hard and alkaline from the surrounding karst, water is well oxygenated, and the fish congregate along vegetated margins and open lanes in the upper water column.

Temperature and Water Conditions

A dependable aquarium range is 21 to 25 Celsius (70 to 77 Fahrenheit). Wild water in the lake is usually neutral to alkaline, commonly around pH 7.4 to 9.0, with calcium and bicarbonate as dominant ions. We do not recommend chasing or altering water parameters except in special breeding situations. Stable conditions are far more important. Keep ammonia and nitrite at zero, nitrate low, temperature steady, and provide strong oxygenation with gentle flow.

Appearance and Size

Males are slim and iridescent with a red nose and red outer caudal lobes, females are beige to silver with a small dark abdominal spot and no red. Adults reach about 3 to 3.5 centimeters total length (about 1.2 to 1.4 inches). The lack of visible scales and the clean, translucent fins give groups a glassy, weightless look in planted aquaria.

Diet in the Wild

A micropredator that picks tiny planktonic crustaceans and insect larvae from the water column and among plants. Field accounts from the basin describe continuous mid-water foraging in light current with quick dashes into vegetation.

Feeding in Captivity

Offer a rotation of fine community flakes and micro pellets, with frequent small feedings of live or frozen foods such as:

• Newly hatched brine shrimp
• Daphnia
• Cyclops
• Finely chopped bloodworms

Feed small portions two to three times daily so the food size and frequency match their constant picking. A varied diet conditions groups for reliable spawning.

Behavior and Tank Setup

Peaceful and lively, happiest in a real group. Plan for ten or more so the shoal relaxes and shows natural synchronized movement. Use a planted aquascape with fine-leaved stems, floating cover that softens the light, and open swimming lanes across the front half of the tank. Provide high oxygen with gentle, even flow and a tight-fitting lid since the species explores the top third of the water column.

Calm companions include:

• Other small cyprinids
• Ricefish
• Dwarf Corydoras

Adult dwarf shrimp can work, but very small shrimplets may be picked off.

Breeding

An egg-scattering spawner that places adhesive eggs among fine plants and on the undersides of broad leaves. Condition adults with regular live and frozen foods. Many breeders simulate rainy season cues with a larger water change using fresh, well-oxygenated water a few degrees cooler than the tank, then maintain steady flow and clean conditions.

Provide:

• Dense plants
• Spawning mops
• Pockets of larger gravel (to let eggs fall out of reach and improve survival)

Remove adults after spawning to raise yield. Hatching usually occurs in a few days depending on temperature. Fry start with infusoria or powdered foods before moving to newly hatched brine shrimp.

Quick Facts

• Scientific name:Sawbwa resplendens
• Common name: Naked Micro Rasbora, Rummy nose rasbora
• Origin: Inle Lake basin, Shan State, Myanmar
• Adult size: About 3 to 3.5 cm (about 1.2 to 1.4 inches)
• Temperature: 21 to 25 °C (70 to 77 °F)
• pH: Wild waters often 7.4 to 9.0; keep stable rather than exact
• Hardness: Naturally hard, calcium-rich, carbonate-buffered
• Temperament: Peaceful, active schooling fish for groups
• Diet: Micropredator that accepts fine prepared foods and small live or frozen foods
• Breeding: Egg scatterer; eggs adhere beneath leaves and among fine plants

Tropical Fish Co. Notes

Put twenty of these in a bright green aquascape and it looks like someone sprinkled quicksilver across the mid water. Keep oxygen high, keep the light a little soft with floating plants, and let the group move like one glittering ribbon. Hold parameters steady rather than exact and they reward you with effortless color and constant motion.