Zebra Danio

The zebra danio (Danio rerio) comes from streams and rice paddies across northern India, Bangladesh and Nepal, where the water cools considerably in winter. It is a slim silver-gold fish with four dark blue horizontal stripes running from the gill cover into the tail, and it almost never stops moving. Longfin strains are widely available alongside the standard shape. Decades in the aquarium trade, and in laboratories, have made it about as hardy as a tropical fish gets.

Aquarium care

• Reaches about 5 cm.
• Peaceful, though relentlessly active.
• Keep six or more.
• Tolerates cooler water than most community fish and a wide range of hardness.
• Spends its time in the upper half of the tank.
• Omnivorous and undemanding: flake, micro pellets and frozen foods.

A sound first fish, and a good choice for a room that runs cool. Keep it with other quick, short-finned species such as barbs, larger tetras and loaches. Its speed can unsettle slow, long-finned fish like bettas and fancy guppies.

Stock rotates with each shipment, and livestock is sold for local pickup at our Lethbridge store. See the current danio list.