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Giant Danio
Devario aequipinnatus
Animalia›Chordata›Actinopterygii›Cyprinidae
📍 India, Nepal & Bangladesh
The giant danio lives up to its name among danios, reaching up to 10 cm (3.9 in). It is a fast, active schooling fish with vivid blue-yellow horizontal stripes. Peaceful with most community fish but may outcompete slow or small tankmates for food.
Care Guide
Diet
Giant danios are omnivores that readily accept high-quality flake foods and pellets as staples. Supplement 2-3 times weekly with live or frozen foods such as daphnia, bloodworms, and brine shrimp to promote color and vitality. Feed small amounts once daily, only what they can consume in 2-3 minutes.
Behavior
Giant danios are highly active, fast-swimming schooling fish that require space to move. They are peaceful but may outcompete slower or smaller tankmates for food due to their aggressive feeding behavior and speed. They thrive in groups of 6 or more and display natural schooling patterns when kept together.
Breeding
Breeding giant danios in captivity is possible but requires specific conditions including slightly cooler water (20-22°C), dense vegetation or spawning mops, and a separate breeding tank. They are egg-scatterers that consume their own eggs, so removing parents after spawning is essential. Fry are small and require infusoria or liquid fry food initially.
Tank Mates
Same family and similar water requirements; compatible schooling behavior
Related danio species with matching temperature and activity levels
Danio family member with similar peaceful temperament and speed
Peaceful bottom-dweller that won't compete for food; helps with algae control
Similar size and peaceful nature; compatible water parameters
Nocturnal bottom-feeder that avoids competition; helps maintain tank cleanliness
Common Diseases
Ich (Ichthyophthirius multifiliis)
White spots on body and fins, flashing against objects, rapid breathing
Raise temperature to 28-30°C, perform daily water changes, use ich medication (malachite green or formalin) as directed; ensure good filtration
Fin Rot
Frayed or disintegrating fins, white or black edges on fins, lethargy
Improve water quality with frequent changes, reduce stocking density, use antibacterial medication if severe; ensure adequate filtration
Bacterial Infection
Red streaks on body, swollen abdomen, loss of appetite, cloudy eyes
Perform 25-50% water changes daily, maintain optimal water parameters, use broad-spectrum antibiotic medication if needed
Velvet Disease (Oodinium)
Fine golden or rust-colored dust on body, clamped fins, rapid breathing, scratching
Raise temperature to 28-30°C, reduce light exposure, use copper-based or formalin treatments; perform daily water changes
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Quick Facts
- diet
- Omnivore – flake, pellets, daphnia, bloodworms, brine shrimp
- lifespan
- 5–7 years
- max size
- 10 cm (4 in)
- tank size
- 30 gallons minimum
- school size
- 6+
- temperament
- Peaceful, very active
Water it likes
- ph
- 6.0–8.0
- ammonia
- 0 ppm
- nitrate
- <20 ppm
- hardness
- 5–19 dGH
- temperature
- 68–77°F (20–25°C)