All fish / Danionidae

Laos Danio

Devario laoensis

Also known as laos danio, lao danio, laoensis devario, danio laoensis, danio muongthanhensis, myers danio

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This is a slim, active devario from fast hill streams. Its silvery body has a dark stripe that begins faintly around the middle of the flank and becomes broader and darker towards the tail. Keepers like it as a hardy, fast-swimming shoaling fish for flowing, well-oxygenated tanks.

Care at a glance

Care level

Easy

Temperament

Peaceful

Adult size

6.5 cm

Temperature

22 to 26 °C

pH

6 to 7.5

Smallest tank

110 litres

Keep as

Shoal of 8 or more

Diet

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

Swims

Middle of the tank

Lifespan

3 to 5 years

Water

Freshwater

Wild range

Upper Mekong basin in northern Laos, northern Thailand and northwestern Vietnam

Breeding

It scatters its eggs over plants or gravel and does not look after them, and the adults will eat their own eggs. Spawning is fairly easy if you condition the fish well and use a separate tank with mesh or fine-leaved plants, but captive breeding is rarely recorded.

Good to know

Danio muongthanhensis is a junior synonym, so the valid name is Devario laoensis. It jumps well and needs a tight-fitting lid. It also looks a lot like Devario chrysotaeniatus and other striped devarios, so mislabelled stock is common.