Celestial Pearl Danio Feeding Behavior?

**dr_lew** · 02-28-2013, 06:40 PM

I am considering a school of these for a community tank, but I did have one question before I determine for sure if they are a good fit. Are these aggressive feeders like their Zebra Danio cousins? I had a troupe of Zebras in a previous aquarium and they were the most voracious fish I have ever encountered. I could never be sure any other fish--the bottom-feeders in particular--were getting enough to eat as the Danios would promptly swarm any food source that was offered, floating or sinking.

Would CPDs be the same way, or do they actually let their tankmates get a bite in edgewise?

**talldutchie** · 02-28-2013, 08:43 PM

They can be enthousiastic.

Shouldn't be a problem for bottom dwellers. A proper wafer will only get a few nibbles on the way down.

**dr_lew** · 02-28-2013, 09:09 PM

That sounds encouraging. When I had the zebras, they'd go for *anything*. I'd offer the cories shrimp pellets that sank all the way to the bottom...and the second the zebras noticed it they'd attack it and snatch it away, bottom-food or not. The harlequin rasboras, OTOH were no concern. They'd do like you describe--take a nip as the pellets sank, then ignore it. If the CPD's are like that, they should do fine as tankmates.

**genocidex** · 02-28-2013, 09:14 PM

correct me if im wrong, but the cpd's are small fish staying around an inch right? if thats the case even if they attempted to eat an algae waffer on the way down they wouldnt do too much damage. on the other hand zebras get 3" or bigger if i remember and are very fast fish.

**steeler1** · 02-28-2013, 09:36 PM

I found this interesting video of them eating a sinking wafer:

The Zebra fish I kept in the past would not eat off the bottom like this, they would dart in and snatch the food that got stirred up by the other fish.

**dizzydezzy** · 02-28-2013, 09:55 PM

Mine are with khuli loaches, otos, emerald eye rasboras and a betta, and everyone seems to get a share when it's feeding time. While they will feed actively and will peck at a wafer on the bottom, they are not going to fight other fish off, of feed so actively that the other fish can't get to the food.

**dr_lew** · 03-01-2013, 12:28 AM

Thanks for the insight, everyone. That's all very interesting. The CPDs swarming the sunk wafer do remind me a bit of how my zebras were, but it does make sense that as smaller fish they would be less able to dominate chow-time.

**talldutchie** · 03-01-2013, 04:45 AM

Nice vid steeler!

Yeah, that looks about right. They will do this but prefer to eat when it's near the top or on the way down.

My green neons display approximately the same behavour with algae tablets but my cories and bristlenose still manage to chase them away. Everyone gets well fed and it looks very lively.

**givemean_a** · 03-01-2013, 08:49 PM

I have 6 CPD's and 4 Zebras and they all swarm those sinking pellets like it's no bodies business. They are hungry little guys. Luckily the pleco and the cories are fiesty and get right in there too. But if my bottom feeders were shy I'd be worried they wouldn't have enough food.