Danio - Emerald Dwarf Rasbora (Danio erythromicron)

The emerald dwarf rasbora is naturally found in a single lake in the Southeast Asian country of Myanmar (formerly known as Burma). Lake Inle is the second-largest lake in the country. Although it's large, it's not very deep, reaching no more than around 17 feet in depth even in the rainy season. It's situated at a relatively high altitude: around 2,900 feet.

Emerald dwarf rasboras can mostly be found around the edges of Lake Inle, where plenty of aquatic plants are present and the water is shallow. They form groups, but are not tight schoolers.

In the wild, Danio erythromicron is considered an Endangered species by the IUCN Red List. This is because unfortunately, Lake Inle is under pressure due to human activity. Non-native fish species have been introduced, and (agricultural) pollution is a serious threat.

Danios like this species may not school very tightly, but they are still decidedly group fish. Don't keep them alone; get as many as your tank size allows! It helps your fish feel safe and also aids in dispersing territorial aggression from the males.

As for other tankmates, because emerald dwarf rasboras are pretty shy, it's best not to combine them with overly boisterous fish. They play nice and will probably shoal with other small schooling species that like similar water values, such as other Danios, Microdevario, and Microrasbora. White cloud mountain minnows (Tanichthys albonubes) should also work well.

As for non-minnow options, you could try panda Corydoras, bristlenose Plecos, cherry barbs, or Yunnanilus loaches.

Fellow shrimp enthusiasts will be happy to hear that yes, you can keep emerald dwarf rasboras with shrimp. They will eat baby shrimp if given the chance, but if you pick a fast-breeding type like Neocaridina (or one that doesn't reproduce in the aquarium, such as Amano shrimp) and the aquarium is densely planted, you should be fine.

pH: 7-8

Temperature: 20 – 24 Celcius

Hardness: 200-350 ppm