Home / Fishes / Carp, barbs, minnows, loaches / Danionidae / Green carplet
No federal permit to keepGreen carplet
Horadandia atukorali
Fishes › Carp, barbs, minnows, loaches (Cypriniformes) › Danionidae (Danios and rasboras)
The horadandia, green carplet, or glowlight carplet (Horadandia atukorali), is a species of very small freshwater ray-finned fish in the family Danionidae, with the maximum total length being about 3 cm (1.2 in).
Care at a glance
Species-specific aquarium care
- Tank: At least 24 in long and 12 in front to back for one adult (adults commonly reach about 0.6 in / 1.5 cm; the largest recorded was 1.2 in).
- Water: Freshwater (tolerates brackish).
- Temperature: 75–79°F (range recorded for this species).
- pH: 6–6.5.
- Hardness: 0–12 dGH.
- Layout: An open-water swimmer: needs long, open swimming space with few obstacles.
- Diet: A predator: feed meaty foods sized to its mouth (frozen fish, shrimp, worms); it will eat tankmates that fit in its mouth. FishBase classes it as a carnivore.
- Availability: Rarely or never seen in the aquarium trade; expect to source it from specialists or not at all.
Calculated from this species' own FishBase record: tank size from its typical adult length and swimming zone, water values from its recorded ranges. The group guide below fills in general care.
Care guide
Species care notes
- Tank: a base of at least 18 × 12 in (roughly 11 US gallons); space needed is rated “modest tank”.
- Water: a fairly wide range, from slightly acidic to slightly alkaline, 68–79 °F, pH 5.5–7.5, 2–12 dGH.
- Behaviour: temperament peaceful; a shoaling fish best kept in a group of six or more; not a community fish.
- Difficulty: Easy (Seriously Fish rating).
Short excerpts from the species profile:
- Setup: “Best kept in a densely-planted tank and is an excellent choice for the carefully-aquascaped set-up.”
- Diet: “Chiefly a micropredator feeding on small insects, worms, crustaceans and other zooplankton in nature.”
- Tankmates: “This species is very peaceful but does not make an ideal community fish due to its small size and rather timid nature.”
- Breeding: “This species hasn't been bred often in aquaria but the few reports that do exist suggest it's not too difficult.”
From the Seriously Fish profile for this species, which has the full habitat, maintenance, diet, behaviour and breeding write-up 167
Danios and rasboras
Applies to most species in this group. Habitat: These Asian fishes occupy habitats ranging from zebra-danio pools and rice paddies to shaded harlequin streams, rocky Devario streams and planted galaxy-rasbora wetlands. [fg159-zebra, fg159-harlequin, fg159-giant, fg159-galaxy]. Individual species can differ, so compare with the species numbers above and the linked sources.
Housing & setup
- Use at least 90 × 30 cm (36 × 12 in) for zebra danios.
- Harlequins require at least 60 × 30 cm (24 × 12 in), shaded planted cover and subdued light.
- Devario aequipinnatus needs at least 120 × 45 cm (48 × 18 in), oxygenated water, moderate flow and a tight lid.
- Galaxy rasboras need dense planting and broken sight lines in at least 45 × 30 cm (18 × 12 in), with gentle sponge filtration.
- Match chemistry: harlequins pH 5.0–7.5, 1–12 dGH; galaxy rasboras pH 6.5–7.5, 5–15 dGH.
Climate & lighting
| Water | 64.4–77°F |
Diet
- Quality flakes or granules sized to the fish.
- Live or frozen Daphnia and Artemia.
- Bloodworms for zebra danios, harlequins and Devario.
- Small sinking foods for galaxy rasboras, which rarely feed at the surface.
Social life
- Keep zebra danios and harlequins in groups of at least 8–10. Galaxy males spar: dense cover and larger groups distribute aggression. Active Devario can overwhelm timid feeders.
Health watch
- Pseudoloma microsporidiosis in zebra danios.
- Pleistophora infection and columnaris can produce similar white lesions in zebra danios.
- Nipped fins among rival galaxy males.
Understanding the animal
About this animal
About this animal
This species is found in slow-moving or still freshwater and brackish habitats in western Sri Lanka, including coastal swamps and vegetated ponds. The genus Horadandia was formerly considered monotypic, with the single species found in both Sri Lanka and India.
Quoted from the Wikipedia article “Green carplet” (CC BY-SA 4.0) 174
In the wild
In the wild
From this species’ own FishBase record (habitat, bottom type, water and breeding data), not its family. Good care copies these conditions.1
| Where it lives | Lives in freshwater and brackish water, in lakes, mangroves. Inhabits still or slow-moving water, frequenting swamps, rice fields and similar still waters. Found in weedy ponds of coastal plains. |
| Water it lives in | Freshwater / brackish water, 75–79 °F (24–26 °C), pH 6–6.5, hardness 12 dH. |
| Climate | Tropical climate. |
| Wild diet | Hunting macrofauna (predator). |
What this means for care
- Keep water within its wild range, 75–79 °F.
- It tolerates or needs brackish water; check salinity needs before setup.
From the sources
From the sources
Quoted from the matching sections of reputable sources for this exact species. Specialist databases are used first; Wikipedia (community-edited, CC BY-SA 4.0) only fills gaps. Other sources are short credited quotes.
| Overview | The horadandia, green carplet, or glowlight carplet (Horadandia atukorali), is a species of very small freshwater ray-finned fish in the family Danionidae, with the maximum total length being about 3 cm. This species is found in slow-moving or still freshwater and brackish habitats in western Sri Lanka, including coastal swamps and vegetated ponds. The genus Horadandia was formerly considered monotypic, with the single species found in both Sri Lanka and India. However, a taxonomic revision published in 2013 demonstrated that Indian populations represent a distinct species. — Wikipedia (community-edited) |
| Where it lives | Home ranges Population dynamics Growth parameters Max. ages / sizes Length-weight rel. Length-frequencies Mass conversion Recruitment Abundance Life cycle Reproduction Maturity Maturity/Gills rel. — FishBase |
| Biology | Inhabits still or slow-moving water, frequenting swamps, rice fields and similar still waters. Found in weedy ponds of coastal plains. Common in less saline mangrove swamps and in less polluted canals. — FishBase |
Data and studies
The numbers
The numbers
Each bar is what one source reports. Where several sources weigh in, the dashed gold band marks their average.
Adult length
Common length to maximum recorded length. Measured as total length. Fish in home aquariums often stay smaller than wild records.
Water temperature
Range the species tolerates in nature; aim for the middle.
Water hardness
Minimum tank footprint
Seriously Fish recommends a tank base of at least 18 × 12 in (about 11 US gallons).
Sources for this sheet
- FishBase (Froese & Pauly, eds.), version 24.07 Peer-reviewed researchThe global scientific database on fishes, maintained by a consortium of research institutions; every value is referenced.
- Seriously Fish species profiles Experienced keeper or breederLong-running aquarium reference written and peer-checked by experienced fishkeepers and ichthyologists; each profile covers habitat, tank size, water, diet, behaviour and breeding.
- Seriously Fish: Zebra danio (Danio / Brachydanio rerio) Experienced keeper or breederAdded in the 2026 source-checked care-guide review.
- Seriously Fish: Trigonostigma heteromorpha Experienced keeper or breederAdded in the 2026 source-checked care-guide review.
- Seriously Fish: Devario aequipinnatus Experienced keeper or breederAdded in the 2026 source-checked care-guide review.
- Seriously Fish: Danio / Celestichthys margaritatus Experienced keeper or breederAdded in the 2026 source-checked care-guide review.
- Wikipedia (species article) Community referenceFree encyclopedia; useful overviews with their own citations. Intro text is quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0.
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