TankBud

Bengal danio

Devario devario

Also known as Hatchet Body Danio

FreshwaterFish

Bengal danio (Devario devario)
Beta Mahatvaraj · CC BY-SA 4.0

Care at a glance

Temperature
59–81°F
15–27°C
pH
6.0–7.5
Adult size
3.5 in
9 cm
Minimum tank
34 gal
130 L
Temperament
Mostly peaceful
Social behavior
Schooling
Swim level
Middle
Difficulty
Medium
Breeding
Egg scatterer · Hard
Rarity
Rare
Family
Cyprinidae
Origin
India, Nepal, Bangladesh

Overview

The Bengal danio is a fast, restless schooling danio for an active community tank. It is a moderate challenge to keep.

Did you know

Bengal danios are easy to mix up with other large Devario species, especially the Malabar danio. Careful counting of the flank stripes and fin markings is often the only reliable way to tell members of this genus apart.

Caring for the Bengal danio

Give Bengal danios a tank of 34 gal (130 L) or larger, so the group has room to move and length to cruise. Fit a secure lid, because they jump. Use sand and rounded gravel, some water-worn rocks and hardy plants around the edges, leaving the central swimming lane open.

They handle a wide temperature band, from 59 to 81°F (15 to 27°C), and do well at a pH of 6.0 to 7.5. Give them a moderate current from the filter or a powerhead. Feed a varied diet of quality flake, small sinking pellets and frozen foods such as daphnia and bloodworms.

Keep a group of at least six, and eight or more if you can. A bigger shoal keeps them settled and cuts down on fin nipping. They are mostly peaceful and suit active community tanks with other robust, quick fish, not slow or long-finned tank mates. Bengal danios are egg scatterers that give no parental care, and home breeding is difficult.

Good to know

Devario devario belongs to Cyprinidae, the carp and minnow family, and is one of the larger danios kept in aquariums. Francis Hamilton described it in 1822, making it one of the earliest danios known to science. Like its relatives, it is a slim, deep-bodied silver fish with blue and gold bars toward the tail. Its body is built for constant swimming in flowing water. Most fish in the trade are commercially raised.

In the wild

The Bengal danio comes from rivers and streams across northern India, Nepal and Bangladesh, including parts of the Ganges system. It lives in clear, flowing stretches over gravel and stone. Its range runs from cool foothill water down to warmer lowland reaches.

Weekly picks

Tank mates

The Bengal danio is a mostly peaceful, schooling species that keeps to the middle. These picks share a community profile with it, are safe together in both directions, and overlap on water type, temperature and pH.

Check the full mix in the stocking calculator

Common questions

What size tank does a Bengal danio need?

A Bengal danio needs at least 34 gal (130 L). It spends most of its time in the middle.

What temperature and pH does a Bengal danio need?

A Bengal danio is comfortable at 59–81°F (15–27°C) with a pH of 6.0–7.5.

What does a Bengal danio eat?

A Bengal danio eats a varied diet of quality flake and small sinking pellets. Frozen foods such as daphnia and bloodworms round it out.

How big does a Bengal danio get?

An adult Bengal danio reaches about 3.5 in (9 cm).

Does a Bengal danio need a group?

Yes. A Bengal danio is a schooling species and should be kept in a group, not singly.

How does a Bengal danio breed?

Bengal danios scatter their eggs and give them no parental care. Breeding them at home is difficult.

Related species