Description
Care
A large group (10+) of these tiny iridescent shoaling fish makes for an eye-catching display in smaller softwater planted aquaria. The aquarium should be aquascaped with zones of dense planting, including shady bogwood pieces and some floating plants to help diffuse the light. There should be moderate water movement to encourage good levels of oxygenation, but the current should not be too severe. Microdevario kubotai are peaceful and best maintained either in a species-only set up, or alongside other tiny fish of a similar disposition; they are not always suitable for the community aquarium on account of their diminutive size and slightly timid nature. However, larger groups, ample cover, and peaceable tankmates will give them much more confidence. The tank must be mature and receive plenty of small partial water changes on a regular basis.
Feeding
Small frozen foods such as baby brineshrimp, cyclops, and daphnia, plus crushed flake and micro pellets.
Breeding
In densely planted aquaria with large groups of well-conditioned M. kubotai, spawnings should occur regularly with eggs being scattered over vegetation and decor. The eggs and resultant tiny larvae will be seen as food by the adults, but if there is plenty of plant cover, some should survive into adulthood. If a greater number of fry is desired, a separate breeding aquarium should be set up with plenty of Java moss/spawning mops and one well-conditioned pair of M. kubotai added. Once spawning is over, the adults should be carefully removed to another aquarium.
