Gold Ring Danio
Danio tinwini
An exquisitely elegant nano danio from Myanmar: translucent body with alternating rows of golden and black dots creating a unique leopard pattern. Just 3 cm — perfect for nano tanks. A tireless swimmer but peaceful. Only scientifically described in 2003, it quickly became a favorite for naturalistic aquariums. In schools of 10+ the effect is a wall of golden sparks in motion.
Température de l’eau
20 - 25 °C
Valeur du pH
6.5 - 7.5
Type d'eau
Eau douce
Niveau dans le bac
Surface et milieu
Taille adulte
3,5 cm
Volume minimal du bac
>= 40 L
Groupe minimal
>= 8
GH
5 - 15 dGH
KH
2 - 7 dKH
TDS
95 - 295 ppm
Conductivité
148 - 461 uS/cm
Description de l'espèce
Geographical Origin and Habitat: Myanmar (Burma), Mogaung river basin. Found in clear shaded forest streams with strong currents, smooth rocks and dense meadows of mosses or plants (Blyxa, Eleocharis).
Taxonomy and Morphology: Gold Ring Danio (Danio tinwini). Recently described (2009). It is a miniature version of classic Danios, but with a shorter body and a "leopard skin" livery.
Social Behavior: Peaceful but frantic, like many congeners. To alleviate its natural shyness and mitigate male hierarchical skirmishes, it must live in a large school (minimum 10-12).
Coloration and Sexual Dimorphism: Gorgeous golden/transparent base decorated with numerous clear irregular round blue-black spots, even on the unpaired fins (very rare appearance). More saturated amber males; silver swollen females.
Soins, reproduction et cohabitation
Aquarium Setup: Despite being tiny, it requires 60-80 cm (24-32 inches) tanks to accommodate its urge for linear swimming. Create areas of rough current with the filter. Tightly fitting lid: they attempt to jump if surprised.
Diet and Feeding: Micro-predator and omnivore. Appreciates microgranules, powdered feed and abundant fine frozen food such as cyclops, lobster eggs and brine shrimp nauplii. Collects on the surface or falling, rarely on the bottom.
Water Quality: Appreciates temperate waters (20-24°C / 68-75°F) or even unheated if in livable rooms, and tolerates summer heat above 27°C (81°F) poorly. Oxygen must always be high, through aeration or rippling.
Compatibility and Cohabitation: Splendid "dither fish" for small shy cyprinids (e.g. Danio margaritatus) or Southeast Asian rasboras. Never put it with large Cichlids or even with overly quiet companions.
Aquarium Breeding: Free spawning amidst moss canopies at the first dawn sun. For the salvation of the brood, it is necessary to remove the moss or place the fish on separating nets, given their ravenous cannibalism.
Risks and Diseases: Fatal apathy if kept in cramped tanks or if exposed to perennial high temperatures.
Origine et répartition géographiques
Myanmar (Burma), Mogaung river basin. Found in clear shaded forest streams with strong currents, smooth rocks and dense meadows of mosses or plants (Blyxa, Eleocharis).
Origine
Océans tropicaux et récifsAsie du Sud et du Sud-Est
Profil de poisson
- Tempérament
- Peaceful
- These diminutive fish are peaceful, lively, and highly social, requiring the presence of conspecifics to thrive and feel secure. When kept in a sufficiently large group, they are constantly active and display fascinating intra-species dynamics and sparring. They are completely harmless to other tank inhabitants but can be easily intimidated by larger or more aggressive fish, leading to stress and hiding behaviors.
- Régime alimentaire
- Omnivore
- Gold Ring Danios are micro-predators that require appropriately sized foods due to their very small mouths. A high-quality micro-pellet or crushed flake food should serve as their staple diet for everyday feeding. To condition them for breeding and enhance their spotted coloration, they should be offered regular meals of live or frozen micro-foods like baby brine shrimp, microworms, and small daphnia.
- Espérance de vie
- 3-5 years
- Taille adulte
- 3.5 cm
- Ratio des sexes
- Group
- A ratio leaning towards more females than males, such as two females for every male, is often recommended to minimize male-on-male aggression. Males can become quite competitive and driven during spawning periods, continuously chasing females and displaying to rival males. Having more females helps distribute this male attention and prevents individual females from becoming overly stressed or exhausted.
- Fréquence d'alimentation
- Twice daily
- Given their tiny stomachs and relatively fast metabolism, feeding them very small amounts two to three times daily is the most effective approach. Overfeeding is a common issue with such small fish, so care must be taken to only provide what they can consume in a minute or two. Ensuring the food pieces are small enough to be easily swallowed is also crucial to prevent them from choking or wasting food.
- Charge biologique
- Low
- The Gold Ring Danio has a minuscule bioload due to its exceptionally small adult size of roughly an inch. They are a schooling species, so they must be kept in groups of at least eight to ten individuals to feel secure and display their natural behaviors. Even in a moderately sized group, their collective waste output remains very low and is easily managed with standard filtration.
- Courant
- Strong
- Originating from small, clear forest streams in Myanmar, they appreciate a moderate amount of water flow in the aquarium. While they do not need torrential currents, a steady, well-oxygenated flow helps mimic their natural environment and encourages healthy activity. Proper filtration that provides a gentle to moderate turnover rate is usually sufficient for their needs.
- Risque de saut
- Yes
- Like most species in the Danio genus, Danio tinwini are prone to jumping when startled, stressed, or when initially acclimating to a new environment. A tight-fitting lid or a custom-cut cover glass is absolutely essential to keep them safely contained within the aquarium. Because of their small size, they can manage to escape through even smaller gaps than larger danio species, so meticulous covering is required.
- Reproduction
- Oviparous
- They are continuous egg-scatterers that will release small numbers of eggs daily amongst fine-leaved aquatic plants or spawning mops. Like many of their relatives, they provide zero parental care and are highly likely to predate on their own eggs and fry if left in the same tank. For intentional breeding, placing a well-conditioned pair or a small group in a heavily planted breeding tank and removing them after a few days is the best method.
- Compatibilité et compagnons
- Community
- These miniature danios are extremely peaceful but can be quite timid if housed with overly boisterous or significantly larger tank mates. They do best in a dedicated species setup or in a nano community aquarium with other very small, non-aggressive species like microrasboras or dwarf shrimp. Keeping them with confident schooling fish of a similar size can actually help bring them out of hiding and encourage them to swim openly.
- Niveau dans le bac
- Top/Middle
- Gold Ring Danios are highly active swimmers that predominantly occupy the middle and upper levels of the aquarium. They can frequently be seen weaving through the upper leaves of tall aquatic plants or darting across the open water near the surface. Providing floating plants or tall stem plants offers them security while still allowing them to utilize their preferred swimming zones.
Modèles et paramètres scientifiques
FishBase
Fenêtre sur les données scientifiques officielles de l’espèce
FishBase v25.04Données synchronisées le : 15/06/2026
- Niveau trophique
- 3 ± 0,4 se
- Singularité phylogénétique (PD50)
- 0.5
- Relation bayésienne longueur-poids
- a = 0.00589, b = 3.12
- VulnérabilitéVulnérabilité faible (10 / 100)
Galerie d'images
Images sous licence liées à l'espèce ou, lorsqu'elles sont indiquées, au taxon représentatif le plus proche.
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