# Whats the perfect CPD set-up?



## LeTigra (Nov 25, 2008)

As the title says, I like many others have fallen in love with these beautiful fish, and am wondering what a CPD-specific tank would be like? In all senses - water chemistry, tank size, plants, bogwood? I think I read they breed in slightly alkaline water so bogwood would be a no-no in their regular tank too?
I think they're fab little fish and was wondering how you guys are keeping them and what successes you are having breeding them. I'm not too concerned about breeding them for optimum survival of young but if they bred by accident and some fry survived, well, it wouldn't be the end of the world


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## funkyfish (Mar 16, 2009)

LeTigra said:


> As the title says, I like many others have fallen in love with these beautiful fish, and am wondering what a CPD-specific tank would be like? In all senses - water chemistry, tank size, plants, bogwood? I think I read they breed in slightly alkaline water so bogwood would be a no-no in their regular tank too?
> I think they're fab little fish and was wondering how you guys are keeping them and what successes you are having breeding them. I'm not too concerned about breeding them for optimum survival of young but if they bred by accident and some fry survived, well, it wouldn't be the end of the world


They are my favorite little fish and I had a great success with them. First let me tell you about them a bit so you have an idea were they come from.
The Celestial Pearl Danio originates from the country of Myanmar. The general location is near the city of Hopong not far from Taungyi, capital of Southern Shan State. This is a mountainous region where the elevation ranges from just over a half mile to nearly a mile above sea level.
Home sweet home 








The water where these fish are found is crystal clear with a pH of 7.3. The pond bottom is covered with sand. The area is mostly grassland and rice paddies, so the ponds are open to the sun and filled with a rich variety of aquatic plants.

They do not need to have sand as a substrate and my pH level is 7.5 so they are very adaptable and hardy fish.I had one survive over night in the watering can out side my house (it's a long story LOL)
They do need a heavily planted tank and any plants will do. I would go with a tank size no less than 10g drift wood is fine in it I have one with some anubias on it and never had a problem. I actually have a great success with keeping them and they breed for me almost weekly, but since I do not have anymore space to house fry I just let them breed in their main tank and let fry to defend for on their own. I have like at least 50 4-5 month fry in the 10g and in the nursery. I noticed they like breeding in the moss or in the most heavily planted area of the tank. 
Here is my breeding journal if you wanna take a look 
http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/fish/94240-my-cpd-fry-pictures-quick-update.html

So to make it short and sweet to make your CPD happy and keeping them with success you will need at least 10g tank moderately to heavily planted, nothing special needed. They do best with school of 6 or more fish. 

Hope that helps and if you got any questions let me know. I will open a thread dedicated to CPD only, been planing to do it for a while... probably should get on it soon


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## DarrylR (Oct 9, 2007)

The care seemed to be fairly easy cause I was able to care and breed them for a few years now. And I do not do anything special to the water or for breeding really. They are very shy and skittish fish, but will come out if they see freshly hatched baby brine shrimp or even flakes falling from the surface.

A lot of plants is ideal and floating plants to shield from to much light.


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## Nue (Dec 27, 2009)

I love these fish. My breed with no help from me, the babies survive in the plants. And i feed them BBS even as adults, colors them up nicely. You should have some types of moss/plants for them, for food and shelter. Ive never seen a parent go after a fry, but they will eat eggs. I get a new fry or two popping up every couple of weeks. There only tank mates are shrimp and snails, i imagine i wouldn't have any fry's if i had other fish in there. I would stick with moss and a dark substrate. And wood always looks nice. My water is about 7.5 ph with medium to hard tds.



DarrylR said:


> They are very shy and skittish fish, but will come out if they see freshly hatched baby brine shrimp or even flakes falling from the surface.
> 
> A lot of plants is ideal and floating plants to shield from to much light.


Ive noticed fish born in the tank are not skittish, once they have been netted they hide a lot.


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## AkCrimson (Dec 17, 2009)

I just got 5 CPDs on Sunday and they are set up in my 29 with a couple otos right now. I would love to breed them, but as it's not going to be a species tank I doubt I will have any luck. They're fairly hardy fish, though, from what I understand. 

Java moss makes an excellent cover for young fry. I've heard of people waiting for their fry to hatch then scooping the java moss up and placing it into a separate tank so the fry have a better survival chance. A better option (IMO) would be to place the adults in the fry tank until they spawn, then remove them. 

Anyway, I'm curious to see how you do with them. Any pics?


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## DarrylR (Oct 9, 2007)

AkCrimson said:


> I just got 5 CPDs on Sunday and they are set up in my 29 with a couple otos right now. I would love to breed them, but as it's not going to be a species tank I doubt I will have any luck. They're fairly hardy fish, though, from what I understand.
> 
> Java moss makes an excellent cover for young fry. I've heard of people waiting for their fry to hatch then scooping the java moss up and placing it into a separate tank so the fry have a better survival chance. A better option (IMO) would be to place the adults in the fry tank until they spawn, then remove them.
> 
> Anyway, I'm curious to see how you do with them. Any pics?


My CPD breeding thread, it has been torn down a long time ago. I know have them breeding in a 20 gallon long tank with clown killies, micro thai crabs, crystal/cherry red shrimp.

http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/fish/80527-bred-my-celestrial-pearl-danios.html


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## funkyfish (Mar 16, 2009)

DarrylR said:


> My CPD breeding thread, it has been torn down a long time ago. I know have them breeding in a 20 gallon long tank with clown killies, micro thai crabs, crystal/cherry red shrimp.
> 
> http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/fish/80527-bred-my-celestrial-pearl-danios.html


I just came to the realization that you are DarrylR from celestialpearldanio.com forum LOL


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## Erloas (Dec 14, 2009)

I saw these online and I really liked the look of them. I'm going to try and get some when I get a chance, but I don't know where to find them. I don't think my local store will get them. 
How hard are they to find? I can check the stores in Salt Lake City, but its not like I can check with them regularly.


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## Nue (Dec 27, 2009)

Erloas said:


> I saw these online and I really liked the look of them. I'm going to try and get some when I get a chance, but I don't know where to find them. I don't think my local store will get them.
> How hard are they to find? I can check the stores in Salt Lake City, but its not like I can check with them regularly.


I bought mine in Salt Lake at Fish 4 U.


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## shane3fan (Nov 2, 2009)

Would these fish do well in a planted 29 gallon tank with a pair of pelvicachromis pulcher and some Glowlight Tetras?

The pH wouldnt be ideal, it is 6.5 ish. But I would assume they could adapt if they are a pretty hardy fish as described. 

2 Kribs, 6 or 7 Glowlight Tetras and #? CPDs?


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## LeTigra (Nov 25, 2008)

This is cool
Thanks guys - especially thanks to FunkyFish! I'll be having a good read of your breeding journal. Here in the UK I've read that its suggested we only keep them if we intend to breed them and the first few pages of your journal make it look easy! I actually have 3 small unused tank, perhaps I could set up a breeding program - or at least have a try at raising a few batches. My Mum bred WCMM once just by throwing them in a different tank for a few hours and then putting them back and rearing the young on some fry food she found at the pet shop! Though I appreciate WCMM are a bit different, I suppose the basics are the same. If these guys breed so readily in captivity then why continue taking them from the wild?


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## funkyfish (Mar 16, 2009)

LeTigra said:


> This is cool
> Thanks guys - especially thanks to FunkyFish! I'll be having a good read of your breeding journal. Here in the UK I've read that its suggested we only keep them if we intend to breed them and the first few pages of your journal make it look easy! I actually have 3 small unused tank, perhaps I could set up a breeding program - or at least have a try at raising a few batches. My Mum bred WCMM once just by throwing them in a different tank for a few hours and then putting them back and rearing the young on some fry food she found at the pet shop! Though I appreciate WCMM are a bit different, I suppose the basics are the same. If these guys breed so readily in captivity then why continue taking them from the wild?


No problem! :icon_smil And that's exactly what I read on the practical fish keeping forum, that they should be kept by people who plan on breeding them, thats when I decided to give it a try. I want to continue breeding them but first I need to find a store that will take them from me, I have one that should be opening soon right across the street but they been setting the store up since summer and it's still not open so I hope once they do open they will take my fry and I can set up a permanent breeding tank. They are easy to breed so you should not have a problem with breeding them. 

And from what I heard they do not taking them from the wild anymore that's why they hard to come by and still very expensive little fish. I paid $7.99 for mine and last time I went to the store I got them from they sell them for $9.99


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## funkyfish (Mar 16, 2009)

shane3fan said:


> Would these fish do well in a planted 29 gallon tank with a pair of pelvicachromis pulcher and some Glowlight Tetras?
> 
> The pH wouldnt be ideal, it is 6.5 ish. But I would assume they could adapt if they are a pretty hardy fish as described.
> 
> 2 Kribs, 6 or 7 Glowlight Tetras and #? CPDs?


They should be totally fine and you can get like 10 of them if not more they are small fish only grow to 1". I have maybe 25 in a 10g with some RCS+ lots and lots of snails but most are fry at the moment so I will be removing them when they get bigger. They do better in a school of 6 or more. I think you should not have problems keeping them with pH 6.5 only because my pH once dropped to 6.5 and they were totally fine.


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