TankBud

Fire bar danio

Devario maetaengensis

Also known as Mae Taeng danio, Devario maetangensis

FreshwaterFish

Fire bar danio (Devario maetaengensis)
The Wet Spot Tropical Fish · Used with permission

Care at a glance

Temperature
64–77°F
18–25°C
pH
6.5–7.5
Adult size
2.4 in
6 cm
Minimum tank
20 gal
75 L
Temperament
Peaceful
Social behavior
Schooling
Swim level
Middle
Diet
Omnivore
Difficulty
Easy
Breeding
Egg scatterer · Medium
Rarity
Rare
Family
Danionidae
Origin
Mae Taeng basin, northern Thailand

Overview

The fire bar danio is a peaceful, cool-leaning danio for an unheated or lightly heated hill-stream community. It stays busy across the middle of the tank and is easy to keep.

Did you know

The fire in the fire bar danio's name is one bright orange bar, just behind the gill cover.

Caring for the fire bar danio

A group of fire bar danios needs a planted tank of 20 gal (75 L) or larger. Plant around open swimming space, and give them brisk flow, high oxygen and a substrate of sand and gravel. They can jump, so fit a tight lid.

Keep the water at 64 to 77°F (18 to 25°C) and a pH of 6.5 to 7.5. Feed them as omnivores, with quality flake and micro pellets plus frozen bloodworm and daphnia for condition and color.

Keep a school of eight or more, since they color up fast in a group. They are peaceful and do well with white clouds, hillstream loaches and other small temperate fish.

Males show the orange bar most strongly, and it lights up when the school gathers and the fish begin to display. Fire bar danios are egg-scattering spawners, and their breeding is of moderate difficulty.

Good to know

Devario maetaengensis belongs to the danio family, Danionidae. Fang described it in 1997 and named it for the Nam Mae Taeng, its home river.

In the wild

The fire bar danio comes from the Nam Mae Taeng, a cool mountain tributary of the Ping in northern Thailand. Its home water is clear and flowing.

Weekly picks

Tank mates

The fire bar danio is a 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 fire bar danio need?

A fire bar danio needs at least 20 gal (75 L). It spends most of its time in the middle.

What temperature and pH does a fire bar danio need?

A fire bar danio is comfortable at 64–77°F (18–25°C) with a pH of 6.5–7.5.

What does a fire bar danio eat?

A fire bar danio is an omnivore that eats quality flake and micro pellets. Add frozen bloodworm and daphnia to keep it in condition and color.

How big does a fire bar danio get?

An adult fire bar danio reaches about 2.4 in (6 cm).

Does a fire bar danio need a group?

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

How can you tell a male fire bar danio from a female?

Males carry the brightest orange bar, and it glows most when the school gathers and the fish start to display.

How does a fire bar danio breed?

Fire bar danios scatter their eggs, and breeding them is moderately difficult.

Related species