Care Guide for Celestial Pearl Danios: Miniature Trout For Planted Tanks
The celestial pearl danio (CPD) is a delightful nano fish often sought by aquascapers because they look like miniature brook trout swimming amid a forest of plants and driftwood. Their beauty and elegance seem to automatically elevate any tank they live in. Sometimes they are shy and can become stressful. These beautiful fish need to be loved and cared for.
What is Celestial Pearl Danios, and how do they work?
Danio margaritatus goes by many common names, such as galaxy rasbora and celestial pearl danio, because of the striking golden spots scattered on their dark bodies. They can grow up to one inch (2.5 cm), and have bright, red-orange fins striped with black. They were discovered in 2006 in Southeast Asia. They live in shallow water with dense vegetation.
How many celestial pearl danios should be kept together? As a schooling fish, they feel most comfortable in large groups so that they can more easily elude predators, find food, and breed. The rule of thumb for schooling fish is to get at least six fish of the same species, but we strongly suggest buying 10-15 CPDs since they can be a bit timid.
When it comes to schooling fish like galaxy rasboras, the more the merrier.
Are celestial danios aggressive or peaceful? Not at all. CPDs, which are peaceful nanofish, get along well with other community fish. However, they are still danios, which are known for chasing each other to establish dominance or display breeding behavior. You don’t have to worry, though they might fin nip their own species, but they are very good at keeping track of other tank mates.
How to Set Up an Aquarium for Galaxy Rasboras
We like keeping CPDs in at least 10 gallons of water, but if you purchase a bigger school of 10-15 fish as recommended, go for a 20-gallon aquarium or larger. They can tolerate a range of pH values from 6.6-8.0 to soft water hardness or GH. Because of their chasing behavior, try adding lots of live aquarium plants for them to dart in between.
Are celestial pearl danios cold water fish? While they can live up to 78degF (26degC), they thrive in lower temperatures from 72-76degF (22-24degC). Depending on how warm your home is, you may be able to keep this species in an unheated aquarium without a heater.
Many danios (including CPDs) enjoy lower temperatures than the average tropical fish.
What fish can you put with galaxy rasboras? Avoid any large fish that may eat, bully, or outcompete them for food. In fact, since CPDs sometimes like to hide, consider adding some dither fish that can encourage them to comfortably swim out in the open. We keep them with Corydoras catsfish, small tetras and kuhli loaches, who are all friendly fish in the community. People have had varied results with cherry shrimp as tank mates, so if you try them, make sure to add plenty of hiding spots and expect the CPDs to predate on any baby shrimp they find. The possibility of betta fish being able to work together is possible. They prefer warmer water and are hostile towards intruders. They may be able to go together if the temperature is kept at 77-78degC (25-26degC), the aquarium is large enough, and the betta isn’t too aggressive.
What do Celestial Pearl Danios Eat?
You can feed them small, slow-sinking food in the water column, since they love to swim in the middle. Baby brine shrimp, frozen daphnia and cyclops are their favorite foods. For dry, prepared foods we prefer to use crushed flaflakes and Easy Fry as well as Small Fish Food. To ensure they have all the nutrients they need to live a healthy and happy life, it is crucial to offer them a variety of foods.
How to Breed Galaxy Rasboras
Celestial pearl danoios can be bred at home easily, provided you have at least six fish to guarantee there are males and females. These eggs prefer to spawn in media so make sure you have dense plants such as Java moss and a DIY yarn-spawning mop. They will spawn almost every day if they are fed well once they have large bellies and a lot of eggs. In order to prevent the adults from snacking on their own eggs, move the spawning media into a separate tank and the eggs should hatch within a week, depending on the water temperature. You can also place the galaxy roses in an outdoor mini-pond with lots of aquatic plants during the warmer months and bring them inside at the end to check how many they have multiplied.
Male celestial danios have brighter colors, while the females are more round.
CPDs born new need to be fried. They are tiny and should not eat anything larger than 50 um, including infusoria and green water. When they grow enough, we recommend giving them live baby brine shrimp. These shrimp are full of healthy fats to allow the fry to develop quickly.
Because of their beauty, celestial pearl Danios are a popular choice for nano-pest tank owners. For more stocking ideas, check out our article on the Top 10 Stunning Nano Fish for Your Next Small Fish Tank.