Rose Danio (Danio roseus) Care Guide
Danio roseus is a small Mekong-basin danio with a rosy lower body that gleams purple-blue, a peaceful but fast-swimming dither fish.
Compiled by Aquairi from published sources · Published · Updated
Overview
Danio roseus, the rose danio, was described by F. Fang and M. Kottelat in 2000. It is a slim danio that shows a rosy colouration along the lower part of the body and lower fins, gleaming purple-blue in sunlight, with blue, purple, silver and red tones overall. It is a peaceful but fast-swimming species.
Taxonomy
- Family: Cyprinidae
- Genus: Danio
- Scientific name: Danio roseus
- Described by: Fang & Kottelat, 2000
Habitat
Its natural range includes the Mekong River drainage in China, Thailand, Laos and Myanmar.
Tank requirements
- Minimum tank volume: 60 L
- Temperature: 20-26 °C (68-79 °F)
- pH: 6.5-7.5
- GH: 5-15 °dGH
- School size: at least 6 individuals
- Lifespan: 3-5 years
As a fast, active danio it needs plenty of swimming space, so a long tank with moderate flow is preferable.
Diet
Like other small danios it is omnivorous, taking dried foods readily and benefiting from small live or frozen items such as Daphnia and Artemia.
Compatibility
It is peaceful but fast, like most danios, and is often used as a dither fish to help draw out shy species. Keep it in a group of six or more with other active fish of similar size.
Rose Danio (Danio roseus) Breeding Guide
Overview
Danio roseus is a small cyprinid from the Mekong basin in Thailand, Laos and Myanmar, where it occurs in small streams with relatively cold, running water as well as in the Mekong main river. Like other Danio species it is an egg-scattering free spawner that provides no parental care. In a well-planted, mature aquarium small numbers of fry may even appear without intervention, but a dedicated setup produces far more young.
Sexing
Females tend to grow larger than males and are generally deeper-bodied, especially when gravid. Males stay slimmer and more colourful. The difference is easiest to read once adults have been well fed and are in spawning condition.
Conditioning
Condition adults together on a varied diet that includes live and frozen foods to bring females into roe. Well-conditioned fish spawn readily, so feeding intensity is the main lever before moving a chosen pair to a spawning container.
Breeding Setup
Use a dimly lit container of roughly 20-30 litres. Cover the base with a mesh of a grade large enough for eggs to fall through but small enough to keep the adults away from them; a thick layer of Java moss serves the same purpose. Keep the water slightly acidic to neutral and hold the temperature toward the upper end of the general range (18-25 C). Replace power filters with a sponge-type unit so fry are not drawn in.
Spawning Behavior & Trigger
Spawning is triggered by gradually adding cooler water and offering live or frozen foods, with the pair typically spawning the following morning. Eggs are scattered freely and fall into the mesh or moss below.
Egg & Fry Care
Remove the adults after spawning to prevent egg predation. Incubation is temperature-dependent but usually lasts 24-36 hours, with the young free-swimming a few days later. Start fry on Paramecium or a 5-50 micron proprietary dry food, then move on to Artemia nauplii and microworm as they grow.
Common Challenges
The two recurring problems are egg loss to the parents, solved by the egg-trap base and prompt removal of adults, and starvation of first-feeding fry, which require genuinely tiny foods before they can manage Artemia. Stable, clean water during the free-swimming stage supports survival.