Celestial Pearl Danio (Galaxy Rasbora): Care, Diet, and Breeding, etc.

The Celestial Pearl Danio, the small and colorful fish, was discovered a few years ago, and since then, it has been on the favorite list of aquarists.

They are native of South East Asia and live peacefully with other fishes who share the same size and temperament. Freshwater fishes like Mollies, Guppies, and Neon Tetras are the best companion for Celestial Pearl Danio.

They are found in vivid coloration and patterns. Some of them have spots of white pearl, while others can have red fins and much more. They look attractive in each appearance.

In this guide, we will learn everything about them from their care to their breeding, so stick to the end. Before getting to the details, let’s take a brief look at the table –

Category Rating
Family Cyprinidae
Diet Omnivorous
Temperament Peaceful
Lifespan 3-5 Years
Size Up to 1 inch
Care Level Medium
Color Form White/golden spots along the body and red colored on the fins
Tank Set-Up Freshwater: highly vegetated and shallow
Minimum Tank Size 10 gallons
Compatibility Peaceful communities

Celestial Pearl Danios Overview

Celestial Pearl Danio - Galaxy Rasbora

Celestial Pearl Danio, discovered in 2006, is also known by the names Galaxy Rasbora and Danio margaritatus. These fishes with vibrant coloration and vivid appearance belong to the family of Cyprinidae.

These small fishes are non-aggressive and the average Celestial Pearl Danio lifespan is 3-5 years. They are timid but are quite social and active. Celestial Pearl Danio makes companions with other fishes who have the same size and temperament.

But, any other fish can easily turn these small Danio into their lunch. So, be careful while choosing a community tank for them. They are quite famous among aquarists and their peaceful nature makes them perfect even for a beginner.

Celestial Pearl Danios Appearance

Celestial Pearl Danio is very small in size and grows only up to 1 inch. Their vivid coloration and patterns make them stand out from other fishes of their family. They look similar to the members of the Cyprinidae family but it is still unclear.

The appearance of male and female Celestial Pearl Danio is dimorphic. The male has a slim body with more bright coloration whereas the female has a round body with little faded coloration.

The attractiveness of males makes people choose a group of males for their aquarium. But that’s not healthy. Despite their peaceful nature, males can become aggressive and fight all the time. So, to avoid this, make sure you have the right ratio of males and females in the tank especially more females than males.

The Celestial Pearl Danio has a white pearl-like patch on the body and yellow or red fin with two black strips on them. The coloration of fins generally depends on the gender of the fish. This difference makes it easy to tell which fish belongs to which gender. The activity and vivid coloration of these small fishes will attract anyone who looks at them.

Celestial Pearl Danio Tank Setup

Celestial Pearl Danio, the native of South East Asia, is found in shallow ponds that are rich in vegetation. This rich vegetation helps them to hide when they feel threatened. These ponds get direct exposure to sunlight and have low water movement.

The rocks and driftwood not only help in the growth of algae for them to feed but also gives them space to hide. These fishes were discovered in 2006 and the researchers are still studying to know more about them. To replicate the tank environment to their natural one, make sure to have these water conditions –

Conditions Parameter
Tank capacity 10 gallons minimum (add 2 gallons per addition of fish)
Water level Shallow
Temperature 73-79°F
pH 6.5 and 7.5
Hardness soft to medium level
Substrate the dark-colored substrate with rocks and driftwood

Also, you will need plenty of aquatic plants for them to hide or lay eggs with proper LED lighting in the tank. Use a slowly bubbling sponge or a micro powerhead filter for the tank. Both of them will work fine for water filtration and circulation.

Celestial Pearl Danios Tank Mates

The Celestial Pearl Danio is peaceful and lives in hiding most of the time. If you want to put them in a community tank, make sure the other fishes are non-aggressive and small in size like them. Also, keep in mind the water condition of every fish in the tank.

The best community fishes for Celestial Pearl Danios are – Guppies, Killifish, Neon Tetras, Corydoras, Mollies, etc. These fishes share the same temperament and size. So, they are ideal for Danios.

Guppy fish
Guppy fish

 

A freshwater killfish
A freshwater killfish

 

Appearance of Neon tetras
Neon tetras

The fishes you should avoid keeping with Celestial Pearl Danios include Cichlids, Jack Dempsey, Oscars, etc. These fishes are quite aggressive, big, and faster than them. It won’t take much time for them to turn your Celestial Pearl Danio into their dinner.

Also, avoid keeping shrimps with Celestial Pearl Danios. They will attack or feed on juvenile shrimps but will live peacefully with the grown-up. You can also put a group of Neon Tetras into the tank. They will add beauty and vividness to the tank with their appearance.

The Celestial Pearl Danio will feed on anything smaller than them and will become a meal to anything bigger than them. So, keep in mind the size of any creature you are planning to put in your community tank.

Keeping Celestial Pearl Danios Together

These small fishes with vibrant coloration are habitual to live in a group of 5 or 6 members. But make sure the females are more than males. It will lessen the competition and the males won’t fight during the mating season.

Before setting up your community tank, make sure it has plenty of room and suitable water conditions for each one. The small tank with less space also triggers aggression in the fishes.

Galaxy Rasbora Diet and Feeding

Celestial Pearl Danios are opportunistic feeders. They have a varied diet which includes plants, small invertebrates, and worms. Algae, zooplankton, and plants are their diet in the natural habitat.

In the tank, you can feed them with a variety of food as long as their size is small enough to fit in their smallmouth. You can feed them high-quality pellets or flakes as their base diet. But supplement with other food like Daphnia, Moina, Grindal Worms, white worms, etc. or frozen food like krill or brine shrimp. The variety of food will help in the growth and help in maintaining brightness.

Also, make sure to use sinking food as they spend most of their time at the bottom or middle part of the tank.

General Tip

The behavior of individual fish can differ from other fish of the same species. Some of them may hideaway as quickly as they hear any movement whereas some will be brave enough to come out and feed.

It is important to keep an eye on each of them while feeding. It will help you to know if any fish is getting overfed or getting starved. You can change the way of feeding accordingly. It will help to keep every fish healthy.

You can feed the faster fish and timid one separately. One on one side while the other on its opposite side. You can sink the food where the timid one is hiding. It will lessen the waste along with your time to clean the tank.

Celestial Pearl Danio Care

Galaxy Rasbora Care

It is important to maintain the water conditions of the tank according to the natural habitat for the fish to thrive and grow. The same applies to Celestial Pearl Danios.

The male Celestial Pearl Danios are quite competitive and can fight with each other for potential mates. Avoid keeping more than one male in the same tank but if you do, keep an eye on them.

The diseases commonly found in them are –

Disease Caused by Symptoms
Thytiophyreosis(white spots) Parasite white cysts formation all over their body
Fin Rot Fungal or bacterial infection Torn fins or tails
Mycosis Mold, Saprolegnia Cotton-like spots on the skin
Hydropysea Unknown Swollen abdomen, cone-like spaced scales
Exophthalmia Build-up fluid in the eye Abnormal protrusion of the eyeball

Most of these diseases can be easily cured by oral or antibiotic medication bath. But only if diagnosed on time. Otherwise, these diseases can become fatal for them as well as for their companion fishes if ignored.

Celestial Pearl Danio Breeding

Breeding of Celestial Pearl Danio is effortless. We already know that the males compete with each other for the perfect mate. The courting male flashes a bright red stripe on their back and a head-down posture to invite the female fish for mating.

The female who has a dark spot near the anal fin and looks round on the abdomen area is ready for spawning. A female Celestial Pearl Danio can lay up to 30 eggs where the water has less movement. But it is not necessary, you can find them anywhere in a group of 12.

It will take 2-4 days for eggs to hatch and begin swimming as larvae in the tank. The males can eat them up. So, to increase the possibility of survival, you can remove the eggs from the main tank and keep them into a breeding tank.

The rich vegetation and water conditions of the breeding tank should be similar to that of the main tank. Feed them with micro foods for the first week then you can feed them baby shrimp until they grow up and become an adult. They will grow quickly and soon take up the shape and coloration like the adult.

Galaxy Rasbora Summary

If you are looking for a group of fish who not only add beauty and variety to the tank but also live peacefully in the community tank, then Celestial Pearl Danio should be the first choice for you. They are also the best option if you are new and looking for a non-aggressive fish to start fish keeping hobby.

They are carnivores and eat actively whatever you feed them. But make sure to maintain variety in their diet. Its absence can lead to the deficiency of nutrients and the chances of getting sick will increase.

Their vivid appearance will add beauty to your tank and will engage anyone looking at it. All these qualities make Celestial Pearl Danio perfect fish for aquarium.

What qualities of Celestial Pearl Danio did you like the most? Is there anything you would like to add about them? We will be happy to know…

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