Celestial Pearl Danios are shy and hide a lot

Such shy fish. They are scared of their own shadow and come out only when they are sure no one is around the tank and when the water is clear. Sometimes I see like 1-2 for days, sometimes all 5 come out for a little then go back into hidding in the hornwort that is behind the other hornwort.

The shrimp basically run the 5.5 gallon tank and I have witnessed a shrimp jump kick a celestial pearl danio out of it's way twice. Anyway, I am trying to make the tank more spaced with the plants because they always hang out in the back and you don't see them often. Also I am adding glass tequila shot cups under the substrate to create caves for the shrimp. Do celestial pearl danios like caves and such hiding places? I hope they come out more often.

Basically, the 5.5 gallons will be turned into a shrimp tank. I don't plan on adding more celestial pearl danios as they are so shy and easily scared. So think of it as advice for making the 5.5 gallons interesting for both shrimp and fish.

Any tips?

 

Hey!! You definitely need a dither fish or two. I’ve got a 6 gallon fluval tank with 5 celestial pearls and 2 female guppies. The female guppies very active in my tank and love to explore every inch. When I added my celestial pearls last week (5 of them) they did too seem a little shy at first but I think them seeing the guppies swim so happily around the tank, they aren’t scared now. My celestial pearls are always in the open now and swimming around with the guppies.

 

They need to be in larger numbers to feel secure. Get enough and they're quite active fish.

 

I keep 12 in a 20g, well planted. They are very active little fish in my tank. Always first to the food during feeding and greeting me when I'm near the tank.

How long have you had them for?

 

Such shy fish. They are scared of their own shadow and come out only when they are sure no one is around the tank and when the water is clear. Sometimes I see like 1-2 for days, sometimes all 5 come out for a little then go back into hidding in the hornwort that is behind the other hornwort.

The shrimp basically run the 5.5 gallon tank and I have witnessed a shrimp jump kick a celestial pearl danio out of it's way twice. Anyway, I am trying to make the tank more spaced with the plants because they always hang out in the back and you don't see them often. Also I am adding glass tequila shot cups under the substrate to create caves for the shrimp. Do celestial pearl danios like caves and such hiding places? I hope they come out more often.

Basically, the 5.5 gallons will be turned into a shrimp tank. I don't plan on adding more celestial pearl danios as they are so shy and easily scared. So think of it as advice for making the 5.5 gallons interesting for both shrimp and fish.

Any tips?

Celestial pearl danios are the fish I have the most experience with. I'd get more than 5, probably a group of 8 or 9 at least. Also, the more plants the better. Just like with any fish, the more places to hide that you give them, paradoxically the more they will come out bc they feel more secure. If your tank is big enough, I'd also get some dither fish. The ones that I keep in my display tank I keep with glowlight tetras and they are a lot more confident. Any tetras or rasboras would probably work. If you could get your hands on another nano fish like chilI rasboras that would work great too

 

I keep 12 in a 20g, well planted. They are very active little fish in my tank. Always first to the food during feeding and greeting me when I'm near the tank.

How long have you had them for?

Do you have ditherfish in imba

 

I have 4 in my 10 gallon with the blue shrimp and mine too are very shy. They never seem to eat when I offer say shelled brine shrimp but, I had 4 berried shrimp which would equate too approx 100 babies that I have only 10 make mid adult size. So they are shy, love to eat shrimp and always seem to chase each other then hide. They are very nice looking fish but, unless I add 4 more of them by the sounds of it they are not the best addition to a tank I have ever made thus far.

 

My experiences with them are quite interesting.

Noticed that if you're keeping them species only one will hardly see them in a planted tank. They are shy and skittish. They act as school / group.

But when kept in a community tank, the females seem to live in and around a specific spot (plants) while males cruise the entire tank being social with all females. Then they are the boldest fish of the tank, come examining when you stick yoir hand in or feed. They are the first fish to show up.

So I thibk they are great fish but if you want to see them they need ditherfish

Only raising numbers alone won't help to me.

Keeping some in an Cryptocoryne forrest nowadays and see them hardly.

 

I keep 12 in a 20g, well planted. They are very active little fish in my tank. Always first to the food during feeding and greeting me when I'm near the tank.

How long have you had them for?

About two weeks.

Celestial pearl danios are the fish I have the most experience with. I'd get more than 5, probably a group of 8 or 9 at least. Also, the more plants the better. Just like with any fish, the more places to hide that you give them, paradoxically the more they will come out bc they feel more secure. If your tank is big enough, I'd also get some dither fish. The ones that I keep in my display tank I keep with glowlight tetras and they are a lot more confident. Any tetras or rasboras would probably work. If you could get your hands on another nano fish like chilI rasboras that would work great too

Yes, I do plan on adding more plants. Right now I have paused because I have other items to buy for the tanks. But I plan on adding more plants for them. I was thinking of adding them with the black ruby barbs in the 20 gallons that are 1.5 inches as of now, but I am afraid they are going to "gobble" them. Also feeding would be so hard because the black ruby barbs are gluttons and let no food fall down to the substrate. So their own little tank is probably the wisest choice. Thanks for the input.

 

I keep a group of 5 in my 10 gallon with a pair of honey gourami and they’ve been active since I purchased them. However, the honies were in the tank first so based on what other people said I think that a dither might help

 

Yeah I will try a dither. But I don't want to cram a more active school of fish in the 5.5 gallons. Would 1 sparkling gourami make a good dither and be safe for the red cherry shrimp? I will also add like 2-3 more celestial pearl danios. I don't think sparkling gouramis need to be in a school.

The good thing about celestial pearl danios and a Marineland biowheel 100 in a 5.5 gallon tank is that there is a lot of current, which circulates the food around over and over and over again.. Until the fish eat it all. If I didn't have a strong current I would end up with plenty of left over to rot, because the fish don't eat it immediately. Sometimes they spit it out, sometimes they watch it float by a few times before they eat it.

 

Do you have ditherfish in imba

No I dont.

In my 20g, I have 12 CPDs, 1 honey gouramis and 9 corydoras habrosus. If anything, the CPDs are the dither fish for the corys and gourami.

Yeah I will try a dither. But I don't want to cram a more active school of fish in the 5.5 gallons. Would 1 sparkling gourami make a good dither and be safe for the red cherry shrimp? I will also add like 2-3 more celestial pearl danios. I don't think sparkling gouramis need to be in a school.

Before adding more fish, just give them another few weeks to get used to the environment. They might just adapting to their new place.

I don't think a single sparkling gpurami would be a good dither. Maybe try a pair of male endlers.

 

Yeah I will try a dither. But I don't want to cram a more active school of fish in the 5.5 gallons. Would 1 sparkling gourami make a good dither and be safe for the red cherry shrimp? I will also add like 2-3 more celestial pearl danios. I don't think sparkling gouramis need to be in a school.

I've read that sparkling gouramis eat shrimp.

 

No I dont.

In my 20g, I have 12 CPDs, 1 honey gouramis and 9 corydoras habrosus. If anything, the CPDs are the dither fish for the corys and gourami.

Ok, but there are other fish in !

 

Yeah I will try a dither. But I don't want to cram a more active school of fish in the 5.5 gallons. Would 1 sparkling gourami make a good dither and be safe for the red cherry shrimp? I will also add like 2-3 more celestial pearl danios. I don't think sparkling gouramis need to be in a school.

You could get another very small shoaling fish like chilI rasboras or ember tetras or something to that effect

 

What do you think about Black Ruby Barbs and Celestial Pearl Danios in the same tank. I am waiting to cycle before entertaining that thought. But if they would co-exist, I certainly would add 2-3 more Barbs and 10 more Celestial Pearl Danios in the 20 gallons. But I am not sure if they would co-exist. Again with Aq Advisor, no warning signs show up and the Danios about the size of tetras.. Well about an inch to half an inch the smallest. The Barbs are 1.5 inches. I would be tempted to keep them with the shrimp as well, but I don't have the vegetation built in the tank and it will be open hunting ground. So I will keep the shrimp in the 5.5 gallons for sure, unless I get a population explosion. In that case I would add only the biggest red cherry shrimp in the tank with the barbs. Right now the largest red cherry shrimp I have is over an inch. When I got them two weeks ago they were all 1/2 an inch. Any thoughts?

 

100% back the dither fish, I had 3 in a 6 gallon with shrimp, they would hide at the back every time i'd go near, I added a Betta and not long after I was practically feeding them by hand. They're now in a 27 gallon and I'm waiting for a delivery of another 5, should be here any minute.
I was considering getting Checker Barbs and Panda Cories. I imagine they would be shrimp safe(ish).

 

100% back the dither fish, I had 3 in a 6 gallon with shrimp, they would hide at the back every time i'd go near, I added a Betta and not long after I was practically feeding them by hand. They're now in a 27 gallon and I'm waiting for a delivery of another 5, should be here any minute.
I was considering getting Checker Barbs and Panda Cories. I imagine they would be shrimp safe(ish).

Nice! Was the betta shrimp safe? I have red cherry shrimp.

 

Interesting. My cpds are anything but shy. Very active and quite nosy, food hogs as well. I have 8 in a 10 gallon with shrimp and corydoras habrosus.

 

My CPDs are quite interactive. They're in with a friendly betta, which probably helps. My betta never bothered my shrimp, but that HIGHLY depends on the individual personality of the betta.

 

Nice! Was the betta shrimp safe? I have red cherry shrimp.

I'd say he is but I've had 2 others that weren't and mine are Cherry Shrimp.
Added my CPDs really stressed and colourless, can't wait till they settle. I also added a Royal Twig Catfish, my Betta flared up and the catfish used it's tail almost like a scorpion, it was fascinating. Betta calmed down he's a puppy dog.

 

I would not mix Black Ruby Barbs with margaritatus, as the barbs will reach a much greater size and can be very aggressive.

 

So, I had enough of this hide and seek. The fish are nowhere to be seen, the shrimp only come out when the lights are out. I had two hornworts placed together covering 1/2 of the tank, maybe more. I couldn't even see them all hiding in the back corner. I moved one hornwort to one end, one to the other corner leaving a little connection in the back under the filter, and put the moss balls up front. This way I can see what is going on in the tank. I will be certainly trimming the hornwort and add other plants in there, because the hornwort is capable of obscuring view if left to grow.

I have 3 male CPD's and 2 females. It seems like one of the females settled on the other hornwort. Now the males are forced to come out going from one bush to the next to "impress the ladies", making them more visible. It seems to be working as the males are going from one end of the tank to the other and fighting in the middle open ground of the tank. About the shrimp.. I will see. When I cycle I will add a couple more CPD's and a lot of shrimp.

The whole situation reminds of this proverb.."If the mountain won't come to Muhammad, then Muhammad will go to the mountain."

 

Update.

It worked out fine. Average hidden time is 5 seconds, before a fish or all "pop-out". For some reason, they are extra happy and out when the shrimp were moved and the second time after they were returned.. When most shrimp died out. I noticed them all happily schooling and being extra active after those two occasions. Which is messed up. My CPD's really don't like the shrimp for some reason.