Celestial pearl danio

Behaviour and habits

The celestial pearl danio is a jewel-like micro-fish from Myanmar, covered in tiny pearly spots with red-edged fins. It is shy and does best as a dense shoal of eight or more among plants, where the males spar over small territories in bright, harmless displays. It looks stunning in a well-planted nano tank but can be nervous and reclusive if kept in too few or in a bare, open setup.

What to feed, and how often

Tiny foods only — micro-pellets, crushed flake, daphnia and baby brineshrimp. Feed one or two small meals a day and keep the food fine for its small mouth; a settled shoal will feed confidently, but shy fish can miss out if food is gone quickly.

Water changes and maintenance

They prefer cooler, stable, soft-to-neutral water; change 20–25% weekly and keep it steady, as they hate swings in temperature and chemistry and are not a fish for a brand-new tank.

Care and how easy it is

Best in a mature, planted nano tank with a large group; it dislikes instability and open, exposed setups.

Common health problems

Sensitive to poor water and to chill; prone to bacterial problems when stressed.

If it gets sick

Keep the water cool, soft and stable, feed consistently, and isolate and treat early if an infection shows.