Breeding the celestial pearl danio
Egg scatterer with no parental care that spawns among fine plants or moss; adults eat eggs, so remove them after spawning.
Step by step
Buy a group of 8-10 and let them pair up. Males are bright orange.
20 L tank with java moss, dense plants and soft water.
Warm, stable water with a bit of food and cover.
About 30 mildly adhesive eggs per spawning; incubation about 72 hours, fry free-swimming 3-4 days later.
Fry are very small. Feed infusoria or rotifers first, then baby brine shrimp. Keep plenty of moss and do small water changes.
- Fry foods too big
- Strong filter
- Bigger fish with them
Male or female
Males have steel- to deep-blue flanks with pearly spots and red-and-black striped fins; females are blue-green with weaker orange fin patches, are larger and rounder, and show a dark mark at the vent when spawning.
Can I breed it in my tank?
- Use a separate small tank with a sponge filter and spawning mops, so the eggs aren't eaten.
- Good for a first breeding project.
Day-by-day plan
Typical for egg scatterers
- 14 days beforeCondition the parents
Feed live or frozen food twice a day. Keep males and females apart if you can.
- Day 0Spawning
Eggs are scattered over mops or fine plants, often at first light. Remove the parents straight after.
- Day 1Eggs hatch
Most eggs hatch in 1–2 days. Keep the tank dim and remove white (fungused) eggs.
- Day 4Free swimming, first food
Fry use up the yolk and start swimming. Feed infusoria or liquid fry food several times a day.
- Day 8Baby brine shrimp
Switch to newly hatched brine shrimp or microworms. Start small, daily water changes.
- Day 21Crushed flake
Add finely crushed flake. Sort fry by size so the big ones don't eat the small ones.
- Day 60Ready to move
Most small fish reach about 2 cm in 2–3 months and can join the main tank.
A general guide for this breeding type. Days change with temperature and species.
Simulator: guided
Feed live or frozen food twice a day. Keep males and females apart if you can.
Simulator: try it yourself
Set up a virtual breeding tank and see what would likely happen.
- Without live or frozen food the parents aren't in breeding condition.
An educational estimate from the breeding rules, not a promise.