Celestial Pearl Danio (Danio margaritatus)

The vibrant colours and peaceful nature of the Celestial Pearl Danio make them extremely popular in the hobby. These fish are suitable for a nano or well-planted aquarium. However, these fish can be pretty shy, so it would be better to keep them in a quiet place and provide plenty of hiding places.

Celestial Pearl Danios are shoaling fish with rival males sparring regularly during the day. It's not unusual to see nipped fins within a group; however, this behaviour will not usually happen to other tankmates.

It would be best to keep these Danios in groups of 10 or more individuals. When more significant numbers are present, the aggression will be spread throughout the group rather than single individuals. In addition, the fish will become bolder, will be more often seen, and they will display much better colouration.

Ideal tank mates for these fish could include similarly-sized, surface-dwelling species and other small Cyprinids and microdevario species. However, it would be best to avoid housing them with larger or more boisterous tankmates as they will likely be intimidated or outcompeted for food.

Celestial Pearl Danios should ideally be kept in a heavily-planted setup with a dark substrate. Making sure you have broken lines of sight in the aquarium will allow your fish to display their natural behaviours and help reduce their skittishness. Floating plants are a helpful addition; however, driftwood and dried leaves are best avoided as the tannins they release are not a characteristic of its natural waters. These fish will require gentle filtration; an air-powered sponge filter would be more than adequate.

Celestial Pearl Danios have an unusual body shape compared to other fish of the same species. In addition, there are notable differences in the colours of the males and females. The males exhibit relatively bright blue body colouration with more colour in their fins. On the other hand, females exhibit duller bluish-greenish background colouration and have a yellowish tint on their bellies. In addition, both the males and the female bodies present small pearly dots.

Celestial Pearl Danio (Danio margaritatus) Video

Celestial Pearl Danios (Danio margaritatus) Freshwater Nano Aquarium Fish Profile & Care Guide

Photos

Feeding

In the home aquarium, the Celestial Pearl Danio will readily accept most good quality dried foods such as granules, flakes and sinking pellets. These modern food products have been developed to provide all adequate nutrition to maintain your fish's health and dietary requirements.

Providing additional foodstuffs such as live, frozen, and freeze-dried meals such as bloodworm, daphnia, and tubifex once or twice a week will provide additional benefits to your fish's health and well-being but is not a must for this fish.

It should be noted that bloodworms should only be given as an occasional treat and should not be used as the staple diet as they are difficult for fish to digest and can potentially cause blockages.

This fish is an omnivore in the wild, meaning it will consume some vegetable matter. Although most modern fish foods take this into account and include them in their products, you can still supplement your fish's diet with blanched vegetables such as spinach, broccoli, and zucchini. Ensure you do not overfeed your fish and remove any leftovers the following day.

Tank Mates

10 interesting tank mate ideas for the Celestial Pearl Danio could include:

Sexual Dimorphism

It is relatively straightforward to differentiate between male and female Celestial Pearl Danios. The males are thinner and often more vibrantly coloured and have a more orangy chest and the tail end of their bodies tend to be higher. In contrast, females are slightly duller and have a more rounded body shape.