At a glance the quick version
Looks how to spot one
Small, deep-bodied scaled cyprinid
A small, delicate rasbora with a greyish to pinkish body and a dark wedge or 'lamb chop' marking toward the tail. A glowing orange line runs along the upper edge of this marking. Males are slimmer and brighter, females slightly bigger and deeper-bodied.1
Personality what they are like
A calm, friendly schooling fish that mixes well with tetras, livebearers, dwarf cichlids, small catfish and loaches.1
Daily activity how busy a day looks
A steady mid-water swimmer that moves around the tank in a tight group.12
Grooming and care the hands-on bits
Prefers soft, slightly acidic, tannin-stained water. Suggested ranges: 23-28 C, pH 5.0-7.5, hardness 1-10 dGH (FishBase gives pH around 6.0 and 5-12 dH).12
Home where they are happiest
Tank of at least 60 cm length (about 54 litres) with dense planting such as Cryptocoryne, soft lighting and gentle flow.1
Food basics what goes in the bowl
Feeds on tiny invertebrates. Offer good flakes along with small live or frozen foods such as bloodworm, daphnia and brine shrimp.1
Company who they like around
A schooling species; keep at least 8-10 together.1
The story where it all began
Described by Meinken in 1956 under the name Rasbora hengeli and later moved to the genus Trigonostigma. It comes from gently flowing forest streams and peat swamps with soft, tea-coloured water in Sumatra and Borneo.132
Fun facts for the dinner table
- 1
It is named after J. van Hengel, a Dutch ornamental fish importer and exporter in Amsterdam.2
- 2
The genus name combines Greek words for 'three angles' and 'mark', after its triangular marking.2
- 3
Instead of scattering eggs, it lays them on the underside of broad plant leaves.1
- 4
It was originally named Rasbora hengeli.3
Recognised by the official bits
- IUCN Red List
- Least Concern (assessed April 2020)2
- FishBase
- Described by Meinken in 19562
The care rhythm Furry Diary remembers it for you
A typical home-care rhythm for a Glowlight Rasbora. It is our own starting plan, not a vet's advice, and you can change every line in the app.
- FeedingSmall amounts once or twice a dayevery day
- Temperature checkevery day
- Water changeAbout 25% of the waterevery week
- Water testevery week
- Glass cleanevery week
- Filter rinseRinse in old tank water, never tap waterevery month
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Where this comes from
Every breed page shows where each fact comes from. If we got something wrong, sorry, we are pet people, not a science magazine. Tell us at support@furrydiary.app and we will fix it.
- Trigonostigma hengeli - Seriously Fish seriouslyfish.comused for origin, size, care, diet, behaviour, appearance
- Trigonostigma hengeli summary - FishBase fishbase.seused for size, water parameters, IUCN, etymology
- Trigonostigma hengeli - Wikipedia en.wikipedia.orgused for former name, history
Checked 2026-09-30. Text is written in our own words from these sources.