Danio Fish: Types, Care, Food, Breeding, Mate, Identify Male and Female

The Danio fish is the first astronaut. The first genetically modified aquarium fish. The first fish for many novice aquarists. The first in many ways, the aquarium Danio fish rightfully deserves all these epithets. And endurance and unpretentiousness, coupled with a record breeding rate, open up scope for experimentation.

Danio fish: description and photo

If we talk about Danio in the context of decorative aquaristics, then the richness of colors, peaceful disposition, and the ability to revive the atmosphere in the aquarium stand on the side of the fish. A bright flock of 7 or more will fit perfectly into an aquarium with the same peaceful babies. Shimmering with many colors, constantly playing in the upper water column, and in the case of GloFish and literally glowing with enthusiasm – Danio is an excellent choice for revitalizing and filling a beginner’s aquarium.

danio fish

Danio Fish care: Table of parameters of maintenance, care and nutrition:

What should be the volume of the aquarium for Danio fish?from 30-50 liters for a flock and from 120 liters for Malabar Danio
What should be the temperature in the aquarium for Danio fish?from +20 -26 ° C
What pH should be in the aquarium for fish? from 6.5-7.5 pH
What should be the hardness of the water in the aquarium for fish?from 5-18 ° DH
What should be the substrate for the aquariumany
What should be the lighting in the aquarium0.5-0.8 Watt / l daylight hours at least 12 hours
What should be the movement of water in the aquariummoderate
Maximum fish sizeup to 6 cm, Malabarski Danio up to 12 cm
What does an aquarium fish eatdry food, daphnia, tubifex, bloodworm
Type of aquarium fishnon-aggressive
Who is compatible within the aquariumget along with small, non-aggressive fish species; poorly compatible with shrimp
The life span of Daniofrom 3-5 years old, depending on the size of the individual

Danio care and maintenance at home

Danios are not very pretentious to care, and these are recommended for beginners. It is enough to choose an aquarium that meets the optimal requirements for water and light. Periodically make a water change in it with settled water. And of course, do not forget to feed, but do not overfeed. Breeding Danio in captivity is simple and quick, for which they also fell in love in the scientific community in an experimental capacity.

Danio’s fish habitat

Danio was first discovered in Southeast Asia. Freshwater fish. It is found in the flowing waters of India, Thailand, Nepal, and Pakistan. It exists in flocks, but 7-10 individuals are suitable for an aquarium. A favorite habitat is the upper water layers. Spends daylight hours actively. It feeds on small insects that have fallen into the water – this is the main source of food.

how to feed danio fish?

Danio is unpretentious in food, but still, the bias should be made towards floating feed. Daphnia and bloodworms are very good options. Choosing between dry and live/frozen food, the latter will be preferable, due to the positive effect on the color of the pets (this essentially applies to most species of aquarium fish). However, to date, among dry food from popular manufacturers, flakes have already appeared, designed just to enhance the natural color. A good result is given by: tetra pro color, tetra Rubin, tetra fill, sera red parrot.

Life hack: simple dry food soaked in carrot juice also gives good results in color).

You need to feed twice a day, in fractional portions, removing the remnants of not-eaten food.

Popular types of Danio Fish

There are several types of Danio that are most popular with aquarists:

zebrafish (Danio-rerio)

zebrafish danio rerio

The most common subspecies. It grows up to 7 cm. The color is silvery, with blue stripes. It is from Danio-rerio that the genetically modified GloFish variety was bred.

Malabar danio (Devario malabaricus)

malabar danio devario malabaricus

The average size is 10 cm. Individuals of 12-15 cm are often found. The color is silver, has a greenish line along the body, with lemon splashes. Unlike other representatives of Danio, it requires an aquarium with a volume of 120 liters.

Dwarf Spotted Danio Fish

dwarf spotted danio fish

Size from 4 to 5 cm. Has a white-gold color with an olive back and black stripes crossing the body. Below the stripes, the body is dotted with black dots, which is what influenced the name.

What aquarium is needed for Danio fish?

The habitat, if we are not talking about the Malabar giant, is an elongated aquarium from 30 to 50 liters. For all other types of Danio, a small aquarium of 10 liters is also suitable. Given the general mobility of Danio, it is worth equipping such an aquarium with a lid to avoid jumping out.

Danio has no special requirements for soil fillings, and this applies to all varieties. Stones, sand, artificial types of soil are suitable. The only thing that should be done is to pre-sterilized the soil by calcining or boiling.

In case the aquarium is planned to be planted with live plants, for example, various types of Sagittarius, Vallisneria nana, windel’s fern, and many others. It is better to select the soil not for Danio at all, but for specific types of plants. The fact that bright, saturated colors look great in an aquarium with Danio also speaks in favor of living plants. The same GloFish with their fluorescent coloring, briskly flying over the emerald forest, create the atmosphere of a completely different world, a wild and uninhabited planet from a science fiction film.

Plants are perfect:

  • glossostigma;
  • sitnyag;
  • marsilia four-leafed;
  • saggitaria;
  • Javanese moss .

Javanese moss, a favorite of aqua designers, can also be run along walls or snags – it will look very nice and will not interfere with Danio playing at the surface.

The water for a Danio aquarium must meet the following characteristics:

  • temperature of + 20-26 ° C;
  • hardness from 5-18 ° dH;
  • acidity from 6.5-7.5 pH;
  • regular water renewal (up to 30% weekly) should help maintain these parameters at optimal levels.

Living in flowing reservoirs, Danio are demanding on water quality, purity and high oxygen saturation. Select a suitable filter and compressor. It is better to set the current level to moderate. It is also necessary to install bright lighting at the rate of 0.5-0.8 W / l.

how to identify male and female danios?

Males are noticeably more graceful and smaller than females. The general background of the body of females is more silvery, with fewer bright shades. Before spawning, males dress up: their color acquires intensity, and the stripes are more contrasting.

What fish can be kept with danios?

Being a peace-loving fish, Danio gets along well with most medium-sized and non-aggressive fish: 

  • Guppies, 
  • Neons,
  • Pecilia, 
  • Mollies,
  • Swordsmen, 
  • Norman’s blue-eyed ,
  • rainbow fish and others. 

However, you should not add him to larger fish, which Danio can easily fall prey to.

Separately, it is worth noting the undesirability of the joint keeping of Danio with aquarium shrimps, the young of which are a delicacy for Danio.

Life span of aquarium fish Danio

Danio has a lifespan of 3 to 5 years, depending on the size of the individual. Larger individuals from 10 cm in size live longer.

Daino Fish Breeding in shared aquarium

Danio reaches puberty at 5 months. Spawning of these fish is not difficult to arrange. It also happens well in the general aquarium, without external stimulation. Spawning begins with rough courtship. The brightly colored males begin to intensively pursue the females. Then spawning begins. The effectiveness of this event depends directly on the number of plants in the aquarium – unprotected eggs are easily eaten by the inhabitants. Caviar ripening lasts 3-4 days. Further, it is still better to plant the fry, not releasing them into a common aquarium until they grow up.

Daino Fish Diseases Types

With proper care, Danios rarely get sick. However, various infections can be brought in: by adding fish that have not been kept in quarantine, by adding non-sterile soil.

presence of white spots

Loss of appetite. The presence of white spots on the body. Disheveled fins. Shiver. Removal of severely affected individuals. Disinfection of the aquarium. Adding methylene blue or erythromycin to feed.

Trichodiniasis In Fish

Grayish bloom on the body. Decrease in color brightness. Friction on hard surfaces. Increase in water temperature (+ 30- + 31 ° C will do). Salting water (1 tablespoon of salt per 10 liters of water) for a month.

Swelling

Swelling of the abdomen and eyes of fish. From the inside, the eyes fill with a whitish liquid. Checking water for compliance with requirements. Increase the number of water changes to a two-day frequency.

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