All fish / Danionidae

Assam Danio

Devario assamensis

Also known as assam devario, assam danio, danio assamensis, devario assamensis

This is a fairly large, slim danio from northeast India. Its silvery body carries bluish horizontal stripes and bars, and the fins are tinged yellow or orange. People keep it as a hardy, very active shoaling fish for open, flowing tanks with subtropical conditions.

Care at a glance

Care level

Easy

Temperament

Peaceful

Adult size

8 cm

Temperature

18 to 25 °C

pH

6.5 to 7.5

Smallest tank

120 litres

Keep as

Shoal of 8 or more

Diet

Omnivore: flakes, small pellets, frozen and live bloodworm, daphnia and brine shrimp

Swims

Top of the tank

Lifespan

4 to 6 years

Water

Freshwater

Wild range

India: Brahmaputra drainage in Assam and Arunachal Pradesh

Breeding

It scatters its eggs over plants or gravel and gives no parental care, so the adults will eat the eggs. Spawning in captivity is fairly easy if you use a separate tank with mesh or fine-leaved plants and take the adults out once the eggs are laid.

Good to know

It is a fast, powerful swimmer that needs a long tank with a tight lid, and it may harass slow or long-finned tankmates. It looks a lot like other Devario species and is often sold under the wrong name.