Zebra Danios care guide for beginners:Food, Breeding and more...

Are zebra Danios right for your aquarium? 

The zebra Danios are small fishes which can adequate to smaller aquariums. As these are freshwater fishes, you can have them as your aquatic pet because we do prefer a freshwater aquarium. These fishes can resist in any kind of climate, except the high temperature conditions. Having zebra as a first companion is a better choice for most of the beginners, because they can tolerate in any difficult situations. 

Even though they can tolerate, we need to know every detail info about zebra Danios to take care of these fishes. Some special features of these fishes will give detail regards that may help you to protect and care them. The characteristics of Zebra Danios must includes their classification, habitat, behaviour, appearance, tank mates, feeding and breeding. 

In this article, every little detail information is noted that gives you more clarity. After all you can literally take care of your zebra without any guide and further queries. 

Let's go in detail.... 

Classification of Zebra Danios

The zebrafish species are typically freshwater fishes belongs to the Cyprinidae family with genus Danio. The scientific name of zebrafish is Danio rario.The zebrafishes are  derived from the Brachydanio genus, is also one of the  Cyprinidae family members. Danio aesculapii has a sibling- group relationship with Branchydanio genus.The zebrafish species are however comes under danio genus, but most researches proved that these fishes are belonging to Branchydanio. These fishes origin in Southern Asia, countries includes india, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Bhutan are the major areas where they likely to found. These fishes are suitable to the tropical and subtropical climate conditions. 

The river ranging where these fishes are available is the sutlej river basin in the northern west part of India to the state Myanmar. The concentration of the zebrafish species are extremely high in Brahmaputra and Ganga river basins. The lower gangas basin i.e., Kosi river was the first place where  these species were discovered. The records show that zebrafishes are more local to be ranged in the southern india which includes and Eastern and western Ghats.

These fishes are distributed to most popular countries in the world like  California,Florida and New Mexico of the United States, Columbia and Malaysia. The aquarists are intentionally exported to these countries for higher business demand.

How do they look? 

The zebra Danios are smaller fishes with different colours in the fishing market. These are appears as ellipse like body structure where slight elongation at the back of the middle. So that is why they don't actually look as perfect ellipse. There are few strips on the either side of their body with different colours filled in for different fishes. The strips are connected from their head to the tail(caudal fin). 

The strips on their bodies are looks similar to the strips on zebra,so these fishes are named as zebra Danios. Gold, sliver, blue,green and yellow are the some of the variety colours these fishes possess. The colour of these fishes are genetically modified with other species like jelly fish, which gives a glow in the darkness under black light. By the genetic translation these fishes available in fluorescent red, blue, green, orange-yellow and purple colours.

How long do they grow? 

The zebra Danios eventually grow up to 2.1 inches, the growth however depends on the areas they live in. The aquarium is quite low area for them to move free and also it's restricted, so their growth reaches 1.2 - 1.6 inches in aquarium. 

In wild , the rivers, canals and ponds are larger water bodies where their growth can reaches from 1.5 - 2.1 inches. 

Life span 

The life span is purely depends on the time and environment factors of the water bodies these fishes survives in.Zebra Danios lives about an annual in wild because the climate keep on changes for annual time,which becomes tougher for them to tolerate the high temperature days to survive. 

In captivity zebra Danios can survive about 2 to 3 years . If these fishes are taken well care and protection, then it might be possible to keep them alive for 5 years in an aquarium. 

How to differentiate gender?

The zebra Danios fishes are available in different colour variations. The gender difference in zebra Danios can be known through colouration, appearance of the species. 

When it comes to colouration of the species, then the colour difference of the male and female version of the species are noticeable. The males are appear more golden in colour, where as females possess silvery white in colour. 

The structure of the bodies have slight variations in both genders. The female fishes are seems to be more rounder and fatter than males. The male fishes are slimmer in size with colour variation. 

Natural Habitat

The zebra Danios fishes are native for tropical and subtropical regions. The natural habitat of these fishes are discovered in the modern motioning rivers, stagnant ponds, canals, lakes with clean water flowing on sandy, muddy bottom. The bottom of these water bodies contain gravels and pebbles along with sand or mud. 

As the zebra Danios are found in southern Asia, the pH of the water in the Indian, Bangladeshi is neutral to little acidic in nature. The temperature ranges from 16°C - 34°C , but the lowest temperature where these fishes can tolerate is about 13°C. These fishes are healthy even at 38°C temperature which describe that these fishes can tolerate to various different climate conditions. 

Tank mates for zebra Danios

The zebra Danios survives with other fishes in the southern Asian rivers, canals and lakes. In rivers these fishes share their livelihood with barbus clavatus, barbus chagunio, barbus satana and other barbs in the fresh water resources of southern Asia.Gouramis, Labeos , clarias magur and clarias jagur species are live together with zebra danios in their natural habitat. These variety of fishes are appears in different places in eastern and western Ghats of Indian peninsula. 

The zebra danios are smaller fishes with peaceful temperament . So it's recommended to have them with other peaceful species like the kuhli loaches, Cory catfish, neon tetra, Otocinclus and guppies in the aquarium. Avoid having zebrafish alone in the aquariums because they are shoaling fishes, so it's better to keep in collective group that favours them to live happy and healthy life. 

Food for zebra Danios

Zebra Danios are omnivorous in nature, the natural habitat of zebrafish are provided food with plants like zooplankton and phytoplankton,algae, insects and their larvae, worms like earth worm and blood worms and some small crustaceans.

In aquarium there are many choices to feed them and keep their diet well balanced. Even they are capable of taking vegetables like cucumbers, bottle guard, peas and spinach as their diet. You can also prefer with live foods like blood worms and insects, if not you can feed with dried and frozen state of worms which are available in stores.

Feed them regularly with interval of time after each diet, it's good option to have 3 - 4 times in a day with sufficient quantity of food they prefer to eat in less than 3 minutes. If the population of the fishes are high,then feed with high quantity of food. 

Breeding in zebra Danios

  

The zebra danios fishes are more comfortable to get participated during day light time. During morning time, these fishes lays 2-3 hundreds of eggs in each clutch. So it's better to keep the lightings more brighter than usual. 

The zebra danios participate in breeding process, the female fishes gives birth to their layed eggs in three months of duration. The females lays hundreds of eggs in each production, as they spawn their eggs in intervals for two to three days. 

In the absence of male fishes, the eggs stops their embryonic development(cell division). The researchable characteristic of the species comes into presence when the egg gets transparent after the fertilization. The appearance of the organs occurs within 36 hrs of fertilization.

The cell division in the embryo starts from the very next minute of the egg combine with male sperm. The organ development and evolving from the mass of the tissue starts after 16 hrs of time. The yolk above the cells help as a food source for the fish when it gets mature for few days. The fry turns into complete adult after 3 months of duration. It's better to keep these fry in a seperate tank with a safe and secure atmosphere from not being killed by other fishes in the tank. And also avoid these fry from their parents, because parents may kill their fry under any disturbance from the other species. 

If you like the content, then let us know in the comment box below.... Thank you......