Rose Danio (Danio roseus)
Rose Danios are a stunning, peaceful, active and hardy species that are
perfect for the nano aquarium or the well-planted community aquarium of temperate species. These Danios have no special requirements when it comes to water conditions and can therefore be combined with the most popular fish in the hobby.
Suitable tankmates for Rose Danios can include other Danios, Barbs, Tetras, Livebearers, Rainbowfish and Gouramis, as well as Loaches and Catfish. However, it would be best to avoid housing these Danios with much larger, more boisterous fish as they may feel nervous or may be seen as a snack.
Rose Danios are a shoaling species in the wild; therefore, it would be better to maintain these Danios in a group of at least eight individuals, preferably more. Keeping these Danios in more significant numbers will result in a much more natural-looking display and allow your males to show off their best colours as they compete with one another for female attention.
It would be better to maintain Rose Danios in a well-planted aquarium with a darker substrate or an aquarium designed to mimic a flowing stream or river. The substrate can be gravel, different sized pebbles or a few large smooth rocks.
You can use additional powerheads or filter outlets to provide flow; however, you should avoid swift currents because Danios usually occupy calmer waters in the wild. It would also be good for your Danios to add some driftwood roots and branches and some hardy aquatic plants such as Anubias, Microsorum or Bolbitis.
Rose Danios naturally appear in pristine habitats; therefore, they are intolerant to the build-up of organic waste and require spotless water to thrive, so weekly water changes are essential. You will also need a tight-fitting lid on your aquarium as Danios are exceptional jumpers and can fit through minor gaps.
Rose Danios have peachy-rose colouration along the lower part of their body and on their anal and pelvic fins. They also display iridescent blueish-purple colouration along their flanks. In addition, depending on the light, these fish can also display red or silver colouring on their bodies.
| Quick Facts | |
|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Danio roseus |
| Year Described | 2000 |
| Other Names | Purple Passion Danio, Rosy Danio |
| Classification | Actinopterygii |
| Order | Cypriniformes |
| Family | Cyprinidae |
| Genus | Danio |
| Origins | China, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand |
| Temperament | Peaceful |
| Aquarium Level | Middle - Top |
| Difficulty | Beginner - Intermediate |
| Shoaling | Yes |
| Best kept as | Groups 8+ |
| Diet | Omnivore |
| Reproduction | Egg-Scatterer |
| Lifespan | 3 - 5 years |
| Water Parameters | |
|---|---|
| Water Type | Freshwater |
| PH | 6.0 - 7.5 |
| GH | 2 - 15 |
| TDS | 36 - 268 |
| Temperature | |
|---|---|
| 68 - 79℉ 20 - 26.1℃ | |
Photos of the Rose Danio
Natural Habitat
In South Asia, Rose Danios are endemic to the Mekong River drainage in Laos, China, Thailand, and Myanmar. These Danios inhabit well-oxygenated, moderately fast flowing, relatively cold, running water under forest covering, including springs and waterfalls. You can also find Rose Danios in small creeks but can also be found in the backwaters of the main Mekong River. The substrate in these habitats comprises rocks, and these habitats have little vegetation.
What to feed the Rose Danio
Rose Danios are unfussy in the aquarium. However, a high quality dried product should be used as the staple diet. Still, it would benefit your fish if you supplemented this with frequent meals of frozen, live and freeze-dried foods such as bloodworm, mosquito larvae, brine shrimp, cyclops and daphnia, as this will allow your fish to exhibit their best colours and condition.
How to sex the Rose Danio
It is quite simple to differentiate between the males and female Rose Danios. Females tend to grow slightly larger than males, are generally duller and have wider bodies, especially when they are gravid. In contrast, males are typically smaller and slimmer and are much more vibrantly coloured than females.
How to breed the Rose Danio
Rose Danios will often spawn when in good condition, and in a heavily-planted, mature aquarium, small numbers of fry may start to appear without intervening. However, if you would like to improve the yield of babies, you will need to use a slightly more controlled approach.
You can condition your adult group together, but you should also set up a separate breeding tank and half-fill it with mature water. It would be best to fill much of the available space with suitable spawning mediums such as spawning mops or java moss, or you can place either a mesh or marbles on the bottom of the tank where the eggs can fall through to hide the eggs.
Their water will need to be somewhat acidic to neutral with a temperature towards the higher end of the scale. You may also add an internal power filter and position it so that the flow is directed down the whole length of the tank.
Once you have conditioned the adult fish and the females look to be full of eggs, you should then introduce one or two pairs into the breeding tank.
To boost the spawning process, you should add small amounts of cooler water every couple of hours so that the tank is gradually topped up or perform a significant water change in the evening. Providing your Danios with small amounts of live and frozen food can also trigger spawning. Several spawning events will probably occur before a female has run out of eggs.
The adults will consume any eggs they find, so it would be best to remove the adults once any are noticed. At this point, it is advisable to switch the power filter to a mature sponge filter, as this will stop any fry from being sucked up.
The Incubation period is temperature-dependant to an extent but generally takes between 24 to 36 hours. The fry will then become free-swimming a few days after that. Initially, it would be best to feed the fry with newly hatched brine shrimp or microworms.