Identity and search names
- Common name
- Pearl danio
- Scientific name
- Danio albolineatus
- Other names
- Pearl danio, Blue danio, Brachydanio albolineatus, Danio albolineatus
- Category
- Freshwater fish
- Group
- Rasboras, danios and minnows
- Origin
- Streams and rivers of mainland Southeast Asia, including Myanmar, Thailand, Laos and the Mekong region
- Review outcome
- PASSED
Environment and housing
- Environment
- Freshwater
- Care level
- Beginner to intermediate
- Adult size
- Usually 5–6 cm total length
- Expected lifespan
- About 3–6 years
- Minimum housing
- At least 120 L with a secure lid for a group of ten or more
- Temperature
- 20–26 °C
- pH
- 6.0–8.0
- Hardness or minerals
- Soft to hard
- Salinity
- Freshwater
- Lighting
- Moderate with shaded margins
- Social structure
- Keep ten or more to distribute chasing and allow normal schooling
- Placement or swimming zone
- Middle and upper water
- Temperament
- Peaceful, fast and active
- Compatibility
- Use with robust peaceful fish that tolerate active danios; avoid slow long-finned species
- Habitat structure
- Long aquarium with open swimming space, planted edges, clean oxygenated water and a tightly fitted lid
Feeding and nutrition
- Diet
- Small insects, zooplankton, crustaceans and varied prepared foods
- Feeding frequency
- Feed small varied meals once or twice daily
Breeding and reproduction
- Breeding or reproduction
- Spawn conditioned adults over fine plants, mops or mesh and remove adults or collect eggs because eggs and fry may be eaten.
- Parental care
- No parental care
System demands
- Filtration
- Use mature biological filtration sized for the full adult group and feeding load, with intake protection where juveniles, long fins or small fish are present. Provide steady turnover without preventing normal swimming or resting.
- Aeration
- Maintain strong surface gas exchange and stable dissolved oxygen. Increase aeration during warm weather, medication, transport recovery, breeding crowding or any ammonia or nitrite event.
- Maintenance
- Test ammonia, nitrite and nitrate, remove waste from feeding and shelter zones, and perform regular temperature- and chemistry-matched water changes before nitrate or dissolved organics accumulate.
Detailed husbandry
- Identity scope
- This profile uses the accepted name Danio albolineatus. Brachydanio albolineatus remains a historical search name, not a separate species.
- Adult size and space
- Usually 5–6 cm total length. At least 120 L with a secure lid for a group of ten or more. Plan around adult dimensions, activity, social structure, aggression and waste production rather than sale size.
- Social structure
- Keep ten or more to distribute chasing and allow normal schooling
- Placement or swimming zone
- Primary zone: Middle and upper water. Keep that zone usable for movement, feeding and refuge.
- Feeding ecology
- Small insects, zooplankton, crustaceans and varied prepared foods
- Feeding plan
- Feed small varied meals once or twice daily
- Water stability
- Maintain 20–26 °C; pH 6.0–8.0; hardness/minerals: Soft to hard. Stable oxygenation and nitrogen-cycle control matter more than chasing one exact number.
- Adult projected load
- Plan capacity for Keep ten or more to distribute chasing and allow normal schooling at the documented adult size (Usually 5–6 cm total length) in At least 120 L with a secure lid for a group of ten or more. Include feeding intensity, territorial behaviour and breeding growth rather than counting sale-size juveniles.
- Filtration
- Use mature biological filtration sized for the full adult group and feeding load, with intake protection where juveniles, long fins or small fish are present. Provide steady turnover without preventing normal swimming or resting.
- Aeration
- Maintain strong surface gas exchange and stable dissolved oxygen. Increase aeration during warm weather, medication, transport recovery, breeding crowding or any ammonia or nitrite event.
- Maintenance
- Test ammonia, nitrite and nitrate, remove waste from feeding and shelter zones, and perform regular temperature- and chemistry-matched water changes before nitrate or dissolved organics accumulate.
- Habitat structure
- Long aquarium with open swimming space, planted edges, clean oxygenated water and a tightly fitted lid
- Compatibility plan
- Use with robust peaceful fish that tolerate active danios; avoid slow long-finned species
- Breeding plan
- Spawn conditioned adults over fine plants, mops or mesh and remove adults or collect eggs because eggs and fry may be eaten. Parental care: No parental care.
- Quarantine
- Quarantine new fish in a separate cycled aquarium with dedicated equipment. Match temperature and mineral chemistry gradually, confirm feeding and normal respiration, and never add transport water to the established aquarium.
- Welfare checks
- Maintain the stated adult space and social structure, verify feeding and intervene early when injury, exclusion, weight loss, abnormal respiration or altered behaviour appears. Brachydanio is a historical combination, not a reason to create a duplicate species. Small groups and short tanks promote relentless chasing.
- Biosecurity and release
- Never release fish, fry, eggs, aquarium water, sediment, plants or live foods into drains, dams or natural waterways. Confirm current Australian import conditions and South Australian possession, trade and movement rules before acquisition or transfer.
- Main risk
- Brachydanio is a historical combination, not a reason to create a duplicate species. Small groups and short tanks promote relentless chasing.
- Overridable warnings
- Brachydanio is a historical combination, not a reason to create a duplicate species. Small groups and short tanks promote relentless chasing. Any override must still preserve adult space, social welfare, stable chemistry, oxygen and filter capacity.
Welfare and risk
- Welfare checks
- Maintain the stated adult space and social structure, verify feeding and intervene early when injury, exclusion, weight loss, abnormal respiration or altered behaviour appears. Brachydanio is a historical combination, not a reason to create a duplicate species. Small groups and short tanks promote relentless chasing.
- Main warning
- Brachydanio is a historical combination, not a reason to create a duplicate species. Small groups and short tanks promote relentless chasing.
- Biosecurity
- Never release fish, fry, eggs, aquarium water, sediment, plants or live foods into drains, dams or natural waterways. Confirm current Australian import conditions and South Australian possession, trade and movement rules before acquisition or transfer.
Sources
Source note
Current identity or scope, husbandry, system-demand, welfare and Australian biosecurity evidence checked; active retired-source links removed; all AquaNexus wording is original.
- Eschmeyer’s Catalog of Fishes — Danio albolineatus — Current accepted-name, synonym, family and habitat check
- Eschmeyer’s Catalog of Fishes — Danio albolineatus — Accepted-name, synonym and taxonomic-placement cross-check
- Eschmeyer’s Catalog — Danio albolineatus — Current accepted combination, synonym and distribution cross-check
- IUCN Red List search — Danio albolineatus — Conservation-status and wild-provenance cross-check
- PIRSA — South Australian noxious fish list — Current South Australian possession and trade restriction cross-check
- DAFF — importing live ornamental fish to Australia — Current Australian live-fish import pathway and permitted-species warning