Pearl danio

Danio albolineatus

FreshwaterFish

Care at a glance

Temperature: 61–77°F; 16–25°C
pH: 6.0–7.5
Adult size: 2.4 in; 6 cm
Minimum tank: 18 gal; 70 L

Temperament: Peaceful
Social behavior: Schooling
Swim level: Middle
Difficulty: Easy
Breeding: Egg scatterer · Medium
Rarity: Common
Family: Cyprinidae
Origin: South East Asia

Overview

The pearl danio is a peaceful, hard-swimming danio for a long community tank with some current, and it is easy to keep.

Did you know

Pearl danios are strong, sustained swimmers that will happily spend all day cruising against a current.

Caring for the pearl danio

Give pearl danios a long tank of at least 18 gal (70 L), with current and open swimming room. In a tank that is too short or too still they get bored and can turn fin-nippy. Length and flow do more for their behavior than any decoration.

Pearl danios do not need warm water and do well in an unheated room tank in many climates. Keep the water cool to moderate, at 61 to 77°F (16 to 25°C) and a pH of 6.0 to 7.5. They will eat almost anything, and quality flake, small pellets and frozen foods all work.

Keep a group of at least six. They are peaceful and fast, and they stay in the middle and upper water. That makes them good dither fish for calmer tank mates.

Pearl danios are egg scatterers that spawn over fine plants or substrate and give no parental care. Breeding them is moderately difficult.

Good to know

The pearl danio belongs to the family Cyprinidae and grows a bit larger than the common zebra danio. Its body has a pearly pink-violet sheen, with a fine gold line toward the tail. With decent care, pearl danios typically live around three to five years.

In the wild

Pearl danios come from clear, fast-flowing hill streams across parts of Southeast Asia, including Myanmar and Thailand. Those waters are cool, well oxygenated and moving.

Weekly picks

Tank mates

The pearl 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