Panther Danio - Danio aesculapii
By: Agassizii
Species Name: Danio aesculapii
Common Names: Panther Danio
Synonyms: Danio hieroglyph, Danio pantheri, Danio sp"snakeskin" and "TW03"
Family: Cyprinidae
Order: Cypriniformes
Class: Actinopterygii
Max Size: 4 cm / 1,5 inches
Environment: Freshwater
Origin: Asia; the Panther Danio (Danio aesculapii) can be found in Myanmar / Burma and Thailand.
Temperament: The Panther Danio is generally quite placid.
Company: Panther Danio (Danio aesculapii) should be kept in groups of eight or more of their own kind. Suitable tank mates would be small, peaceful community fishes, such as tetras, rasboras, hatchet fish, rainbow fish, smaller barbs, smaller catfish and other danios.
Water Parameters: pH 6.8 - 7.2, temperature 22-27 ° C / 72-80 ° F
Aquarium Setup: The tank should be moderately planted as well as have plenty of free-swimming space. The Panther Danio (Danio aesculapii) is a very active species. Having floating plants present in the tank will help make the Panther Danio feel more secure.
Feeding: Panther Danio (Danio aesculapii) will accept a wide variety of foods including prepared, live and frozen foods. Feeding live and/or frozen foods such as brine shrimp and daphnia will help condition them for spawning.
Breeding: Panther Danio (Danio aesculapii) it not considered easy to spawn in aquariums. The breeding tank should have a sponge filter, as well as some Java moss or other fine-leaved plant for the eggs to fall into since this will help protect them from being cannibalized by their parents. The water should be soft and acidic while the temperature should be around 80 degrees Fahrenheit. The water level should be somewhat low and the tank should be dimly lit. To help encourage spawning behaviour, Panther Danio (Danio aesculapii) can be fed small quantities of live and/or frozen foods. Adding small amounts of cool water every few hours until the tank is full will also help to encourage spawning. The next morning, the Panther Danio (Danio hieroglyph) parents should have spawned and they should be removed before they cannibalize any eggs that they can find. In about 36 hours, the eggs should hatch and about 3 days later the fry should be free-swimming. When they are free-swimming, they can be reared on infusorians to start.