How do red zebra fish breed? Detailed method and steps

The red zebra fish is bright red all over its body, with several light pink stripes running from head to tail along its flanks, making it highly ornamental. So how do red zebra fish breed?

1. How red zebra fish breed

The red zebra fish's breeding method is oviparous, with the embryo developing outside the body and being completely transparent. One day of embryonic development is equivalent to 21 days of a human embryo developing inside the mother's body.

2. Notes on artificial breeding of red zebra fish

1. Identifying male and female fish

Male and female zebra fish are not hard to distinguish: the male zebra fish has a slender body, large fins, a body color leaning yellow, a brownish-yellow anal fin, and prominent stripes; the female fish has a relatively plump body, a lighter body color leaning blue, a pale yellow anal fin, and an obviously swollen belly during the egg-bearing period.

2. Water quality and temperature requirements

Zebra fish are not difficult to breed. The breeding water is required to have a pH of 6.5-7.5, a hardness suitable for breeding of 6-8, and a breeding water temperature of 25-26°C.

3. Eggs scatter immediately after being laid

On the bottom of a square tank measuring 25 cm x 25 cm x 25 cm, lay a layer of nylon mesh, or spread some pebbles; during breeding, the eggs fall below the mesh or scatter into the gaps between the small pebbles immediately after being laid.

4. Laying eggs at the bottom of the tank

Select 2~3 pairs of parent zebra fish and place them into the breeding aquarium at the same time. They like to lay eggs at the bottom of the aquarium, and egg laying generally ends from dawn to around 10 a.m. the next day.

5. What to know after egg laying ends

After the parent zebra fish finish laying eggs, remove the parent zebra fish. Their eggs are not sticky and fall directly to the bottom of the tank; by around 10 p.m., unfertilized eggs turn white and can be sucked out with a dropper.

6. Note the hatching water temperature

At a hatching water temperature of 24°C, the fertilized eggs hatch into fry after 2~3 days; at a water temperature of 28°C, the fertilized eggs hatch into fry after 36 hours. The female fish lays more than 300 eggs each time, up to as many as a thousand.

7. Summary of fry rearing

The water temperature for breeding fry is about 25°C. Only 7~8 days after the fry hatch do they begin to feed; at this time feed them egg yolk powder and infusoria water, and later feed them small water fleas.

The red zebra fish has a lively and gentle temperament and can be kept alone or mixed with other small fish. It is one of the most popular tropical fish for people to keep.