Max Size: up to 10 cm

Giant Danio (Devario aequipinnatus)

The Giant Danio is an active and peaceful fish. It is the biggest of the Danios and therefore requires a large aquarium with plenty of swimming room. A tight-fitting lid should always be placed on the aquarium housing these fish, as they like to jump.

Giant Danios fair better when kept in a group containing five or more fish. The Giant Danio is an excellent addition to a large community tank, especially if you're already raising big fish.

The Giant Danio is a gorgeous torpedo-shaped fish with a beautiful iridescent blue colouration that reflects a pale blue-green background as the fish swiftly changes direction. It displays gold splotches and stripes running lengthwise from the gills to the tail. The fins are grey and clear and rounded in shape, while the tail fin is forked.

Quick Facts
Scientific Name	Devario aequipinnatus
Other Names	Golden Giant Danio
Family	Cyprinidae
Genus	Devario
Origins	India
Temperament	Semi-Aggressive
Aquarium Level	Middle - Top
Difficulty	Beginner - Intermediate
Shoaling	No
Best kept as	Groups 5+
Diet	Omnivore
Reproduction	Egg-Scatterer
Lifespan	5 plus years

Water Parameters
Water Type	Freshwater
Temperature	72 - 81 ℉ (22.2 - 27.2 ℃)
PH	6.0 - 8.0
GH	5 - 19

Giant danio

Giant Danio

Habitat

Giant Danios are endemic to the Indian subcontinent and most of Indochina. They can be found in Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Cambodia and northern Thailand.

These fish inhabit fast-flowing streams, and ponds usually in hilly areas. They prefer shaded and clear water and a gravel or sandy substrate.

Other Danios of interest

Bengal Danio

(Devario devario)

Celestial Pearl Danio

(Danio margaritatus)

Emerald Dwarf Danio

(Danio erythromicron)

Fireline Danio

(Devario sondhii)

Glowlight Danio

(Celestichthys choprae)

Lake Inle Danio

(Devario auropurpureus, Inlecypris auropurpurea, Barilius auropurpureus)

View All Danios

Diet & Feeding

Giant Danios will happily accept a wide variety of foods, which includes flake, granules, freeze-dried, frozen, and live foods. To bring out the best colouration, provide live foods, such as mosquito larvae, bloodworm, brine shrimp, chopped earthworms and daphnia.

If live meals are no longer available, give them frozen food as an alternative. Occasionally encompass vegetable flakes in their feedings to supply a well-balanced diet.

Sexual Dimorphism

It is relatively hard to differentiate males from females. Still, typically the females tend to be larger than males, possess a more rounded abdomen, their golden lines are much more broken than the male, they are not as vibrantly coloured, and the lower jaw of the females does not seem to protrude as much as that of the male.

Breeding

Giant Danios are exceptionally convenient to breed, and the fry is pretty easy to raise.

It would be best to attempt breeding in a spacious tank that has some exposure to daylight if possible, as this triggers spawning. Keep the water warm, with a low pH and provide fine-leaved plants, such as java moss; alternatively, you can use a spawning mop.

Condition the breeder pair with live and frozen foods such as brine shrimp daphnia or mosquito larvae.

During spawning, these fish can produce up to 20 eggs for the duration of every pairing, which will continue until all the eggs have been scattered on the plants. Remove the breeding pair as soon as the eggs are laid, or the parents will consume the eggs and fry.

Eggs hatch in 24 to 36 hours and the fry will grow to be free-swimming around 48 hours after that. Feed the fry with infusoria or powdered food until they are big enough to accept freshly hatched brine shrimp.

Frquently asked questions about the Giant Danio

How big do Giant Danios get?

Giant Danios can grow to a maximum length of 10 to 15 cm, making them one of the largest species in the Danio family.

How do you sex Giant Danios?

It is pretty easy to sex Giant Danios. Males usually have brighter colouring and are slimmer than females, and they also have straight stripes, whereas females stripes bend upwards at the tails base. In addition, the female's stomachs are usually plumper and more rounded than males.

What are suitable tankmates for Giant Danios?

Due to their size, you should not keep giant Danios with smaller fish species as they can swallow them. However, medium to large species such as Cichlids and Barbs, as well as larger bottom-dwelling fish, make excellent tankmates for Giant Danios. It would be best if you avoided Slow-moving, long-finned fish such as Bettas or Angelfish. Giant danios should always be kept in schools of six, preferably more; otherwise, fewer numbers regularly result in aggressive behaviour towards one another and other fish.

What do Giant Danios look like?

Giant Danios have iridescent gold bodies contrasted with steel-blue coloured stripes and spots moving lengthwise from the gills to the tail. Their fins are rounded and pale gold colour, and the tail fin is forked. You can find this species in several colour variations, with the more common being an albino form.

What is the natural habitat of the Giant Danio?

Giant Danios inhabit fast-flowing clear rivers and streams amongst hills at altitudes up to 1000 feet above sea level. Their substrate is typically gravel; they prefer water with a pH of between 6 and 8, water hardness between 5 and 19 GH, and a temperature range somewhere between 72 and 81 degrees Fahrenheit.

What should you feed your Giant Danios?

Giant Danios are omnivores that will accept a broad range of foods. Offer you fish good quality dried food such as flakes and granules alongside live and frozen fare such as brine shrimp, bloodworms, mosquito larvae or daphnia. However, if live or frozen foods are not available, you can substitute them with freeze-dried food.