Let's Talk 'Celestial Pearl Danios' or 'Galaxy Rasbora'

[dan2x38]

Very new little characters. I love these little guys. What do you know, want to know, or want to share about them? Or something about them period a link or whatever... 

[Zoe]

I'd like to know what you guys predict their future to be.  With the endangered scare, I refused to buy any, although I really like them. I'd like to get some someday...

[Fishnut]

I thought they found other colonies of them in areas that are protected from collectors.  A lot of people are buying them to breed, and I think the price of them is high enough to make people think twice about buying them.  I think there needs to be some efforts to stop the collecting.  There should be enough in captivity now to breed and sustain a "hobby" population...at least I hope so.

Mine are doing well so far.  I've seen no evidence of fry yet though.  I think I need to get them into a larger tank.

[plecoL83]

I have a 7.5 gallon (empty) and as soon as I get back from vacation I'd like to get a school of five.

[dan2x38]

They say there are new pools and some quite aways from the first one/s I think they said 20km. The Myamar (sp) Gov. has frozen exportation but how long will that last. The locals use these guys for food believe it or not. They can them with 500 in a can. They can make way more collecting for the hobby then to selling as food.

I agree they should no longer be exported We should have way more than enough for breeding. At first I did not buy any when they were $4.99 for that very reason. I decided I want to try and breed for preservation. Zoe if I get them to breed will let ya know.

[babblefish1960]

They say there are new pools and some quite aways from the first one/s I think they said 20km. The Myamar (sp) Gov. has frozen exportation but how long will that last. The locals use these guys for food believe it or not. They can them with 500 in a can. They can make way more collecting for the hobby then to selling as food.

Who are "they", and where have you "heard" this? Perhaps you've read it here .

[dan2x38]

Who are "they", and where have you "heard" this? Perhaps you've read it here .

Yes that is the article.

[Toss]

After watching them for a while....Although they will live happy in a small tanks, a minimum of 10gal heavily planted will provide some successful breeding. Unless you are doing it like Woody, which conditioning the female first and then get her an one on one interaction with the male overnight and out of the tank the next day. A 5gal tank will be good for this purpose, so the male won't have difficulty finding and chasing her to the bushes. On the other hand if you like to make them as a show fish, which they deserved to be one, in somekind of a show tank and at the same time trying to breed them, a larger tank is needed. As they all wild caught specimen at this moment, they get used to swim around in a bigger space/pool. The chances of other male will eat the eggs or fry is less in a bigger tank.
This a schooling fish, the more the merrier. With mine, I have seen two male were chasing one female and when another female passes by, one of the male turned and chases her instead. That is how I come to conclusion which I like to share that for show/breed I need a bigger tank, more "bushes" and bigger school.

[Zoe]

Great insight, Toss.
Do they do well with other fish?

[Toss]

For show, yes. This fish is compareable with other danio, i.e. zebra which is blazing fast. So other than fishes that are fast and big enough to swallow them as a whole, it should be a very good community schooling fish.
I have mine with a couple dozen cherry shrimps. So every time I can not see them, cause I spook them, I just watch my shrimps instead

[Zoe]

Do you think I could keep them with some scarlet badis and maybe a female betta or two in a 29 gallon tank?
Is there any chance of them spawning in such a set-up?  I can't bring myself to get some if they won't spawn, but if there's a chance of me succesfully spawning them, I could justify it.

[Toss]

To be honest with you Zoe, I can not answer that. The one I am worry is the couple of female betta. The CPD might spawn, but the betta will finish them. Betta is pretty good hunter, strong sucking mouth. The adult CPD will survive, cause they are faster swimer. I don't know about the eggs and fry. I have seen the CPD fry. They are small and slow swimmer, easy food for betta. Maybe another member can jump in and help us out

[plecoL83]

Just out of curiosity what about my 50, I've read on the various places that they are adaptable, what water conditions are you guys keeping them in?

[sas]

I have no experience with CPD, but I have had a  Betta in a community tank that had shrimp in it and as Toss says they are very efficient hunters, they seem to work in stealth mode. If you are looking to breed I'd be hesitant mixing these fish.

[Zoe]

How bout just the badis and CPDs?
Do your CPDs tend to stick around the middle, or a bit higher, or?

How high is the yield of fry?  Would just one betta decimate the babies?

[succinctfish]

If you are focusing on breeding them, I would not keep them with other fish.  There is a possibility that if you have lots of java moss and places for the fry to survive, that you will get some in the end.  I have mine in a 50 gallon community tank, with fish who won't eat the adults at least, and I see that they do court and exhibit spawning behaviour, but I haven't seen any babies yet.  Perhaps suddenly someday I will notice that there is a wee fish or two, but it certainly isn't the ideal spawning situation.  They look beautiful in a larger tank, because they do zip around. They prefer mid to high mid level of my community tank, although they go everywhere.  Your badis are small, so they won't harm the adult danios, but babies are tasty.  If you really overdo it on java moss and I also find that they really like to hang out in the rotala rotundifolia because of its close growth pattern and small leaves, you might have some success with breeding.  The danios are the smallest fish in my tank, so they can go places the others can't get to as easily to spawn, so that is something to consider as well in planning tankmates.  Toss' situation is ideal if you have the space, the danios look beautiful as the centrepiece of a tank, and go well with the cherry shrimp.

[dan2x38]

I am moving mine to a 20. I got java moss (from Toss). Their in there with cherry shrimp & 1 apple shrimp. I also have some densa and adding rotala idica both of these were shown in a picture/article about their natural habitat. I keep my light on longer like 14 hrs. I'm using mopani wood. No babies yet but lots of action.

OK any one else notice this stuff? In the morning I find them quite busy fooling around in the moss. Now here is a wacky thing I think I've noticed. When we are excepting rain or it is heavy over cast I see alot of action. I am curious if this could be a result of the drop in barometric pressure like weather loachs? Babblefish said once to log temps., weather, times, etc. I think I really need to concentrate on this.

At 3300' above sea level their normal habitat the changes in barometric pressure would be more prominent. I use to live in Kelowna B.C. During the summer it was very hummid with water everywhere most times with some clouds all time not the same eco-system but I know there was always clouds. When it rains here it is usually humid and heavy cloud cover. Is any of this real or just ramblings of a bored man... LOL ? 

[Toss]

plecoL083:They will be okay and look great in your 50gal :)Two notes about the neon tetra, they are weak right from the pet store and when you got the healthy ones, they do not last as long as the rasboras or rummynose. If you really like the colour of neon tetra, I would invest a little more money to get the cardinal tetra. They last a little longer.

Zoe: I am sure they are okay with Badis. Like Bryana said, CPD is middle to upper level fish. Mine occasionally go to the bottom when they are chasing sinking bloodworm or flakes. My fry stays very close to the water surface. The largest one started to go down to the middle recently then I haven't seen him for a few days now Since I got them I counted 5 on the first batch and 3 on the second. I have only seen 2 or 3 at any given time for the last a few days.

Dan:I got a lot more movement when I top up the water level, otherwise they constantly moving. I got a couple males flaring up to each other and doing their circle dance for at least 10 mins today. I tried to take a picture of it but my camera isn't good enough for the action

[dan2x38]

Agreed Toss- I change water 10%-20% every 2nd day slowly... when I do they are more active... they are always on the move just more bush action... 

[Fishnut]

My CPD's are definitely more active as soon as the water has been changed.  The tank they are in is so small that I'm sure any fry are gobbled up.  Also, my male seems to be very busy chasing the females lately.  That's why I decided to set up a 30 tank.  This is total overkill for 3 CPD's, but I figured it could mean getting more!!!

Just to comment on the Badis/CPD mix, I would agree with keeping the CPD's in their own tank.  I see my Badis pick at everything in my community tank and would think that eggs and fry would be a tasty discovery.  Also, Badis are slow and might get caught in the middle of a few chases.

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