Danio rerio: description and maintenance of fish

Aquarium fish is a great way not only to satisfy the need for a living creature at home, but also the opportunity to decorate the interior. There are a lot of fish species, zebrafish are very popular. This breed is distinguished by activity, mobility. Its size is small, and the color is unusual. These fish have been bred for a very long time, and their demand is not declining. This option is suitable for those who are just starting to breed fish and take their first steps in this direction. The content of this breed does not require serious efforts.

The birthplace of aquarium fish zebrafish - Asian waters near Hindustan. They belong to the carp family. In nature, they live in different bodies of water: rivers, streams with a mild course. This fish is small, its size is only about 5 cm. The compact size, beautiful color and energy, unpretentiousness attract the attention of aquarium lovers. This schooling herd, in nature and captivity, exists in groups. Solitary content does not suit her. Lives from 3 to 5 years.

The nature of this breed of fish is frisky, positive, cheerful. They will decorate any water landscape at home. Beautiful appearance has the following features:

• the main background of the color is most often light, yellowish;
• blue stripes are located along the whole body;
• body of elongated type;
• The ornament adorns the fins and tail.

Breeding work allows amateurs and professionals to regularly receive more and more new varieties, breeds and hybrids. You can find fish with a leopard color, with an enlarged tail and fins.

• Leopard fish have a 5-centimeter elongated body type with 2 mustaches. Color varies from faded yellow to rich golden. Against this background, remarkable spots of dark color. The tail and fins of the leopard zebrafish are striped. The male is somewhat brighter than the female.

• Another Variety - Bengal Danioswhich differ in larger sizes. Dorsal fins are very long. The fishes have a completely different color: a lime background with mother of pearl. Yellowish and blue stripes are located on the back and tail.

• Danio tinvini have an even more original color. This is one of the most catchy and spectacular varieties: the background is blue with silver, and on the body and fins are rings of gold color.

• Small colored fish microparsing Galaxy They are also very expressive and conspicuous. They have features: the main color of the back is bluish, on the sides and on the back - saturated yellow spots. The tail, belly and fins are decorated with stripes of orange hue.

• Veil zebrafish different spectacular large fins, beautiful transparent tail. The color scheme is different, the veil pink zebrafish is considered the most expressive.

Before you start a zebrafish, you should study their ability to coexist with other fish. This species coexists perfectly with all non-aggressive rocks, calmly reacting to the neighborhood. However, not all fish are suitable, as the requirements for water parameters and conditions may vary.

Danio rerio can be hooked to many species of fish.

• Guppy. Almost perfect neighborhood, as the conditions for these fish are similar. Both species are peaceful and look organically.
• Cockerels. Another calm variety that is not aggressive towards neighbors. Do not hook on the veils of the veil danios, otherwise they can be pinched. But the classic variety is well suited for a tandem both in character and in appearance.
• Neons Suitable for a joint stay: they have the same water requirements. There are no restrictions in combination.
• Angelfish. This neighborhood will be successful if the fish grow together. Small fish are not hooked to the scalar; they can eat zebrafish.
• Lyalius. This harmonious combination of 2 calm, peaceful species of fish.
• Speckled catfish. They dwell at the bottom, calmly endure any neighborhood due to their peaceful nature. In addition, flocks of zebrafish swim at the top and practically do not intersect with them.
• Soma ancistruses. The extremely phlegmatic nature of these fish allows for almost any non-aggressive neighborhood.
• Mollinesia. A very common species of fish with a peaceful disposition. The content parameters of these fish and zebrafish are identical.
• Swordsmen. Despite the larger size, these fish are very calm about their neighbors. The main thing is that there should be enough space for everyone.
• Shrimp, snails. Absolutely safe neighborhood. Any, even the smallest shrimp in excellent contact with zebrafish.
• Pecilia. Good compatibility, as this fish is very calm, if not disturbed.
• Cardinals. Similar in temperament, belong to the pack. Getting along well with zebrafish.
• Wedge-shaped strips. Another flocking species with a peaceful disposition. In addition, this species floats below, its upper neighbors do not disturb.

However, there are species of fish with which the neighborhood is impossible.

• Barbus - very aggressive fish. In addition, the water parameters are excellent for her.
• Terence. He likes to attack (and does it with pleasure) against everyone who comes across. The biggest irritant is the veil tail or fin.
• Macropod. Very fast fish, pushes neighbors during movement and can kill by pushing against the wall.
• Cichlid - a large fish that eats everyone who is smaller.
• Gold fish. This mutually risky neighborhood, as large individuals can eat zebrafish, and a flock of the latter can injure goldfish with rapid movement.
• Coldwater. The problem is different content requirements.
• Teteradon - aggressive fish. They love to attack and eat prey.

In addition to the correct selection of the neighborhood for zebrafish, it is necessary to take into account other features of the content that can provoke aggression even in calm species:

• lack of space, crowding;
• lack of the proper number of representatives in the pack.

These problems are solvable. In the first situation, you need to choose a larger aquarium. For 6 individuals, about 30 liters are needed. In the second situation, simply increase the number of zebrafish. The minimum number of schools is 6; if there are fewer, then the mental state of the fish may be impaired.

This type of fish will not cause difficulties even for inexperienced aquarists. Danios are unpretentious, non-aggressive, and therefore do not cause problems. It is necessary to populate the zebrafish schools, in which there should be 1 male. Take care of the sufficient volume of the aquarium and the amount of water. It is better if the capacity is high, since this species of fish likes to swim near the surface and does it very actively.

Water temperature is an important condition for zebrafish. It should be without differences. The maximum range of temperature fluctuations is from 17 to 25 ° C. Water is changed at least by ⅓ daily. Otherwise, the water will quickly become contaminated, and this will negatively affect the health of zebrafish. Dirty water can kill fish.

Dry types of food are suitable for feeding zebrafish, but it is necessary to periodically include additives in the diet, since diversity positively affects appetite and development. You can include in the diet:

• frozen larvae;
• pipe makers;
• greens;
• bloodworm, previously chopped;
• Daphnia in powder form.

When choosing food, buy one which does not fall from the surface of the water, since the zebrafish do not dive deeply for food.

The fry need a starting feed of a living type, although analogues can be dispensed with. Boiled yolk is great for starting.

Sexual signs of zebrafish are weakly expressed, therefore, it is difficult to distinguish a male from a female, they have a lot of similarities. Several distinguishing features may be considered.

• Sizes. Females are denser in the area of ​​the belly, somewhat larger than males. The latter are lean, arrow-shaped, 0.5 cm shorter than the females. This trait is relevant only when evaluating adults. Young growth is visually indistinguishable for a layperson.
• Colors. More precisely, its brightness. More catchy colors in males, stripes they have more juicy shades. The color of the females is monotonous and restrained, as they have a need to hide during spawning.
• Behavior. The character of males is more dynamic, they are more mobile, more speedy. Females are slower and calmer.
• Anal fin. This is an additional method for determining sex. Females have a rounder anal fin; in males it is smaller and pointed. However, this difference is very arbitrary, since it is not always pronounced.

Breeding zebrafish is not difficult, as spawning is quite active even in an aquarium. The main thing is to follow the basic rules of the conditions of detention: maintain the optimum temperature in the region of 20–23 ° С, feed well, and often change water.

Before spawning, it is necessary to separate the fish by sex, to feed the bloodworm in a quality manner. At the bottom of the spawning ground (this can be a regular glass jar with a convex bottom), a gloss, moss is laid out. They are crushed by stones. Water flows in at a level of up to 10 cm, which insists for about a week. Then, in the evening, a female and 2 males are planted in the spawning ground. Usually, spawning begins by morning. You can leave the fish for another day if spawning has not occurred.

After the eggs are released, the fish are removed from the spawning grounds. After a few days, the larvae will hatch and need to be fed with infusoria. After another 3 days, the larvae are placed in an overall container, where they are fed with cyclops before transformation into fry.

See below for how to keep and breed zebrafish.