Pearl Danio (Danio albolineatus) Care Guide
A hardy, fast-swimming danio with a beautiful pearlescent sheen on its body. Males display a pinkish-orange hue while females are more silvery.
Compiled by Aquairi from published sources · Published · Updated
Overview
Danio albolineatus is a species in the family Cyprinidae. A hardy, fast-swimming danio with a beautiful pearlescent sheen on its body. Males display a pinkish-orange hue while females are more silvery. Very active and prefers to be kept in groups with plenty of swimming space.
Taxonomy
- Family: Cyprinidae
- Genus: Danio
- Scientific name: Danio albolineatus
- Origin: Southeast Asia, Myanmar, Thailand
Habitat
Native to streams and rivers of Myanmar, Thailand and adjacent parts of Southeast Asia. Inhabits clear, well-oxygenated flowing water in the upper layers. An active, fast-swimming shoaling cyprinid tolerant of a wide temperature range.
Tank requirements
- Minimum tank volume: 80 L
- Temperature: 18-25 °C
- pH: 6-8
- GH: 5-19 °dGH
- Water flow: moderate
- Adult size: 5-6 cm
- Lifespan: 3-5 years
- Recommended group size: ≥ 6
- Difficulty: beginner
Diet
Classified as omnivore. Recommended feeding frequency: 2x daily. In captivity, offer a varied diet appropriate to the species — quality prepared foods supplemented with frozen or live items of suitable size.
Compatibility
- Temperament: peaceful
- Swimming level: top
- Compatible tank mates: Zebra Danio, Corydoras, Cherry Barb, White Cloud Minnow
- Avoid with: Betta, Slow Fish
Breeding
- Breeding strategy: egg-scatterer
- Breeding difficulty: beginner
Pearl Danio Breeding Guide
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.