Pearl danio care
Danio albolineatus · South-east Asia
Pearl danios have a mother-of-pearl sheen with an orange stripe toward the tail.
- Tank size
- 20 US gal or larger
- Temperature
- 68 to 77 °F (20 to 25 °C)
- Group size
- 6 or more
- Temperament
- Peaceful
- Adult size
- 2.6 in
- pH
- 6 to 8
- Hardness (GH)
- 5 to 18 dGH
- Lifespan
- 3 to 5 years
- Diet
- Omnivore
- Care level
- Easy
In a 20 gallon long
30¼ × 12½ × 12¾ in outsideHow to keep pearl danios
Pearl danios have a mother-of-pearl sheen with an orange stripe toward the tail. They are fast, hardy schoolers for a 20 gallon long or larger tank and handle cooler water than most tropical fish.
Diet: Omnivore: flakes, micro pellets, frozen foods. Fish food types compared · how often to feed.
Where they swim: Top of the tank.
Pearl danio tank mates
Share the temperature and water, and neither side eats, nips or bullies the other. Check the full group in the stocking checker.
Sterbai corydoras
2.6 in · 20+ gal · 74–82 °F
Platy
2.5 in · 10+ gal · 70–80 °F
American flagfish
2.5 in · 20+ gal · 65–79 °F
Odessa barb
2.5 in · 29+ gal · 68–79 °F
Julii corydoras
2.5 in · 20+ gal · 72–79 °F
Bronze corydoras
2.75 in · 20+ gal · 72–80 °F
Peppered corydoras
2.8 in · 20+ gal · 64–77 °F
Red eye tetra
2.8 in · 29+ gal · 73–82 °F
Keep apart
German blue ram: No shared temperature: pearl danios need 68 to 77 °F, German blue rams 78 to 85 °F.
Pea puffer: Pea puffers belong in a tank of their own.
Convict cichlid: Convict cichlids are aggressive towards peaceful fish such as pearl danios.
Zebra pleco: No shared temperature: pearl danios need 68 to 77 °F, zebra plecos 79 to 86 °F.
Jewel cichlid: Jewel cichlids are aggressive towards peaceful fish such as pearl danios.
Saulosi cichlid: Saulosi cichlids belong with other Lake Malawi cichlids, not with pearl danios.
What a pearl danio tank needs
A tank of 20 US gallons or more (such as the 20 gallon long) with a tight lid (they jump), and the equipment below.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Aqueon PRO QuietFlow Power Filter 10
Rated by the maker for up to 20 US gal, which covers a 20 gallon pearl danio tank without being built for a far bigger one.
Aqueon QuietFlow Internal Power Filter 15–30 gal
Rated by the maker for 15–30 US gal, which covers a 20 gallon pearl danio tank without being built for a far bigger one.
hygger Precise Aquarium Heater 100W
Pearl danios need 68 to 77 °F; most homes run cooler, so a heater holds the temperature.
API Freshwater Master Test Kit
Tests ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and pH, the readings that matter most before and after adding pearl danios.
Seachem Prime 100 mL
Removes chlorine and chloramine from tap water at every water change.
Fluval Edge Thermometer
Shows the water temperature at a glance, so you know it stays within 68 to 77 °F.
More choices, each with the reason it is in or out: Filters for a 20 gallon tank · Heaters for a 20 gallon tank. We don’t list fish food: any good brand of the foods under Diet will do. Plan the whole tank's equipment →
Common pearl danio problems
- They jump; keep a lid on.
Test the water first whenever fish look unwell: see what your readings mean, then match the symptom. For disease, a vet who treats fish can diagnose it and advise treatment.
More to compare
Sources
Name, origin and adult size checked against Wikipedia: Danio albolineatus. Temperature, pH, hardness, group size, lifespan and minimum tank size are common hobby guidance, not figures from that article. Ranges are the range the species tolerates; aim for the middle. Minimum tank sizes are for an adult group. Drawings are our own; photo credits follow.
Photo credits
Real photographs from Wikimedia Commons, resized and cropped to fit; each is used under the license named.
- Pearl danio Павлик Лисицын, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Sterbai corydoras Matthew Mannell, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
- Platy Monika Korzeniec, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- American flagfish nat_t (iNaturalist), CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Odessa barb Anandarajkumar, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Julii corydoras Bob Jenkins, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Bronze corydoras Quatermass (English Wikipedia), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
- Peppered corydoras Przemysław Malkowski, CC BY 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons
- Red eye tetra Jhartshorn, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- German blue ram Eric Mengel, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
- Pea puffer Beta Mahatvaraj, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Convict cichlid S. Olkowicz, CC BY 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons
- Zebra pleco Peaceinpianos, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Jewel cichlid NasserHalaweh, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Saulosi cichlid Gerard Delany, CC BY-SA 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons
- Harlequin rasbora NasserHalaweh, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Chili rasbora JoKrimmel, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Celestial pearl danio Cisamarc, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Zebra danio Roundish, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
,_2017.jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}