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 is also known by several other names such as galaxy rasa and celestial pearl daanio. This is due to the striking golden spots that are scattered across their dark bodies. They grow up to 1 inch (2.5 cm) long and feature bright, red-orange fins with black striping. Discovered in 2006, they come from Southeast Asia and live in shallow waters with dense vegetation.
How many celestial danios of the same species should I keep together? Schooling fish feel more at home in large groups because they are able to escape predators, find food and breed easily. We recommend purchasing 10-15 CPDs for schooling fish. They can be timid so we suggest getting at least six fish from the same species.
The more you know about schooling fish such as galaxy rasboras the better.
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 are able to handle a wide range of pH levels, from 6.6 to 8.0, and soft to medium water hardness (or GH). Because of their chasing behavior, try adding lots of live aquarium plants for them to dart in between.
Celestial Pearl Danios are cold water fish. Although they can live upto 78 degrees F (26 degrees C), they thrive at temperatures between 72 and 76 degrees F (22-24 degC). 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 are some fish you can put with galaxy-rasboras fish? It is best to avoid large fish that could eat, bully, outcompete, or eat them. CPDs can hide and may prefer to swim in the open. Consider adding dither fish to encourage them to be comfortable swimming out in the open. We keep them with Corydoras catsfish, small tetras and kuhli loaches, who are all friendly fish in the community. Cherry shrimp have been used as tank mates by many people. Make sure you add lots of hiding spots. CPDs will predate 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 does the Celestial Pearl Danios eat?
They love to swim in middle of the tank so you can try feeding them tiny, slow-sinking foods. They love baby brine shrimps, frozen cyclops, daphnia, as well as micro worms. We like crushed flakes, Easy Fry, and small fish food for dry, prepared 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 danios are relatively easy to breed at home as long as you have at least six fish to ensure there are both males and females. They are egg layers that prefer to spawn in media, so provide dense plants like java moss or a DIY yarn spawning mop. Feed them well, and once the females start developing large bellies full of eggs, they will likely spawn almost every day. You can prevent them from eating your eggs. Once they start to eat their eggs, you should move the spawning media to a separate tank. They will usually hatch in one week depending upon the water temperature. Another method is to place the galaxy rasboras in an outdoor mini pond with plenty of aquatic plants during warmer seasons and bring them back inside at the end of the summer to see how much they have multiplied.
Male celestial pearl danios (above) are more brightly colored, while females are rounder in shape.
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.
It’s not surprising that celestial pearl danoios have become so beloved by nano-plant tank keepers. For more stocking ideas, check out our article on the Top 10 Stunning Nano Fish for Your Next Small Fish Tank.