It can’t be the commercial appeal of captive breeding, as these egg-layers are prolific enough in the wild and on farms and hatcheries in their native lands to prevent American captive breeders from ever breaking even in the same way that the breeders of angelfish, koi cultivars, or discus can.

pet trade for decades now.īut what makes these little fish so popular? It can’t be the low price, as we all know that hobbyists are more than willing to pay well for some of the most vivid and stunning community tropicals available. Named for their light- and dark-striped bodies, the zebra danios are native to Burma, Pakistan, India, and surrounding waterways, and have been mainstays of the U.S. Exceedingly common (and typically very inexpensive), these fish were purchased by my friend on a whim, and they would have met a slow and grisly fate had I not intervened that day. The fish that I rescued from their slow death sentence were zebra danios Danio rerio. Within 15 minutes I was walking out of his apartment with a bag of murky-green water and the tank’s four unwanted inhabitants. “And exactly why, may I ask”-I began with my hands and face still pressed against the wall of the dying little ecosystem-“would you try to kill your fish?” My friend responded that he simply didn’t want the tank anymore he was tired of the maintenance and upkeep, but he didn’t have the heart to flush or kill his fish outright. I leaned in closer and, cupping my hands over the glass, I could see several silvery flashes darting to and fro within the murk. Half-empty, with no filtration, aeration, or circulation, the tank sported nearly opaque walls slick with brown and green algae. “I’ve tried everything to kill those fish, but they just keep on living,” my friend said as he and I gazed into his aquarium. Though somewhat underrated in the aquarium hobby, a school of danios can really add some life and beauty to most setups.

Zebra 2 tropical house