Giant Danio

Distribution:
   The Giant Danio originates from streams in India and its neighboring countries. The streams they inhabit twist among the hillsides and are characterized by dense vegetation and a substrate of smooth rocks and gravel.

Status:
   There is insufficient data available at this time.

Description:
   The Giant Danio is an elongated fish with a slender compressed body and a barbel at each lip end. The background color is an overall grayish color, cast with yellows to greens. The sides have a bluish green wide stripe with various yellow stripes and spots. The fins get transparent farther from the body and may have a tinting of pink or green.
   No varieties of the Giant Danio are in existence today but a long fin version is being attempted. The occasional albino fish may accidentally occur in a brood, but this is due to a rare genetic mutation and can not be controlled.

Size - Weight:
   This fish will reach about 4.5 inches (10cm) in an aquarium.

Care and feeding:
   Giant danios are omnivorous, so it is the aquarist’s responsibility strike a balance between plant based and meaty foods. In the wild they pick off insects from the water surface, so often won’t really chase after food that has left the surface until everything else is gone. As with all danios, these fish are quite active and have high nutrient requirements, so select a flake food that will provide for their needs.
   These fish are fairly hardy and will adapt to most aquarium conditions. They will do best in a spacious aquarium of 30 or more gallons, and more importantly in a long aquarium (36+inches) to allow them to swim freely. They need room to swim around and a tight cover to prevent jumps. Use of hardy floating plants to create shadows and a dark substrate will make them even more stunning.

Water Region: Top, Middle, Bottom:
   The Giant Danio will school in the middle and upper regions, whichever has more open water.

Acceptable Water Conditions:
   Temp: 70-75° F (21-24° C)
   pH: 6.0.0-8.0
   Hardness: 2-20° dGH

Social Behaviors:
   The Giant Danio will be agreeable in a larger group (8+ individuals), but in small numbers tend to irritate each other. In terms of other species, they may harass smaller fish and mildly annoy larger fish but almost never damage either. This is often mistaken for aggression, but to them it’s just play. Some aquarists resolve this by keeping them in a species tank or a tank with fish of similar demeanor and size. Never mix them with fish noted for wanting a slower paced environment. It is also advisable to introduce them to the aquarium all at once or at least a few individuals at a time, because lone new comers may be bullied.

Sexual Differences:
   Males are more elongate but smaller with more intense coloration.

Breeding/Reproduction:
   Breeding the Giant Danio is not at all difficult. Two fish will form a breeding pair which they sometimes keep for life. Add the female to a separate breeding tank and let her settle for about a day before adding the male. When they are both there, the morning sun hitting the tank will cause the courtship to begin.
   If conditions are favorable, the female will release her eggs in open water and the male will fertilize. The eggs will scatter on the plants and substrate. The fry will emerge from there after about 7 days. At that time or before, parents should either be removed or kept constantly well fed.

Availability:
   The Giant Danio is readily available, both in stores and online. Cost ranges generally from $2 - $8 USD in a pet store and about the same from the internet or mail order.