Daisy's Blue Ricefish (Oryzias woworae) Care Guide
A strikingly beautiful ricefish from Sulawesi, Indonesia, discovered in 2010 and quickly becoming a sensation in the nano aquarium hobby.
Compiled by Aquairi from published sources · Published · Updated
Overview
Oryzias woworae is a species in the family Adrianichthyidae. A strikingly beautiful ricefish from Sulawesi, Indonesia, discovered in 2010 and quickly becoming a sensation in the nano aquarium hobby. Males display an intense neon blue body with bright red-orange pectoral fins, making them among the most colorful ricefish species. Easy to breed and relatively hardy, they prefer clean, slightly hard water and moderate temperatures.
Taxonomy
- Family: Adrianichthyidae
- Genus: Oryzias
- Scientific name: Oryzias woworae
- Other names: Oryzias woworae, Neon Blue Ricefish, Wowora Ricefish
- Origin: Southeast Asia
Habitat
Endemic to a few small streams and lakes near Kolaka on the island of Sulawesi, Indonesia. Inhabits clear, slow-moving water with vegetation. Males display blue iridescence and red-orange fins; described to science in 2010 and of conservation concern due to its restricted range.
Tank requirements
- Minimum tank volume: 30 L
- Temperature: 22-27 °C
- pH: 6.5-7.5
- GH: 5-15 °dGH
- Water flow: low
- Adult size: 2.5-3 cm
- Lifespan: 2-3 years
- Recommended group size: ≥ 6
- Difficulty: intermediate
Diet
Classified as omnivore. Recommended feeding frequency: 2x daily. In captivity, offer a varied diet appropriate to the species — quality prepared foods supplemented with frozen or live items of suitable size.
Compatibility
- Temperament: peaceful
- Swimming level: top
- Compatible tank mates: Celestial Pearl Danio, Pygmy Corydoras, Cherry Shrimp, Otocinclus, Other ricefish
- Avoid with: Large or aggressive fish, Fast aggressive feeders
Breeding
- Breeding strategy: egg-layer
- Breeding difficulty: beginner
Daisy's Blue Ricefish Breeding Guide
Overview
Oryzias woworae is a ricefish from Sulawesi, Indonesia, reaching about 25-30 mm. It is among the more straightforward egg-layers to breed: females carry a hanging cluster of eggs from the genital pore before depositing them among plants, and well-conditioned fish spawn on an almost daily basis.
Sexing
Males are considerably more colourful, with longer dorsal and anal fins and slimmer bodies than females. The genital papilla differs between the sexes: in the male it forms a short tube, while in the female it is bilobed.
Conditioning
Keep the fish well fed so that females produce eggs continuously. Reported parameters are a temperature of 23-27 degrees Celsius, pH 6.0-7.5 and hardness of roughly 90-268 ppm. It is best kept as a single-species group to avoid hybridisation with other ricefish.
Breeding Setup
A tank with a base of at least 45 by 30 cm is suitable. Provide fine-leaved plants such as Cabomba, Ceratophyllum or Taxiphyllum, or synthetic spawning mops, as deposition sites. A gentle filter flow of around four to five times the tank volume per hour suits the species.
Spawning Behavior & Trigger
Spawning normally occurs in the early morning, with males darkening and defending small temporary territories while trying to entice females. A female produces batches of 10-20 eggs every few days, or daily when in good condition; the adhesive eggs are expelled as a single mass, fertilised simultaneously, then hang from the genital pore before being deposited singly or in small clumps among vegetation.
Egg & Fry Care
Incubation is temperature dependent but typically takes 1-3 weeks. Adults will predate free-swimming fry, though a densely planted tank allows some to survive. Once free-swimming, the fry accept microworm and Artemia nauplii.
Common Challenges
The main hurdle is protecting eggs and fry from being eaten, which is why dense planting or removing egg-laden plants to a separate hatching container is recommended. Keeping the species alone also prevents hybridisation with closely related ricefish. Because incubation is temperature dependent and typically spans one to three weeks, eggs from a single female hatch in a staggered fashion, so a continuous-harvest approach, moving spawning mops or plants to a rearing tank every few days, yields the steadiest supply of fry. The fish do best in clean, moderately hard water at 23-27 degrees Celsius and pH 6.0-7.5, so stable maintenance rather than any dramatic trigger is what keeps a well-conditioned female laying batches of 10-20 eggs.