Almost every more or less experienced aquarist knows about zebrafish. But its distant relative, the Malabar danio, is much less known. And it’s completely in vain - this is a rather simple fish to breed and keep, which can decorate the aquarium not only of an experienced aquarist, but also of a beginner who is just taking the first steps in this amazing hobby.
Appearance
In size, the Malabar zebrafish is much larger than most of its relatives - in the wild, the most outstanding specimens grow up to 15 centimeters! Of course, in aquariums they are smaller, but still many fish grow up to 10 centimeters.
The color palette is quite rich - there are individuals of green and blue colors, as well as various shades. Most of the body is silver and in the middle of the sides are graceful horizontal stripes of the colors listed above. Sometimes the stripes are even, stretching almost from the tail to the gills. In other specimens, they are intermittent, more like a string of colored dots.
The fins are usually transparent or withbarely noticeable grayish tint.
Habitat
In the wild, the Malabar zebrafish is found in India, as well as in adjacent countries - Bangladesh and Pakistan. These fish inhabit rivers with a weak and medium current. They usually live in large flocks - it is easier to avoid the teeth of predators.
Prefer areas near the coast, overgrown with algae. They stay in the upper layer of the water, grabbing small insects that fall to the surface.
How to tell a male from a female?
To determine exactly where the male is and where the female is, you either need to be an experienced aquarist who has been breeding Malabar zebrafish for more than one year, or have several individuals in front of your eyes so that you can compare them with each other. Yes, there are no such striking differences as some other fish.
Usually males are more slender, while females have large tummies. In addition, males can boast of bright colors. If the tail fin is not transparent, but pink or even reddish, most likely you are dealing with a male.
According to some experts, another difference is the location of the stripes. In males, they run exactly in the middle of the body, while in females they are usually shifted upwards.
Optimal conditions of containment
Talking about the content of the Malabar zebrafish, first of all it is worth noting their activity. Fish love to swim. Do not even swim, but rather rush around the aquarium. Therefore, the volume should be sufficient - at least 120-140 liters. True, such a capacity is enough for quite abig flock. From above it is desirable to cover it with a lid. Otherwise, the enraged fish may well jump out of the aquarium and fall to the floor.
It is advisable to buy not one or two pairs, but eight or ten fish at once. It is in such flocks that they most often keep in wildlife. Therefore, this will provide them with the greatest comfort, which means that the fish will live long and have a great mood.
And even more so, you should not populate one pair in an aquarium where other fish already live. In this case, nimble zebrafish will force the rest to join in their endless game of catching up. This may well lead to stress, illness, and even death of less mobile individuals. But when danios live in a flock, they usually spend all their free time from eating and sleeping in games, chasing each other and at the same time seem to not notice their neighbors.
If the aquarium is equipped with a filter - generally great. Turn it on at medium power to create a kind of flow. And the zebrafish will simply be delighted with such an addition, frolicking and swimming in jets of water.
Part of the volume near the walls (about a quarter in total) is desirable to plant with dense algae with small leaves. Elodea can be a good choice. In the free space, you can lay a snag, an underwater castle or other decorations. The main thing is not to over-clutter the aquarium: there should be enough space for swimming.
It is better to choose a fine and dark soil - against such a background, the fish look especially impressive.
Optimal water temperature -about 21-25 degrees Celsius. You also need to regularly change the water in the aquarium - about 20% per week.
Suitable diet
In general, the Malabar zebrafish, the photo of which you see in the article, is a rather unpretentious fish. She can eat one dry food for a long time - gammarus or daphnia will do. But, of course, it is advisable to spoil them with live or frozen food at least two or three times a week.
When choosing a diet, preference should be given to feed that stays on the surface of the water for a long time. After all, the Malabar zebrafish mainly inhabits the upper third of the volume of the aquarium. Feed falling down usually does not attract them and may well spoil as a result.
Breeding rules
Malabar zebrafish are ready for breeding at the age of 8-12 months. In general, the procedure itself is quite simple, but you still need to prepare for it.
Spawning must be properly prepared. A round aquarium is best suited for this. If there is no such tank at hand, then you can take a regular one and, pouring fine washed sand on the bottom, make a noticeable slope to the center of the aquarium. Here it is also worth planting several bushes of algae - elodea, hornwort or others, just as dense.
It is better to plant three fish - two males and one female. The latter should have a pronounced belly - a sure sign that the fish is ready to spawn.
Before breeding, they are planted in different aquariums onone week. All this time it is desirable to feed them with live food. Then the fish are put into the spawning grounds, where they start laying eggs and fertilizing them in a matter of hours.
Falling to the ground, the eggs will roll to the center, under the protection of dense algae. This is very important - if the right conditions are not provided, parents may well feast on their own future cubs.
After spawning (the female lays from 50 to 400 eggs at a time - depending on age and size), adult fish should be returned to the aquarium.
Fry hatch in 3-4 days. After another 5-7 days, they begin to feed. Live dust or ciliates can become the best food. Over time, you can switch to Cyclops, and then to dry food. Of course, it will have to be crushed especially carefully so that the young can eat it normally.
Choose neighbors
As already mentioned, the Malabar zebrafish is a very active and mobile fish. But still quite peaceful. Therefore, it is advisable to choose the same neighbors - not aggressive, but not shy, who love to swim constantly.
Because they live mostly in the upper part of the aquarium, the best neighbors will be fish that prefer to stay at the bottom of the tank. Then, as a result of a kind of "stratification", they will not interfere with each other. And the food that the Malabar zebrafish does not have time to eat will not disappear - the bottom dwellers will enjoy it with pleasure. This means that the water will spoil less.
But the neighbors shouldn't be too small either. Otherwise, they can become dinner for the big ones.companions - the habit of zebrafish to eat anything smaller than them can be a serious problem for the aquarist.
Thorns, congos, ornatus and diamond tetras are good choices.
Conclusion
This concludes our article. Now you know more about the Malabar zebrafish. Maintaining and caring for them will certainly not cause unnecessary trouble even for a novice aquarist. And the beauty of these fish will make your home even more comfortable.
