How to Keep Zebrafish? Detailed Guide to Care Methods and Precautions
Zebrafish, also known as blue-striped fish, striped fish, blue zebrafish, Indian fish, and Indian zebrafish, belongs to the Cyprinidae family. It originated in India and was later introduced to Myanmar, Bangladesh, Singapore, and other places. Because of its brilliant body colors, it is deeply loved by aquarium enthusiasts. Let's take a look below at how to keep zebrafish!
Lifestyle Characteristics of Zebrafish
1. Zebrafish varieties: The zebrafish body length is 4-6 cm, with a maximum body length of up to 8 cm. The body is spindle-shaped and slightly laterally compressed. The zebrafish has a slightly pointed head and zebra-like stripes on its body, hence the name zebrafish. Its back is olive-colored, and the sides of its body are covered with multiple blue stripes from head to tail. Males have dark blue stripes alternating with lemon-colored stripes, while females have blue stripes alternating with silver-gray stripes. The iris around the zebrafish's eye socket is yellow with a reddish glow. The zebrafish's anal fin is wide and large. Corresponding to the dorsal fin, the pectoral fins are relatively small. There are about 10 or more varieties of zebrafish, including long-finned zebrafish, golden zebrafish, lightning zebrafish, and giant zebrafish. The differences among varieties mainly lie in the stripes, colors, and fins, which also differ.
2. Living habits: Zebrafish are gentle in temperament, lively and active, and suitable for mixed keeping. They are not demanding about water quality, prefer to live in water with a neutral pH, like fresh water, and are suitable for water temperatures of 22°C-30°C, with an extreme low temperature of 10°C. Among tropical fish, zebrafish are one of the species with the widest suitable temperature range, and they can survive at water temperatures between 15°C and 40°C. Zebrafish like to move and forage in the upper water layer, are not picky about bait, and can be fed various live fish foods and artificial bait. Zebrafish are beautifully colored and have low requirements for keeping conditions, so they are one of the most popular tropical fish to keep.
3. Male-female differences and breeding habits: Male zebrafish have slender bodies, large fins, a body color that tends yellow, brown-yellow anal fins, and prominent stripes; females have fuller bodies, lighter body color tending blue, pale yellow anal fins, and an obviously enlarged belly during the egg-bearing period. Zebrafish are oviparous fish, reaching sexual maturity at 4 months of age, and generally 6-month-old fish are better for breeding. The breeding cycle of zebrafish is about 10 d, and they can breed continuously many times a year, with a relatively large number of eggs laid. The eggs are non-adhesive sinking eggs.
How to Keep Zebrafish
1. Not demanding about water quality: The rearing water temperature is 20-23°C, and they can still survive at water temperatures of 11-15°C. They are not demanding about water quality, and the rearing water for zebrafish only needs to be neutral, but they prefer slightly soft water. If breeding the next generation, the water quality needs to be soft water, as soft water can increase the fertilization and hatching rates.
2. Daily aquarium keeping: During daily keeping, some pebbles can be placed at the bottom of the aquarium to help keep the water relatively clear. For the rearing tank, it is best to choose a 30M aquarium. Because zebrafish have a body length of 3-4 cm and are a relatively small ornamental fish, the specific tank size depends on the number kept. Zebrafish have quite simple feeding habits and can take in both natural and artificial foods.
3. Natural and artificial bait: Zebrafish have quite simple feeding habits. Whether natural bait or artificial compound feed, both can meet their growth needs, and zebrafish will eat them.
4. Mixed keeping with other varieties: Zebrafish are gentle in temperament and only 3-4 cm in body size, small and delicate, swimming almost nonstop in the aquarium all day. They are easy to keep and can be mixed with other small and gentle tropical fish.
5. Selection of parent fish age: Zebrafish are oviparous fish, entering sexual maturity at 4 months of age. Generally, 5-month-old fish are selected as parent fish, and the fish should also be strong and robust for better breeding.
6. High egg production in breeding: The breeding cycle of zebrafish is about 7 days, and they can breed continuously 6-7 times a year, with high egg production. Their reproductive capacity is very strong, making them the first choice for beginners keeping tropical fish.
7. Identification of male and female fish: Male and female zebrafish are not difficult to distinguish: male zebrafish have slender bodies, large fins, a body color that tends yellow, brown-yellow anal fins, and prominent stripes; females have fuller bodies, lighter body color tending blue, pale yellow anal fins, and an obviously enlarged belly during the egg-bearing period.
8. Water quality and temperature requirements: Breeding zebrafish is not difficult. The required breeding water has a pH of 6.5-7.5, a suitable breeding water hardness of 6-8, and a suitable breeding water temperature of 25-26°C.
9. They 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 plate, or spread some pebbles. During breeding, after the eggs are laid, they fall below the mesh plate or scatter into the gaps between the small pebbles. After the zebrafish parent fish finish spawning, remove the zebrafish parent fish.
10. Spawning at the bottom of the tank: Select 2-3 pairs of zebrafish parent fish and place them together in a breeding aquarium. They like to spawn at the bottom of the aquarium, and spawning generally ends from dawn to around 10 a.m. the next day.
11. What to know after spawning ends: After the zebrafish parent fish finish spawning, remove the zebrafish parent fish. Their eggs are non-adhesive 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 pipette.
12. Note on hatching water temperature: At a hatching water temperature of 24°C, fertilized eggs hatch into fry after 2-3 days; at a water temperature of 28°C, fertilized eggs hatch into fry after 36 hours. The female lays more than 300 eggs each time, up to as many as over a thousand.
13. Summary of fry rearing: The water temperature for breeding fry is about 25°C. After the fry hatch, it takes 7-8 days before the fry begin to eat. At this time, feed egg yolk fine water, and later feed small live worms.
Disease Prevention and Treatment of Zebrafish
1. Bacterial gill rot disease: In cement ponds, dibromohydantoin 0.3×10-6 can be splashed over the whole pond, and used again the next day. In aquariums, special aquarium medications can be used.
2. Trichodiniasis: Infected fish often rub their bodies against the substrate sand or jump sharply. When the pathogen parasitizes the body surface, the fish body secretes cloudy white mucus; when it parasitizes the gills, it secretes large amounts of mucus and causes difficulty breathing. Trichodina usually comes from eating raw bait carrying pathogenic sources. Therefore, if feeding red worms, they must be disinfected and cleaned before feeding. Copper sulfate combined with ferrous sulfate at 0.5 mg/L can be splashed over the whole pond, and the next day 0.3 mg/L chlorine dioxide can be splashed. In aquariums, special aquarium medications can be used.
3. White spot disease: A fish disease caused by Ichthyophthirius multifiliis. At first there are only one or two spots, but soon it spreads, and in severe cases the whole body is covered with small white spots as large as salt grains. Sick fish will keep rubbing their bodies against the substrate sand or stones, trying to scrape off the white spot parasites attached to their bodies. This disease is contagious. The main causes of white spot disease are water temperature changes (drops) that are too large, combined with poor water quality and the presence of pathogens. The temperature can be raised to 30°C or higher, and special aquarium medications (such as white spot cure) should be used appropriately.