Orange-finned danio

Danio kyathit

Also known as Kyathit danio, Brachydanio kyathit, Orange fin danio

FreshwaterFish

Orange-finned danio (Danio kyathit) — Il le faut · CC BY-SA 3.0

Care at a glance

Temperature: 68–79°F (20–26°C)
pH: 6.5–7.5
Adult size: 2 in (5 cm)
Minimum tank: 20 gal (75 L)
Temperament: Mostly peaceful
Social behavior: Schooling
Swim level: Top
Difficulty: Easy
Breeding: Easy
Rarity: Common
Origin: Native to clear streams and quiet pools of the Ayeyarwady basin in northern Myanmar.
Family: Cyprinidae

Overview

Keep orange-finned danios in a group of at least six to eight in a tank of 75 litres or more, since they are fast, active swimmers that need swimming length. They do best in cooler water around 20 to 26 C with a pH of 6.5 to 7.5 and a tight lid, as danios are good jumpers. Offer small flakes, micropellets, and frozen daphnia or bloodworm. They are boisterous and may nip slow, long-finned tankmates, so pair them with other active, robust community fish.

In the wild

The orange-finned danio comes from clear, moving streams and quiet pools in northern Myanmar. It lives in loose shoals in the upper half of the water, feeding on small insects and other drifting invertebrates. Both a spotted and a striped color form exist and turn up in the trade under the same name. It is an adaptable, hardy fish that suits cooler community tanks.

Good to know

Danio kyathit was described in 1998, and recent work moves it and several small danios into the genus Brachydanio. It is closely related to the zebra danio and will hybridise with it, so the two are best kept apart if you want clean stock. The species name kyathit is the Burmese word for leopard, a reference to its spotted color form.

Did you know

Kept in a big group they form tight, fast-moving schools that flash orange when they turn, which is why they are often used to add movement to a planted tank.