You’ve probably at least heard of Zebra Fish (Zebra Danios). These little fish with their distinctive markings seemingly hold a special place in the hearts of many aquarium hobbyists. But do you know everything about them?
What makes zebra danios so special? What is it about them that has led them to become one of the most popular fish species in the freshwater hobby?
Zebra Danios are very popular community fish and easy to care for.
They are peaceful, lively and fun to watch.
They live in groups. They are active and energetic, making them enjoyable to observe.
They are an ideal beginner’s fish, as they are easy to care for, peaceful, and suitable for many aquarium setups.
This article will look at these unique and beautiful fish in detail with advice on their suitability as pets, how to keep them happy and what you’ll need to do so.
Ready Reckoner – Zebra Fish (Zebra Danios)- The Beautiful Blues
Basic Facts
Zebra Danios is a tropical fish that originated in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Nepal.
They prefer clean water and vibrantly colored environments with lots of plants and rocks. They are easy to care for.
They are freshwater fish. They are included in the Cyprinidae family especially in the genus Brachydanio. Their technical name is Danios Rerio.
The zebra danio is an important and widely used vertebrate model for scientific research.
They are small fish that are easy to maintain and study, due to their short generation time, high fertility rate and fecundity, low cost of maintenance compared to other vertebrate models such as rats or mice.
Zebra danios are commonly used in both behavioral and physiological research.
Appearance
Zebra Danio – is a small, elegant fish which makes an excellent and easy-to-care-for addition to your freshwater aquarium.
The Zebra Danio has a fusiform shape, laterally compressed body and has five bright blue vertical stripes running across its body.
These markings begin at the head and extend to the caudal fin, creating a unique pattern that unmistakably resembles zebra!
Zebra Danios is a dwarf fish that grows between 1.6 to 2 inches in length.
Gender Differences
The Zebra Danio is a colorful and attractive fish for your aquarium. The male is torpedo shaped, with gold stripes between the blue stripes.
The female has a larger belly and is white on the belly and has silvery stripes instead of gold ones.
She also has a papilla near her anal fin than which her counterpart does not have.
Behavior
Zebra Danios are lively, playful fish that do well in schools with six or more of their own species. They are loyal to their breeding partner and mate for life.
When encountering one another in an aquarium, these fish will often dart around in a playful manner. Zebra Danios is very active, and they also enjoy exploring.
If you like schooling fish, the Zebra Danio is probably one of the best fish to have. They are very hardy, and they school beautifully in larger tanks.
Water & Tank Requirements
The best tank setup for zebra danios is a fully cycled, planted aquarium with pebbles or gravel substrate. A dark substrate is ideal for showing them out well, but planted bases are fine too. (Take care not to overplant!).
Zebra Danios will thrive in water temperatures of 18 °C (65 °F) to 24 °C (75 °F).
Flowing water is preferred and hence, should be kept in aerated waters. Ensure it is not a strong current. They are small fish.
Zebra Danios is a great addition to any aquarium. They are colorful and active, swimming the top of the tank or in the middle.
They do not need a huge amount of space to be happy, with a minimum size of 30 liters (10 gallons) required for a small group. They enjoy plenty of hiding spaces.
They need PH – 6.5 to 7.0 and GH – 5 – 12 dGH.
Tank Mates
Zebra danios are great for community tanks. But be aware that they are fin nippers (angels, betta and guppies) and so they aren’t okay to be with the zebra fish.
Make sure you fully understand your tank mates before adding this colorful little fish.
Care
Zebra Danios is able to withstand a wide range of water temperatures, but you need to make sure that the temperature is right.
This is because they will be prone to velvet disease if not. Water flow is also crucial, as they can get a curved spine at low temperature.
Although this is so, Zebra Danios are still hardy fish and can withstand fluctuations to a good extent. In fact, better than other fish.
Diet
Zebra fish are omnivores, meaning they will eat a large variety of foods. A wide variety of flake foods and pellets can be used as the staple diet for zebra fish. They also enjoy live or frozen types of food such as brine shrimp, blood worms and daphnia. The key is to try different foods and see if the zebrafish eats them. Sometimes they can eat small crustaceans or insect larvae.
Breeding
Zebra Danios males are territorial and aggressive during breeding.
Both male and female zebrafish need to be present for ovulation, or the process of the release of eggs from the female’s body.
Females can spawn at frequent intervals, but males must be present for ovulation and spawning. Eggs become transparent after fertilization, then hatch in 2 days.
Few Facts
Zebrafish are small, robust, fast-growing, and viewable in a low power microscope. Nearly 70% of their genome is similar to humans making them an excellent model for studying human health and development.
It has been used by scientists since 1960 for biomedical research and has also played a role in the development of new medicines.
They have episodic memories and about a 2-3 year life span; however, they can live up to 5 years old. The Zebrafish is named for 5 uniform pigmented horizontal blue stripes on the side of the body.
Conclusion
Many people are unaware of the fact that zebra fish can be kept as pets. They are actually quite easy to care for and make great aquarium companions. While they do require some basic knowledge about their tank setup, there is no need for an expert in order to keep them healthy.
