Max Size: up to 5.5 cm

Glowlight Danio (Celestichthys choprae)

Glowlight Danios are very peaceful, stunning fish, making them an ideal resident of a community tank.

Its very slender and torpedo-like shape has blue vertical bars on its golden-green body; also, a blue horizontal bar, located dorsally that runs across the entire body. The fins are translucent except for a black and gold tip at the end of the caudal fin. Also, a yellow line can be seen running horizontally on the dorsal fin. The anal fin displays a white line across it.

Keeping glowlight danios in more significant numbers will not only help make the fish less nervous but will also allow the lesser dominant fish of both sexes some respite from the alpha males which can be quite aggressive at times.

Quick Facts
Scientific Name	Celestichthys choprae
Family	Cyprinidae
Genus	Danio
Origins	Southeast Asia
Temperament	Peaceful
Aquarium Level	Middle - Top
Difficulty	Beginner
Shoaling	Yes
Best kept as	Groups 6+
Diet	Omnivore
Reproduction	Egg-Scatterer
Lifespan	1 -4 years

Water Parameters
Water Type	Freshwater
Temperature	64 - 75 ℉ (17.8 - 23.9 ℃)
PH	6.0 - 8.0
GH	1 - 12
TDS	20 - 250

Glowlight Danio

Glowlight Danio - Celestichthys choprae

Glowlight Danio

Habitat

The Glowlight Danio originates from the river Mogaung Chaung, and the surrounding small rocky streams in Myanmar in south-east Asia.

This species seems to prefer small hill streams with substrates of gravel and different sized rocks but do not seem to contain much if any vegetation.

Other Danios of interest

Bengal Danio

(Devario devario)

Celestial Pearl Danio

(Danio margaritatus)

Emerald Dwarf Danio

(Danio erythromicron)

Fireline Danio

(Devario sondhii)

Giant Danio

(Devario aequipinnatus)

Lake Inle Danio

(Devario auropurpureus, Inlecypris auropurpurea, Barilius auropurpureus)

View All Danios

Diet & Feeding

Glowlight Danios are not fussy eaters and will accept almost every type of food.

Good quality dry food such as flakes and granules should be their main diet, but you must supplement this with regular meals of small frozen and live food such as Daphnia, bloodworm, and Artemia to get the best condition and colouring from your fish.

Sexual Dimorphism

To differentiate the sex of Glowlight Danios is quite easy, sexually mature females are usually rounder-bellied, less colourful and slightly larger than males, and when in spawning condition the males colour intensifies and the female will be noticeably full with eggs.

Breeding

Breeding glowlight Danios is quite easy, and spawning can happen quite often in a community tank, however, for success, you are better off getting a separate breeding tank for them.

The females will scatter her eggs by laying them over delicate plants such as Willow Moss, Java Moss, Fontanalis or Cabomba, so much sure these are readily available in your aquarium. Alternatively, you can use things like marbles, small rocks or coarse substrate for the eggs to land in between them, making it more difficult for the parents to reach and eat.

Once spawning has completed, remove the parents from the tank. The fry should hatch about three days later and will be able to swim freely.

Frquently asked questions about the Glowlight Danio

How big do Glowlight Danios get?

Glowlight Danios are one of the smallest Danio species, reaching just under 3 cm in length, with the males being slightly smaller than the females.

How long do Glowlight Danios live?

Glowlight Danios typically live between one and three years, depending on their quality of life. However, with the proper care, these fish could live up to 5 years.

What do Glowlight Danios look like?

Glowlight Danios are a small fish with a sleek body and a barbel at the tip of each lip. Glowlight Danios have stunning colouration and patterning composed of bars, stripes and spots. This fish looks very similar to the Pearl Danio with its yellow, brown, and green colouring. However, Glowlight Danios have bright orange stripes on the back half of their body with green, red, turquoise and gold spots.

What should you feed Glowlight Danios?

Glowlight Danios are omnivores that will accept most fish food. However, these fish are pretty active and have high nutrient requirements, so choose good quality dry food that will accommodate their needs. This could include flakes and granules alongside regular meals of small frozen and live food such as Daphnia, bloodworm, and Artemia to get the best condition and colouring from your fish. Glowlight Danios will do best when offered food several times a day; however, only give them what they can eat in under 3 minutes. If you can only feed your fish once a day, provide them with what they can consume in around 5 minutes.

What size aquarium do Glowlight Danios need?

You can house a small school of Glowlight Danios in a 45-litre aquarium, although a 90-litre aquarium will suit them better. Another fact that might be good to know is Glowlight Danios can appear somewhat washed out if the tank does not have enough decor, so make sure you have plenty of plants and suchlike. Finally, to display this fish's best colours and make them stand out, you should use a darker substrate.

What tankmates are suitable for Glowlight Danios?

Glowlight Danios are somewhat shy fish; therefore, you should keep them with small peaceful fish or in a species only aquarium. Large tankmates, friendly or not, usually scare them into hiding. However, they thrive with other small Cyprinids and Danios, except for the Giant Danio, which is much bigger and will often harass smaller fish. You can also mix them with most Tetras, Rainbowfish, Livebearers, Catfish, Loaches and Anabantoids.