Celestial Pearl danio

Danio margaritatus

FreshwaterFish

Care at a glance

Temperature: 72–79°F (22–26°C)
pH: 6.5–7.5
Adult size: 0.8 in (2 cm)
Minimum tank: 9 gal (35 L)
Temperament: Peaceful
Social behavior: Schooling
Swim level: Middle
Difficulty: Easy
Breeding: Medium
Rarity: Common
Origin: Myanmar
Family: Cyprinidae

Overview

Keep them in a group of six or more, and the more the better, in a small planted tank from about 35 liters up. They hold the middle water near plants and are shy in open, sparse tanks. Their mouths are tiny, so feed small foods: crushed flake, micro-pellets, and little live or frozen items like baby brine shrimp and daphnia. They are peaceful but easily out-muscled, so keep them only with other small, gentle fish.

In the wild

Celestial pearl danios live in small, shallow, spring-fed ponds in the Shan plateau of Myanmar, thick with plants and gentle flow. A heavily planted tank with calm water and a sandy bottom matches them and helps them feel safe enough to color up. Aim for a pH near neutral and temps on the cooler side, low to mid 20s C, since these are not warm-water fish.

Good to know

This is a tiny cyprinid in the family Cyprinidae, only reaching about 2 cm. It was discovered in 2006 and formally described in 2007, so it is a recent arrival to the hobby. Males carry the brighter red fins and bolder spotting, while females are rounder and more muted.

Did you know

When it first hit the trade it was sold as the galaxy rasbora and briefly thought to be a Rasbora, and a collecting rush nearly stripped its few known ponds before captive breeding caught up. Almost all you see in shops now are tank-bred, which took the pressure off the wild populations.