Breeding Zebra Fish

Zebra Danios are ideal for getting started with breeding, as they are prolific breeders. They are easily recognized by their bright blue horizontal stripes and will only reach about two and a half inches when fully grown. Females are larger and plumper than the males in general. They are hardy and attractive and have loads of character. Zebras are an active and curious little fish, which dart around the tank playfully.

It is best to have a separate tank set up for breeding. A 5 gallon tank will be fine. The tank should have a two inch layer of course gravel or marbles on the bottom and only about six inches of water. Add some plants with fine leaves and maintain the temperature at about 78 degrees F.

Zebras like to spawn in schools so it is best to place a least two, preferably three sets of breeders with two males to each female in the breeding tank. This will make sure that the eggs are fertilized and encourage the spawning process. They should be conditioned with good food such as tubifex and whiteworm and fed 3 or 4 times daily. Lighting in the tank should be controlled to give a cycle of about 14 hours of light on to 10 hours off each day. Fish will usually lay their eggs within 1 -2 hours of the lights going on. The females will drop between 300 and 500 hundred eggs. Right after spawning the eggs are in danger of being eaten, so the layer of gravel or marbles on the bottom serves the purpose of allowing the eggs to fall between the crevices and stay protected from the adult fish.

Healthy fertilized eggs have a clear appearance for the first day or so and bad eggs will look white and opaque. Before hatching you may be able to see small black spots where their eyes are developing. They should hatch in 2-4 days. Don’t be alarmed as will then lay on the bottom while their swim bladders develop for about a day. Finally they will be free swimming and hungrily seeking food.

The fry are tiny and fragile at this stage. It is important to be very careful when changing water and looking after the tank. The adults should be removed at this stage. The fry will be able to survive on their egg sack for the first days and then will become hungry and can be given Infusoria – live microscopic food which can be bought at a pet store in powdered or tablet form. Another food possibility is to give the yolk of a boiled egg which has been pushed through a small mesh sieve, as a good source of protein and later some very finely crushed flakes, or fry food such as “Liqui-fry” and perhaps some microworm. Try not to overfeed and siphon out any left over food after 30 minutes to prevent it from decaying and creating bacteria which will make the baby fish ill.