Emerald Dwarf Danio

Emerald Dwarf Danio (Danio erythromicron) is a breathtakingly beautiful nano fish from the famous Inle Lake in Myanmar. The deep blue-turquoise to emerald body is crossed by vivid orange to copper-red vertical bars, creating a rich, jewel-like color combination that is extraordinary in a fish of this size. The large eyes and compact, rounded body give it a distinctive profile unlike most elongated danio relatives.

Feeding & Care Tip: Hikari Micro Pellets crushed or soaked briefly and Sera Vipan Baby make excellent daily staples for this nano species. Supplement 2–3× per week with Hikari Frozen or Freeze-Dried Baby Brine Shrimp or Hikari Frozen Daphnia — small particle size matters. Feed small amounts multiple times daily. A tight-fitting lid is essential — nano danios are active jumpers despite their small size.

Danio erythromicron comes from Inle Lake — a large, shallow, highland lake in Shan State, Myanmar at an elevation of 880 meters. Inle Lake is famous for its extraordinary biodiversity and its leg-rowing fishermen. The lake water is clear, moderately hard, and slightly alkaline compared to most danio habitats — slightly harder water than typical nano danios suits this species well. Soft slightly acidic water is tolerated but not ideal.

Keep in groups of at least eight. Like the Celestial Pearl Danio, males are territorial with each other and display spectacular fin-spreading behavior. The orange bars intensify dramatically in displaying males — the contrast against the turquoise-green body is extraordinary. Dense planting provides essential cover and territory boundaries.

Danios are prolific and easy egg-scatterers that spawn with little encouragement in a well-maintained aquarium. Males chase females vigorously before spawning among fine-leaved plants or over the substrate. Eggs and fry receive no parental care — adults will eat eggs if given the chance. For intentional breeding, a separate shallow tank with spawning mops or fine-leaved plants, slightly warmer water, and removal of adults after spawning is straightforward and reliable. The Emerald Dwarf Danio is a fish that consistently surprises aquarists with its color intensity — photographs rarely do justice to the living fish. Considered by many nano fish enthusiasts as one of the most beautiful small fish available anywhere.

Care & Ideal Parameters