Pearl Danio Breeding Guide

How to breed Danio albolineatus: sexing, conditioning, an egg-safe spawning tank, and the cool-water trigger that prompts this active egg scatterer to spawn.

Overview

Danio albolineatus is a hardy cyprinid from Sumatra, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam, recorded in water of about 20-25 °C. It is an egg layer and egg scatterer that gives no parental care.

Sexing

Females are rounder-bellied, slightly less colourful and larger than males. In spawning condition the males intensify in colour and the females fill with eggs.

Conditioning

Adults can be conditioned together in the main tank while smaller containers of about 20-30 litres are prepared for spawning.

Breeding Setup

Use a very dimly lit container with slightly acidic to neutral water and a temperature towards the upper end of the maintenance range of 16-25 °C. A mesh base or layer of plastic grass matting or java moss lets eggs fall through while keeping them away from the adults. Position a small filter so flow runs the full length of the tank.

Spawning Behavior & Trigger

Introduce one or two pairs to the prepared container. Spawning can be initiated by adding small amounts of cool water every few hours and feeding small amounts of live and frozen foods, with spawning typically occurring the following morning.

Egg & Fry Care

The parents eat the eggs and should be removed after a couple of days. Incubation usually takes 24-36 hours, and the fry become free-swimming a few days later. Start with Paramecium or a proprietary dry food of 5-50 micron grade, then progress to Artemia nauplii and microworm as the fry grow.