Orange Fin Danio

The orange-finned danio (Danio kyathit, also classified as Brachydanio kyathit) is a lively and very peaceful schooling cyprinid native to the Kachin state of northern Myanmar, where it inhabits small, fast-flowing, shaded forest streams with substrates of mud and stones. It reaches a standard length of 4.0–4.5 cm and is named for the bright orange-red pigmentation in its unpaired fins — a trait that distinguishes it from its close relative the zebrafish (Danio rerio). The body is silvery with a pattern of dark horizontal stripes, and males develop intensified fin colouration in the presence of rivals, making this species a rewarding choice for community tanks.

Orange-finned danios are very peaceful and adaptable, making them ideal residents for the well-furnished community aquarium. They can be combined with many popular species including other small cyprinids, tetras, livebearers, rainbowfishes, anabantoids, catfish, and loaches. Alternatively, a biotope aquarium featuring other species from Kachin state creates an interesting display. They are a schooling species by nature and should be maintained in groups of at least 8–10 specimens, where males compete for female attention and display their finest colours. In nature they prey chiefly on insects and their larvae, but in the aquarium they are unfussy feeders accepting quality dried foods supplemented with regular meals of small live and frozen fare such as bloodworm, Daphnia, and Artemia.

An aquarium with base dimensions of at least 90 × 30 cm (roughly 81 litres) is recommended for this active species. They look particularly effective in a heavily-planted arrangement with a dark substrate, though they also adapt well to a set-up designed to resemble a flowing stream with variably-sized rocks and gravel. A tightly-fitting cover is essential as members of this genus are accomplished jumpers. Recommended water parameters include a temperature of 16–26°C, pH 6.5–7.5, and soft water (18–90 ppm). This broad temperature tolerance reflects the marked seasonal variation in their native Myanmar habitat, where summer temperatures reach 26.6°C and winter lows drop to 15.5°C. Breeding follows the typical egg-scattering pattern of small cyprinids with no parental care; eggs hatch within 24–48 hours.