Zebra Danio

What are Zebra Danios?

Zebra Danios, also known as Zebra Fish is a slender, fast moving fish often found in slow moving water ways in India, Pakistan, Nepal and surrounding countries. They are a part of the Cyprinidae family which include other common fish like minnows and barbs. Danios are small schooling fish and grow to about 5cm and have a life expectancy of 3-5 years. 

How to Set Up an Aquarium for Zebra Danios

These fish are super beginner-friendly because they tolerate a wide range of water parameters and are incredibly hardy. A school of 6 Danios will live and thrive in a small aquarium of 20 litres. They do like long tanks with stronger currents from filters to replicate their riverine habitats and lots of swimming space. They swim in the middle to top section of the fish tank, so tall plants or floaters will help make them feel more at home. Danios can live in unheated tanks but a temperature of 18-24 degrees and a pH of 6.0-8.0 is desirable. A lid for the aquarium is highly recommended to prevent them jumping out. 

Even though Zebra Danios are hardy and adaptable, it’s still crucial to maintain a stable environment. They are sensitive to ammonia spikes and poor water quality, which can lead to health issues like fin rot or stress. Regular monitoring of water temperature, pH, and ammonia/nitrite/nitrate levels is recommended for optimal health.

What do Zebra Danios Eat?

Danios are omnivores that eat most aquarium food and are not picky at all. They will eat dry foods, live foods and frozen foods, such as floating pellets, shrimp food, colour pellets, protein pellets, goldfish flakes, etc. Be careful not to overfeed, feed once a day and not more than what they can eat in 2 minutes. 

Zebra Danio Breeding Tips for Beginners

Zebra Danios are egg scattering fish that usually spawn in groups and do not breed as frequently as livebearers. Some care is required to raise the fry as adult fish tend to eat the eggs. As a result, it is recommended that you remove the adult fish once the eggs are spawned to increase the chances of the fry surviving to adulthood. Alternatively, you can set up a separate breeding tank with a breeding mat or mesh at the bottom to protect the eggs from being eaten. Once the eggs are laid, you should remove the adults from the tank to prevent predation.

For the fry, you can feed them infusoria or liquid fry food until they are large enough to eat crushed flakes or brine shrimp. It’s also important to keep the fry tank with plants like Hornwort or Java Moss, which provide cover and help create a more natural environment. Regular water changes are important to maintain a clean water quality as the fry grow.

Which plants and decorations work best for leopard danios?

Aquarium plants and floaters like Red Root Floaters and Hornwort provide great shelters and hiding places which reduce stress for Danios.  These plants not only provide a natural, safe environment but also serve as a place for spawning, allowing the fish to lay their eggs in a secure area where they can be protected. Each spawning session can produce up to 300 to 500 eggs which will be scattered across the substrate and on the plants.

Which fish are compatible with Leopard Danios?

Danios can be quite nippy and are very active, so we recommend to keep them with other active fish such as barbs, rasboras, tetras, bristlenose, corydoras, kuhli loaches and dwarf cichlids. They shouldn't be kept with long finned fish such as Bettas, sword tails or guppies.