Glowlight Danio

 Quick Care Facts

• Care Level: Easy   • Temperament: Peaceful   • Maximum Size: 1.2"
• Minimum Tank Size: 20 gallons   • Water Conditions: 72-79° F; pH 6.0-7.0; dH 2-10
• Diet: Omnivore   • Origin: Myanmar   • Family: Cyprinidae
• Species: Danios   • Aquarium Type: Community

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Glowlight Danio (Danio choprae) originate from the small streams and river tributaries of the Ayeyarwady river basin in the southeast Asian country of Myanmar. They are plentiful and widespread throughout their home region, inhabiting everything from small fast flowing mountain streams to larger slower moving river tributaries. Their native habitat generally consists of a smooth gravel substrate littered with large rocks and rocky formations.

The Glowlight Danio uses its small size to be able to dart in and out of the rocks, both for protection from predators and to hunt for insect larvae, small crustaceans and other similar foodstuffs. Glowlight Tetra will appreciate a stream based aqua scape withing the aquarium environment; however, they are a flexible species that would quickly adapt to a variety of aquarium decor. Male and female Glowlight Danio vary slightly in both shape and color, with females being slightly larger, rounder and more muted coloration.

While this species was discovered in the 1920's, it has only been available in the aquarium hobby since the early 2000's. However, due to the ease of care and attractive coloration the Glowlight Danio has now become a popular mainstay within the aquarium hobby trade. In fact they are now commercially bred for the aquarium hobby due to their popularity and demand amongst aquarium hobbyists.

Glowlight Danio will do well in a wide variety of tropical community aquariums setups and will coexist peacefully with a wide range of tank mates. Ideally they should be provided an aquarium that resembles their native habitat or at least provides them open swimming areas and enough decor to provide them places to retreat to when threatened. Ideal conditions will include a gravel substrate, larger rocks, driftwood and plants combined with open swimming areas.

Glowlight Danio leap from the water in nature to avoid predators, thus they are prone to jumping from the aquarium as well. Hobbyists should fully cover the aquarium to prevent them from jumping out of the tank when startled. Being a native river based species the Glowlight Danio is accustomed to plenty of water movement; therefore, the addition of a powerhead or strong water return is recommended.

The Glowlight Danio is a schooling species that really should be kept in good sized groups of at least 6 individuals. Keeping a social group of Glowlight Danio will help them feel more secure in the aquarium and will bring out better coloration as the males compete to impress the females in the group. Tank mates should consist of other peaceful community fish that are not so large as to see the smallish Glowlight Danio as a food source. Due to their overall small adult size of just over an inch, fish like Angels, Bala Sharks and many Catfish species will often prey on Glowlight Danio while they sleep.

In the wild Glowlight Danio prey on small insects, insect larvae and tiny crustaceans that they find living in the gravel substrate and rocky shores of their native habitat. Glowlight Danio available in the aquarium trade these days are commercially bred and have been raised on commercial fish foods since birth. They will readily adapt to a wide variety of commercial fish foods including: quality flake foods, frozen preparations and freeze-dried foods.

A proper diet should include a variety of foods with a quality staple flake food making up the bulk of the diet, with blood worms, tubifex worms, brine shrimp, cyclopeeze and other similar food items used to provide variety. It is best to feed them smaller meals 2 to 3 times per day, consisting of the amount of food that they will consume within just a few minutes.