Danios: the most active fish in your tank
- Sep 09, 2020
- Anshika Mishra
- 3208 0 0
Want to know why Danios are the best fish in the entire fish keeping hobby? Let's talk about Danios and what makes them the most wanted fish in the freshwater aquarium.
THEY ARE EVERYWHERE!
Danios are crazy and that is really all that needs to be said. They are one of the most active fish in this hobby and they are not only just constantly moving around, but they also move fast. There is never a dull movement in the Danio tank.
They make sure that there is constant chaos, you are also going to find them in groups because they are schooling fish. So, if you ever came across a Danio tank you are in for a show.
WATER PARAMETERS
One of the best this about this fish is that they are super easy to keep and that is because they can tolerate a wide range of water parameters. This does not mean that they are a lazy man's fish; you need to keep the water clean. It is just that they are not overly picky about things like pH and temperature.
This makes them a fantastic fish for beginners, who might not know how to adjust things like pH for fish that is pickier. Shoot for:
pH: 6.5 - 8
Temperature: 70- 82
TANK MATES
There are so many great things about Danios, one of them is that they are pretty much compatible with any other fish in the hobby; except for those who can easily eat them.
When you go to the pet store, go to the community fish section, and pretty much anything that you find will be good. Danios are not looking to hurt anything and since they are so fast it is tough for any other fish to do any damage to them.
Let's not say that it is impossible though, some fish are sneaky, but for the most part, you will be fine. Just stay away from the fish that can swallow them whole like big cichlids are others. They might be fast but that cichlid is going to wait for the right opportunity and then it's game over.
TANK SIZE
Tank size for Danios is kind of tricky because there are so many different varieties of these fish. Pretty much every aquarium size has a Danio that will work for it.
- 5-gallon: Pearl Danios
- 10-gallon: Zebra and White clouds
- 20-gallon: Rosy or pearls
There is even a Danio for big tanks appropriately named Giant Danios. Bottom line is that there is a Danio for almost every tank size. Just do a little bit of research before you pull the trigger on these fish. Make sure that they are compatible with the size of the tank that you have,
DECORATIONS
Decorating a Danio tank is like everything else on the list; easy. Danio is one of the most bullet-proof fish in this hobby and they could really care less what you put in the tank with them. If you are setting up your first tank and you are throwing in a bunch of artificial plants, a Squidward house, and a treasure chest with bubbles coming out of it; they'll be fine.
If you want to put live plants with your Danios, fill that tank full of green and they'll be fine. Or if you want it to be just completely barre and have no decor in it at all, they will be good with that too.
They are the most non-picky fish, just have a box fill with water, you are good. The Danios literally don't care about the decoration in the tank.
Plants
There are two ways in which Danios utilize plants in the tank
- Breeding
- Overall habitat
When it comes to breeding Danios are egg scatter; eggs go everywhere. The more cover we have across the bottom the more likely of those eggs being instantly eaten. Things like dense plants will allow those eggs to fall in the nooks and crannies then when they hatch out, they have a chance.
Now, most of their eggs always get eaten but if you want to find that occasional one in there; a really dense planted tank will help you with that.
Overall when it comes to Danios, being them super active and fast you can slow them down with some plants up top. Dense planting that reaches up forces them to swim around and this can slow them a bit especially if you are mixing them with other fish.
In general, it makes the tank look cleaner and better So, Zebra Danios and live plants are the perfect matches.
VARIETY
As said multiple times before; there are Danios that can fit whatever size tank you have.
There are teeny-tiny ones like the Celestial clouds and White clouds. they only get to about an inch and a half in size, making them awesome for beginner fish keepers that are probably gonna start off with a really small tank.
There is the step-up in size to the Zebras and pearls that can get to an inch and a half to 2-inches for the fish-keeper that moves up to that 20-gallon.
Then there are the giant Danios, these are awesome, because they look and behave like their smaller counterpart, but they can get up to 5-inches in size. You don't want to keep this one in anything less than 55-gallons.
There are several other types though. Do a bit of research and you will find that no matter what size tank you have, there's a Danio that will fit in.
EASY
There is literally one word that can describe the care level of Danios. it can be argued that they are the hardiest fish in the hobby. They are just tough little fish.
If you are a new fish keeper make sure that your aquarium is fully cycled before you put your Danios in there. Get your self on a good maintenance schedule and they will be fine.
DIET
Feeding your Danios is super easy. They are never known to be finicky about food, they will pretty much accept anything, and finish them vigorously.
They are omnivore though. So, make sure you give them a good variety of food. The best-case scenario would be to feed them a variety of tropical flakes and pallets and make sure the pallets are tiny enough to fit in there teeny-tiny mouths.
You can also feed them frozen food like Brine shrimp and give it to them every once in a while, as a treat.
THEY ARE CRAZY!
Danios being schooling fish, what does it mean. Does it mean that they just don't like being alone? Yes, but it means more than that.
It means that they like being in large groups. This is not the fish that you want to grab one or two and they'll be fine. If you are planning to put Danios in your tank, you need to be prepared to put 6 or 8 of them.
Danios are really a lot of fun, get yourself a nice group of them, put them in a tank, and let the game begin.
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