Zebrafish are a species of cyprinids. They enjoy well-deserved popularity among aquarists, and this is not surprising, since they do not require special care, actively produce offspring and feel good in the aquarium. Under natural conditions, zebrafish are common in South Asia.
Features and varieties
In order to create comfortable living conditions for the fish, it is necessary to place them in an aquarium with a volume of more than 10 liters. It is best if it has an elongated shape, as the zebrafish is very mobile and requires freedom of movement. Ideally, if you put together 7-8 individuals, since the fish are schooling.
It is necessary to ensure that the water is always fresh. To do this, it will be enough to update it weekly by 15 percent.
Danio can be called omnivorous. It is necessary to monitor mainly the size of the feed, it should not be very large. In order for the fish to be able to actively reproduce, they need live food. A bloodworm or daphnia is perfect. Individuals mature, reaching the age of 5-8 months.
Danio can be bred at home. The main species that are common in our country are rerio, pink, orange fin, leopard, dangila and hopra. Consider their differences in more detail.
- A variety of rerios is also called a zebra. It has stripes of blue and yellow on the body and can grow up to 7 centimeters in length. It was on their basis that zebrafish globos that were distinguished by fluorescent glow were derived.
- Pink danios are up to 6 centimeters in size. They are able to feel comfortable in a common aquarium. Leopard ones are slightly smaller, up to 5 centimeters, and differ in a characteristic spotty color.
- Orangefin Danios take their name according to the shade of the fins.
- The smallest fish are hopra. They grow to just 3 centimeters.
- One of the largest is dangil. They can reach 10 centimeters.
Differences of varieties are manifested mainly externally. They all behave similarly and have the same needs. Therefore, you can breed such fish using the universal instruction.
How to find the difference between male and female?
Finding differences between fry is very difficult, but they become less similar with age. As for the males, their sizes are more modest than those of the opposite sex. Boys have a bright and rich color, especially in the case of fins. Girls are less slender, have a round belly.
Readiness for reproduction is considered to be the swollen abdomen of a female. During this period, pheromones are secreted, to which the male reacts. Males are also able to secrete pheromones. Combine individuals of both sexes in the same tank for 8 hours.
The maturity of zebrafish occurs at the age of 5-9 months. Females become about 2.5 centimeters long, males may be slightly smaller.
Where to spawn
In order to spawn, 2 options are proposed. The aquarist should choose the most preferred.
The first one is when the fish are kept in a common aquarium. The tank should be equipped with shelters and plants should be placed there. However, these precautions do not always save offspring from being eaten by relatives.
The exit may be spawning. It usually represents a capacity of 20 to 40 liters.
A special net is laid at the bottom, through which caviar will fall down. It is necessary to ensure that the edges of the mesh fit snugly against the walls of the aquarium - this will protect the eggs, as the fish will not be able to reach them.
You can replace the grid with spawning soil. Some aquarists also use balls with a diameter of more than a centimeter. These measures allow eggs to be lost and fry appear in the future.
Spawning Preparation Tips
Before spawning, it is necessary to place representatives of both sexes in different aquariums. It is worth watching the feed that fish use. It must be of high quality. Bloodworms or daphnia are best suited.
A significantly rounded abdomen of a female indicates that she is ready to spawn. The most comfortable conditions for this process are:
- water temperature, which in summer should be from 20 to 25, and in winter from 17 to 22 degrees;
- acidity at a level of from 6 to 7.5 pH;
- stiffness no more than 10 hD.
The fluid must be enriched with oxygen. This can be achieved by placing the plant substrate on the bottom of the aquarium. Its role can be performed, for example, by a glitter or pinnacle. After a couple of weeks, zebrafish are placed in the spawning ground. A group must be more than 5 individuals.
It will also be useful to provide shelter for females. It can be a variety of plants, ranging from long-stemmed to mosses. A fern or hornwort is quite suitable.
Spawning process
Fish that are ready to reproduce and remove eggs should be transplanted under certain conditions in order to exclude the occurrence of a stressful situation. It is necessary to turn off the light and carry out the process in the evening. Under the right conditions, spawning will begin in the morning. Sometimes you need to wait 1-2 days, during which zebrafish should not be fed. In some cases, when the process is delayed, after 2 days you can pour a little feed.
If the wait is delayed, the females are placed back into the general aquarium for a couple more weeks.
While dropping eggs, the male chases after the female. The water level should be about 10 centimeters.
How to care for caviar?
Caviar also requires some care. It must be borne in mind that it is very tender and can die as a result of exposure to infections or fungus. Therefore, safety precautions should be observed.
- The water tank should be shaded.
- Add a little finely ground erythromycin to the water or drip a couple of drops of iodine to disinfect the liquid.
- The first signs of the presence of a fungus are whitening of eggs 2-4 hours after their appearance. Such eggs must be removed with tweezers, otherwise the rest will die.
- Fluid replacement should be daily, and water should be updated 10-25 percent. Do not mix liquids of different temperatures.
How to care for fry?
The appeared larvae behave calmly for the first time. They are located on surfaces and do not move. Nutrition occurs with the help of the yolk sac, which independently resolves after 5-6 days.
This will force the fry to begin the search for food, respectively, to be active.
At first they will need liquid food. Special feeds can be purchased at the pet store. At the heart are ciliates, food is only additional food.
It should be noted that fry are able to grow very quickly. To move to a common aquarium, they must reach a length of 1.5 centimeters. After a month and a half, they grow to 24 millimeters.
Repetition of spawning
The second spawning should occur 1-1.5 weeks after the first. This is an important condition, because otherwise the caviar is capable of overriding, respectively, fry will not appear. If the female does not get rid of such caviar, she can get sick. Under natural habitats, 5-6 spawners in a row for fish of this species is the norm.
The restless behavior of the female during resettlement in the spawning grounds suggests that the eggs are unripe or overripe. An individual can rush and even hide from a male. In this case, help is needed.
Dropping overripe caviar is a very crucial moment. It is necessary to carry out all the manipulations carefully so as not to injure the female. Help is expressed in the following:
- the fish is wrapped in wet cotton wool and squeezed between the fingers;
- with the other hand, caviar is gently squeezed out of it.
Is there a difference in breeding between species?
Breeding some types of zebrafish has its own nuances. For example, pink individuals will need a separate aquarium. Wherein 2 females per one female.
Spawning in the leopard species continues for 2 months. All this time, males and females are together, remaining faithful. Gold zebrafish couples can add up for life.
Regardless of the species, it must be borne in mind that if spawning in a female begins in a common aquarium, it can be deposited in the process. Imitation of rain promotes reproduction. The main thing is to have patience, do everything as correctly and accurately as possible, then breeding zebrafish will not cause much trouble.
See how to properly breed zebrafish in the next video.
