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.
Photos
| Quick Facts | |
|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Devario aequipinnatus |
| Other Names | Golden Giant Danio |
| Classification | Actinopterygii |
| Order | Cypriniformes |
| Family | Cyprinidae |
| Genus | Devario |
| Origins | Bangladesh, Cambodia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Thailand |
| 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 |
| PH | 6.0 - 8.0 |
| GH | 5 - 19 |
| Temperature | |
|---|---|
| 72 - 81℉ 22.2 - 27.2℃ | |
Feeding
In the home aquarium, the Giant 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.
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.