All fish / Danionidae

Laos Danio

Devario leptos

Also known as slender danio, danio leptos, laos devario, lao danio

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This is a slim, active danio from hill streams in northern Laos. It is silvery with dark blue horizontal stripes along the flank and a warm yellowish tint to the fins. Specialist keepers like it as a rarely seen, lively shoaling fish that does well in a cool, well-oxygenated stream tank.

Care at a glance

Care level

Easy

Temperament

Peaceful

Adult size

5 cm

Temperature

20 to 25 °C

pH

6.5 to 7.5

Smallest tank

80 litres

Keep as

Shoal of 8 or more

Diet

Omnivore: small live and frozen foods such as daphnia and bloodworm, plus good flake and micro pellets

Swims

Top of the tank

Lifespan

3 to 5 years

Water

Freshwater

Wild range

Northern Laos (Nam Tha and Nam Beng drainages, Mekong basin)

Breeding

It scatters its eggs over plants or gravel and gives no parental care. Like other Devario species it is not hard to spawn if you give it a separate tank with mesh or fine-leaved plants so the adults cannot reach the eggs, though reports from captivity are few.

Good to know

It is a fast, jumpy fish, so the tank needs a tight-fitting lid and strong flow with plenty of oxygen. It is seldom imported and can be confused with other striped Devario species, so check the scientific name when buying.