Zebra Danios

[FishLover990]

Is there any survival rate or percentage that zebra danio fry born in a community tank will survive?

 

[fluttermoth]

Depends on what fish you have. The danios themselves are usually quite good at not eating their own eggs or fry, but the other fish might well finish them off, unless you have a lot of cover in the tank.

 

[FishLover990]

Depends on what fish you have. The danios themselves are usually quite good at not eating their own eggs or fry, but the other fish might well finish them off, unless you have a lot of cover in the tank.

I have a female veiltail beta and she's usually good about staying on her half of the tank. She's got her spot on the side near the filter. I have two albino Cory cats that seem to either sit still or go crazy in the middle of the tank. Two ghost shrimp that are sorta inactive and and two ADF that just sit still all day. The way I have the gravel laid the eggs might fall between there but I'm afraid they'll all be eaten once they hatch.

 

[Demeter32]

The corries and shrimp will find most eggs that fall among the rocks. The betta, danios and filter (unless it's a sponge) will finish off any fry that hatch. I say there is next to no chance of fry surviving in that setup.

I've spawned and raised zebras and I've noticed that once the eggs are scattered in the water all the other danios, parents included, eat any eggs they can before they sink to the bottom. Your best bet is to move a pair to a separate tank with a thin layer of gravel and let them spawn. You will need a sponge filter and heater though. Micro worms are also a must IMO for fry.

 

[FishLover990]

The corries and shrimp will find most eggs that fall among the rocks. The betta, danios and filter (unless it's a sponge) will finish off any fry that hatch. I say there is next to no chance of fry surviving in that setup.

I've spawned and raised zebras and I've noticed that once the eggs are scattered in the water all the other danios, parents included, eat any eggs they can before they sink to the bottom. Your best bet is to move a pair to a separate tank with a thin layer of gravel and let them spawn. You will need a sponge filter and heater though. Micro worms are also a must IMO for fry.

So can the pair be moved to a small bowl or breeding Tank or do the eggs have to be in a large tank?

 

[Byron]

When spawning fish like characins, cyprinids (zebra danio are cyprinids) and similar that scatter their eggs, you will have the most success if you move the spawning male/female to a "spawning" tank. Once they have finished spawning, the two fish are removed and the eggs hatch in the spawning tank. The fry will hatch and begin to develop in this tank [this is important because the water parameters/conditions will be the same from egg through to young fry], but at some point will have to be moved into multiple or larger tanks, depending upon the size of the spawning tank. Without adequate space, and this is primarily a matter of water conditions at this stage, the fry cannot develop properly externally or internally, and this is important from the stage at which they become free swimming.

Adding some dried leaves (oak, beech, maple, Indian almond) will provide infusoria, the first food for fry, and studies have shown that fry raised with dried leaves develop faster.

Edit. Forgot to mention about the spawning mops or plants; the fish spawn above this so the eggs fall down among the plants/mop and can't get eaten. Thick bunches of Java Moss are ideal for this. I have fish in my larger tanks which happen to have clumps of Java Moss growing on chunks of wood, and fry regularly appear, just a couple, but it shows that a few of the eggs get "protected" and if not eaten, usually hatch and fry can feed off of the microscopic food among the Java Moss and on the wood.

 

[FishLover990]

When spawning fish like characins, cyprinids (zebra danio are cyprinids) and similar that scatter their eggs, you will have the most success if you move the spawning male/female to a "spawning" tank. Once they have finished spawning, the two fish are removed and the eggs hatch in the spawning tank. The fry will hatch and begin to develop in this tank [this is important because the water parameters/conditions will be the same from egg through to young fry], but at some point will have to be moved into multiple or larger tanks, depending upon the size of the spawning tank. Without adequate space, and this is primarily a matter of water conditions at this stage, the fry cannot develop properly externally or internally, and this is important from the stage at which they become free swimming.

Adding some dried leaves (oak, beech, maple, Indian almond) will provide infusoria, the first food for fry, and studies have shown that fry raised with dried leaves develop faster.

What's the smallest size tank the spawning pair can be put into?

 

[Byron]

What's the smallest size tank the spawning pair can be put into?

I have never deliberately spawned this species, but If I were to try I would probably use a 10g tank. I suppose a 5 gallon could work. You have t keep your eyes on what is occurring, as the parents will eat any eggs they can get as soon as they have finished spawning, so the more space the better. And as I mentioned previously, the more space, the better the fry will initially develop before you have to move them.