One of the most active fish in freshwater aquariums are zebra danios. These guys will spend countless hours zipping around your aquarium never slowing down. Zebra danios are some of the easiest fish to kept and are highly recommended for beginners. Here is a quick overview of their care.
Scientific Name: Danio rerio
Origin: Eastern India
Life Span: 5 years
Water Parameters: Requires pH of 6.5 to 7.0 and water temperature at 64 to 75 degrees F.
Zebra danios are a must have for any beginner to the freshwater hobby due to their versatility and hardiness. They only require 5 gallons as a minimum tank size and do not require any specific water parameters. Zebra danios do require adequate swimming space near the top of the aquarium.
Being omnivores, zebra danios eat a variety of meaty and vegetable based foods. A complete fish flake or pellet food with the occasional mysid or fresh vegetable treat would be perfect for any hungry danio.
Breeding zebra danios in the home aquaria is possible and commonly occurs. Males and females mate for life and spawn at temperatures of 78 degrees F, easily producing 500 to 800 eggs. The adults will eat their eggs, so a gravl or course substrate is required.
Zebra danios, in my experience, prefer to be in large groups but can survive in an aquarium with only three in a group. The come in a variety of types: albino, long-finned, short-finned, and the more popular glofish variety that glows under a black light. A great plus about the glofish zebra danio is that they are not dyed, but are genetically engineered to glow.
I would recommend any beginner that is looking for a highly active fish for their first aquarium to purchase zebra danios due to their easy care requirements and their level of activity.
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