All fish / Danionidae

Inle danio

Devario auropurpureus

Also known as lake inle danio, inle lake danio, inle danio, purple danio, burmese purple danio, inle devario

A slim, active danio from Lake Inle with a silvery body crossed by bluish-purple vertical bars, with males becoming more intensely coloured and slimmer than females. It is kept for its lively shoaling behaviour and its tolerance of cooler, harder water, which makes it a good fit for unheated tanks in temperate rooms.

Care at a glance

Care level

Easy

Temperament

Peaceful

Adult size

6 cm

Temperature

15 to 24 °C

pH

7 to 8.5

Smallest tank

110 litres

Keep as

Shoal of 8 or more

Diet

Omnivore: quality flakes and small granules, with live or frozen bloodworm, daphnia and brine shrimp

Swims

Middle of the tank

Lifespan

3 to 5 years

Water

Freshwater

Wild range

Lake Inle and surrounding waters, Shan State, Myanmar

Breeding

An egg scatterer that gives no parental care and will eat its own eggs. Spawning is fairly easy in a separate tank with fine-leaved plants or mesh over the base; take the adults out once eggs are laid and start the fry on infusoria.

Good to know

It needs cool, hard, alkaline water and plenty of open swimming space. Do not keep it in warm tropical setups for long periods, and fit a tight lid because it jumps.