Blue Danio (Danio kerri) Care Guide
Danio kerri is a powder-blue danio from islands off the Thai-Malay coast, with gold lines and active, peaceful shoaling behaviour.
Overview
Danio kerri, the blue danio, was described by H. M. Smith in 1931. It is a deep-bodied, powder-blue danio marked with several pinkish-gold lines running from tail to gills, which may be continuous or broken. It is an active, peaceful shoaling fish.
Taxonomy
- Family: Cyprinidae
- Genus: Danio
- Scientific name: Danio kerri
- Described by: H. M. Smith, 1931
- Common synonym: Brachydanio kerri
Habitat
It is found on the islands of Langkawi and Ko Yao Yai in the Thai-Malay region.
Tank requirements
- Minimum tank volume: 80 L
- Temperature: 20-25 °C (68-77 °F)
- pH: 6.5-7.5
- GH: 5-15 °dGH
- School size: at least 6 individuals
- Lifespan: 3-5 years
An active species, it appreciates a long aquarium with moderate flow and tends to prefer slightly cooler water within the danio range.
Diet
Like other small danios it is omnivorous, accepting dried foods and benefiting from small live or frozen foods such as Daphnia and Artemia.
Compatibility
It is peaceful, active and prefers group living, so it should be kept in shoals of at least six with other peaceful, similarly sized fish; aggressive species should be avoided.
Breeding
It spawns at dawn over coarse gravel, scattering eggs that hatch approximately 36 hours after deposition; no parental care is given.