TankBud

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
Family
Cyprinidae
Origin
Native to clear streams and quiet pools of the Ayeyarwady basin in northern Myanmar.

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.

Weekly picks

Tank mates

Orange-finned danio is a mostly peaceful, schooling species that keeps to the top. 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 an Orange-finned danio need?

An Orange-finned danio needs at least 20 gal (75 L). It spends most of its time in the top.

What temperature and pH does an Orange-finned danio need?

An Orange-finned danio is comfortable at 68–79°F (20–26°C) with a pH of 6.5–7.5.

How big does an Orange-finned danio get?

An adult Orange-finned danio reaches about 2 in (5 cm).

Does an Orange-finned danio need a group?

Yes. An Orange-finned danio is a schooling species and should be kept in a group, not singly.

Related species