Giant Danio
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| Giant Danio Conservation status: Data deficient | ||||||||||||||
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| Danio aequipinnatus (McClelland, 1839) |
The Giant Danio (Danio aequipinnatus) is a tropical fish belonging to the minnow family (Cyprinidae). Originating in Sri Lanka, Nepal, and the West coast of India, it grows to a maximum length of 6 inches (15 cm), making it one of the largest of the danios. They are characterized by a blue and yellow torpedo shaped body with gray and clear fins.
In the wild, Giant Danios live in clear streams and rivers among hills at elevations up to 1000 ft (300 m) above sea level. Their native substrate is small gravel . Giant Danios natively live in a tropical climate and prefer water with a 6.0 - 8.0 pH, a water hardness of 5.0 - 19.0 dGH, and a temperature range of 72 - 75 °F (22 - 24 °C). A surface dweller, their diet consists predominately of exogenous insects, but is also supplemented by worms and crustaceans.
In captivity the Giant Danio will usually accept most foods. It is a peaceful fish that gets along well with other fish in community tanks. It is often used to "start" aquariums, although it is not as popular as the smaller, and very hardy, Zebra danio. The giant danio appreciates water movement to simulate the motion of the rivers and fast-moving streams that it comes from. It is a schooling fish when kept in larger numbers.
An egg-scatterer, danios produce around 300 eggs in a single spawning. They spawn in clumps of plants.