Celestial Pearl Danio 101: Best Care Guide (February 2024)

By: Martin McAdam
Updated: January 21, 2022

Celestial Pearl Danio can live up to 10 years or more if proper care is provided for them. They were first found in Asia and widely used in Asia countries as ornamental fish. Celestial Pearl Danio has a hard time surviving in captivity, so the supply of this rare species is very limited.

They are a good choice for community aquariums with other species of non-aggressive fish. This is one of the most popular species of Danio fish,  and they can be found in beautiful shades of White with Yellow pearls throughout their body with rich blue spots or Celestial Pearl Danio, also known as Celestica Danio, which is one of the most popular choices among large fish tank owners.

Facts And Characteristics Of Celestial Pearl Danio

So here are the characteristics of Celestial Pearl Danio and the thing you need to know before you you keep them in your tanks.

Celestial Pearl Danio Origin

Their scientific name is Aplocheilus lineatus, which comes from the Greek word "polka," meaning "one who shuns the light," and the Latin word "linea," meaning "lines."

The species name also means lined about the black lines on the fish's body. Celestial Pearl Danio, known as Celestichthys Margaritatus, is a small freshwater fish that grows to about 3 inches in length.

Celestial Pearl Danio Colors

Celestial Pearl Danio has a white or tannish body with black dots all over it. The caudal fin is transparent, and the pelvic fins are pink/rose-colored. They typically have a bright white line that runs vertically through the middle of their bodies, giving them their name, but this is not always the case.

They have a white or tannish-colored body with a lot of black dots all over them and a transparent caudal fin. The pelvic fins are pink/rose-colored, and they have a bright white line that runs vertically through their entire body, from head to tail.

How Do Celestial Pearl Danio Look Like?

Celestial pearl danios are named for their interesting coloration. Their bodies are mostly gray, with small white spots that look like pearls. They have an orange stripe along the length of their body and iridescent light blue fins. The celestial pearl danio is also known as the stairstep danio.

celestial pearl danio

They have a unique body structure that earned them their name, stairstep danio. The fish has an orange stripe along the length of its body, separating the gray from white areas. It also has iridescent light blue fins and a tail with a yellow or white spot on end. How do celestial pearl danios reproduce?

Mature male celestial pearl danio has a longer, more slender caudal peduncle (tail stem) than females. Females are shorter and wider in the middle, while males are longer and slimmer.

Males of this species also develop small breeding tuberclesrry sky fish. The Celestial Pearl Danio is an iridescent, metallic blue color with a light gray/silver body and small white spots that look like pearls.

It has a crimson red stripe along the length of its body and dark blue fins that feature gold and purple while outer edges. Most recently, celestial pearl danios have been bred to form a variety known as Galaxy rasboras, which features iridescent scales including blue, green, and pink.

The male celestial pearl danio is more slender than the female and will have a red stripe along the abdomen. Females are typically larger and rounder than males.

Temprament Of Celestial Pearl Danio

Celestial Pearl Danio is very active and spends all their time in the middle or top of the water. They are schooling fish, so they do best when kept in groups of at least 8 but preferably more. A school will swim together, darting through plants and around décor in your aquarium.

Celestial Pearl Danio

Their temperament, as with many other smaller aquarium fish, is best suited to a planted aquarium. The plants will provide the danios with plenty of covers and also make them feel more secure in their environment.

They are very peaceful fish and can be kept in a community tank with non-aggressive fish at least eight but preferably more, and it makes a beautiful display when school. Keeping them in a larger group makes them very active and entertaining to watch as they dart around the tank in schools.

Celestial Pearl Danio Breeding

Breeding celestial pearl danios is a challenge that very few aquarium owners have been able to accomplish. This is because the fish rarely breed in captivity, and when it does, they tend not to live beyond a month.

celestial pearl danio breeding

They are egg layers which make breeding them difficult as eggs won't survive long on their own. Because they don't often breed in the aquarium, the fish has a very high demand.

The breeding process involves the male and female celestial pearl danio laying eggs and the male fertilizing them after which. The eggs will hatch within 48 hours. Both parents will guard and protect the fry until they become free-swimming around five days later.

They are a challenge to breed, and eggs only survive around 24hrs after laying before going bad, so you need to ensure eggs are removed immediately for the best chances of success.

Breeding celestial pearl danios is extremely hard because their breeding process usually ends with the parents eating the eggs or newly hatched fry. After all, it does not often happen in captivity.

Celestial Pearl Danio should be kept in a 30-gallon tank, and other fish should be removed from the tank if you wish to breed them. The aquarium should have a fine gravel substrate, many plants, and floating plants to diffuse light.

They need well-planted areas for giving birth and also plenty of open swimming areas as well as good aeration since good oxygen supply at the surface is significant in breeding this species.

Celestial Pearl Danio Growth And Lifespan

The size of Celestial Pearl Danios depends on the species. They are usually between two and three inches long, but some species can grow up to five inches long.

celestial pearl danio growth

Their lifespan is typically about five years with proper care, though some have been known to live as long as nine years.

Their average length is two and a half to three inches. Celestial Pearl Danio typically lives for about 5 years, but some have been known to live up to 7 years.

Habitat Of Celestial Pearl Danio

Celestial Pearl Danio is most commonly found in Asia and India. They prefer slow-moving or still water such as ponds, lakes, streams, and ditches with lots of plants and vegetation for cover.

They are typically found in slightly acidic conditions but can also survive in hard alkaline waters if there is plenty of vegetation and algae to provide hiding spots.

They like their habitat to be slightly acidic and can do well in hard alkaline waters if there is plentiful vegetation. They prefer shallow waters with plants for cover.

Celestial Pearl Danio Care Guide

Celestial Pearl Danios should be kept in an aquarium no smaller than 10 gallons since they are very active and may injure themselves by swimming into the glass or decorations if housed in a smaller tank.

Food And Diet

They are omnivorous fish and will accept flake food, freeze-dried bloodworms, tubifex worms, daphnia, brine shrimp, etc. When prepared food is fed to celestial pearl danio, the food must be small enough for these fish to consume.

In nature, they are typically insectivores and will eat flies and other insects on the surface of the water. They may enjoy eating live foods like bloodworms, brine shrimp, and daphnia, but this is not required as they can also feed on flakes or pellets.

It is important to feed them small food items regularly because the bigger flakes may not be able to be digested by these fish.

Celestial pearl danio also needs plants in their diet as they are herbivores and typically eat plants, algae, fallen leaves in the water, etc. They need plenty of vegetation in their diets so that they get the required nutrients.

Tank Requirements

The tank for celestial pearl danios should be at least 10 gallons because they are active swimmers. They need gravel or sand as a substrate, many live plants, and hiding spaces for them to retreat. Their tank should also feature dim lighting with floating plants to provide shelter.

They can survive in warmer temperatures if there is plenty of vegetation for cover, so they may prefer warmer water to colder water. However, they can also thrive in cooler temperatures depending on the cover available to them.

Celestial pearl danios do well at a neutral pH but will tolerate acidic or hard alkaline water as long as there is plenty of vegetation to provide hiding places for them.

Celestial Pearl Danio is happiest in soft, slightly acidic water conditions. They need well-planted areas for giving birth, and plenty of open swimming areas as well as good aeration since good oxygen supply at the surface is significant in breeding this species.

Water Condition and Lighting

Celestial Pearl Danio is native to acidic conditions; however, you can keep them in anything from slightly acidic to neutral water as long as the water has good aeration and enough oxygen.

These fish should be kept in a tank with good aeration and a PH of around 7 or 8 as they can survive slightly acidic to neutral conditions as long as the water has good oxygen levels.

The temperature for this species should normally range from 70°F to 82°F (21°C-28°C). They like lower lighting, plants or floating plants to diffuse light, shallow waters with plenty of vegetation.

The lighting should be dim to moderately bright. It is also very important to not only keep the fish in a tank with good aeration and oxygen levels but also make sure there is plenty of vegetation for them to hide behind (plants, driftwood, etc.).

Tankmates

They can live with any other fish as long as the tank is large enough. They may nip at the fins of some other fish, so it's best to avoid putting them near any slower swimming fish.

Their tanks mates could be other danios, other fast-swimming fish such as bettas and guppies, smaller catfish like Corydoras or Otocinclus.

Celestial Pearl Danios are peaceful and often live alongside other small to medium-sized fish. They sometimes nip at the fins of other fish, but this typically fades away as they grow older. If they are kept in a school, they will not nip at other fish's fins.

They can live with most other fish if the tank is large enough and there is plenty of vegetation to provide hiding places for them.

Diseases and Cure

Celestial Pearl Danios are hardy fish that are disease-resistant. They are also easy to cure if they become sick. Unfortunately, this is one of the most common species affected by ich in home aquariums.

There are various ways you can try to avoid getting your fish infected with, ich, but it's often difficult for this fish to avoid contracting the parasite.

If they do become infected, there are various ways you can try to treat them with freshwater dips or saltwater dips, but it can be difficult to tell if these methods are working. If you aren't sure how long to keep your Celestial Pearl Danio in the dip, then it's best not to consider it.

If you need help, enlisting the services of an expert will be best for your fish and yourself. Among the common diseases that affect them are fin rot, ich (parasitic disease), pop-eye (caused by parasites or bacterial infections), and constipation (a nutritional issue).

What Equipment Do I Need?

For a tank suitable for Celestial Pearl Danios, you will need a filter that is rated for at least twice the volume of your tank. In addition, you should have a heater or thermometer in your tank to keep the water from fluctuating from being too hot or cold, and you will need an aquarium light.

The heater should be set to maintain a temperature ranging from 70°F to 82°F (21°C-28°C), and the filter should be rated for at least twice the tank's volume. Be sure you have sufficient lighting for your tank.

Aquascaping

Aquascaping is a big part of setting up the right tank for Celestial Pearl Danio. A good aquascape includes sand or gravel as a substrate, at least two handfuls of plant species (plants that stay small), and plenty of open swimming areas with some plants.

This fish needs sand or fine gravel as a substrate, some plant species (plants that stay small), and plenty of open swimming areas.

The Celestial Pearl Danio is a shoaling fish; therefore, it prefers its tank to be crowded. For breeding purposes, you should include many plants and hiding spots in the setup. Water flow should not be too strong since this can make them nervous and cause them to become territorial.

Since it is a shoaling fish, this species is used to living in groups and therefore prefers its tank to be crowded with vegetation for cover. They can be nervous when there are too many open spaces without sufficient vegetation for them to hide behind.

Are Celestial Pearl Danio Dangerous?

Celestial Pearl Danios are generally peaceful, but they will sometimes nip at the fins of other fish. If kept in a school, however, they will not be aggressive towards other fish.

If you see your Celestial Pearl Danio chasing another fish around the tank or holding his/her fin between their pectoral and pelvic fins, it means they are trying to spawn.

They can be kept with other small fish (not slow swimmers) but should not be kept with any larger or aggressive species of fish. If you see your Celestial Pearl Danio chasing another fish around the tank or holding its fin between their pectoral and pelvic fins, it means they are trying to breed.

How Much Do They Cost?

The Celestial Pearl Danio is not an expensive species and can be acquired for $5-$10 at a pet store. This fish is inexpensive and readily available in most pet stores. If they don't have them, ask them to order some in for you.

Conclusion

The Celestial Pearl Danio is a beautiful fish that is good for most aquariums. They are peaceful and suitable for community tanks.

Celestial Pearl Danios are great to have if you want to breed them because they are easy to spawn, hardy, and inexpensive.

They are not suitable for very large or aggressive species of fish because they may nip at the fins of other fish. If you are unsure about what to feed your Celestial Pearl Danio, they are generally not picky eaters and will accept most types of food.

Overall, they will be a great addition to your tank if you want to add some more color, and they will help control the population of algae in your tank.

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