Giant danio

Devario aequipinnatus

FreshwaterFish

Care at a glance

Temperature: 72–81°F; 22–27°C
pH: 6.0–7.5
Adult size: 5.9 in; 15 cm
Minimum tank: 50 gal; 190 L

Temperament: Aggressive
Social behavior: Schooling
Tankmates: With caution
Swim level: Middle
Difficulty: Medium
Breeding: Easy
Rarity: Common
Family: Cyprinidae
Origin: Pakistan, India, Bangladesh

Overview

These are schooling fish, so keep at least six; in smaller numbers they get nippy and stressed. They are fast, sometimes boisterous mid-water swimmers, and their energy can bully timid or slow tankmates, so pair them with similarly active fish. Give them a 190 liter tank or larger with open swimming lanes and water in the low to mid 20s C. They are unfussy eaters that take flake, pellets, and frozen or live foods.

In the wild

Giant danios come from fast, clear hill streams in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka, the kind with a strong current and well-oxygenated water. They are strong swimmers built for that flow. At home, give them a long tank of about 190 liters or more, brisk water movement, and pH from 6 to 7.5. The length matters more than the height, since these are fish that want to cover ground.

Good to know

Devario aequipinnatus is a cyprinid in the family Cyprinidae, reaching about 15 cm, large for a danio. It is an egg scatterer that breeds readily, depositing eggs among plants with no parental care. It is a hardy, active species, which is part of why it stays popular and why captive-bred stock is widely available.

Did you know

Giant danios are such relentless surface-zone swimmers that they need a tight-fitting lid, since a startled school will jump. Their speed and stamina also make them useful as dither fish, since their confident movement in open water can coax shy or skittish species out of hiding.