TankBud

Orange hatchet danio

Laubuka dadiburjori

FreshwaterFish

Orange hatchet danio (Laubuka dadiburjori)
Frank M. Greco · CC BY 3.0

Care at a glance

Temperature
68–75°F
20–24°C
pH
6.0–7.5
Adult size
1.2 in
3 cm
Minimum tank
13 gal
50 L
Temperament
Peaceful
Social behavior
Schooling
Swim level
Middle
Difficulty
Easy
Breeding
Egg scatterer · Medium
Rarity
Rare
Family
Cyprinidae
Origin
India

Overview

The orange hatchet danio is a tiny, peaceful shoaling fish that suits a planted nano or a quiet community tank. Even a beginner can keep a group.

Did you know

The orange hatchet danio is named after Sam Dadiburjor, an Indian aquarist. He first collected and bred it from streams near Kochi in the early 1950s. Its old and still widely used name, Chela dadiburjori, carries his name, and so does the nickname dadio.

Caring for the orange hatchet danio

Give orange hatchet danios at least 13 gal (50 L), with gentle filtration, a dark substrate and generous planting. Floating plants dim the light and give these surface-loving fish cover. They swim in the upper and middle water, often near the surface, so a secure lid is wise.

Keep the water at 68 to 75°F (20 to 24°C) and a pH of 6.0 to 7.5. Feed small foods such as fine flake, crushed micro pellets and tiny frozen or live items. Calm water, fine foods and plenty of plant cover keep them comfortable and coloring up.

Keep a group of at least eight to ten, since a decent shoal keeps them confident and out in view. Their small size and gentle nature mean they should never share a tank with anything large or boisterous.

Orange hatchet danios are egg-scattering spawners. You can breed them in a quiet, densely planted tank with moderate effort.

Good to know

Laubuka dadiburjori is one of the smallest cyprinids in the hobby, a member of the family Cyprinidae. It has a compressed, hatchet-shaped body with a deep chest and an upturned mouth suited to feeding at the surface. A golden orange stripe runs along each flank. It was described in 1952 and has been shuffled between the genera Chela, Laubuka and Neochela over the years.

In the wild

The orange hatchet danio comes from small streams, ponds and ditches near the coast of southwestern India. It lives in warm, still to slow-moving water in the Kochi area of the Malabar region.

Weekly picks

Tank mates

The orange hatchet 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 an orange hatchet danio need?

An orange hatchet danio needs at least 13 gal (50 L). It spends most of its time in the middle.

What temperature and pH does an orange hatchet danio need?

An orange hatchet danio is comfortable at 68–75°F (20–24°C) with a pH of 6.0–7.5.

What does an orange hatchet danio eat?

An orange hatchet danio needs small foods. Offer it fine flake, crushed micro pellets and tiny frozen or live items.

How big does an orange hatchet danio get?

An adult orange hatchet danio reaches about 1.2 in (3 cm).

Does an orange hatchet danio need a group?

Yes. An orange hatchet danio is a schooling species and should be kept in a group, not singly.

How does an orange hatchet danio breed?

The orange hatchet danio scatters its eggs. It can be bred in a quiet, densely planted tank, and breeding takes moderate effort.

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