It is generally agreed that breeding zebra fish is relatively easy to do.
The zebra Danio is a schooling fish and needs to be kept in groups of at least five or six.
They are very lively and playful and generate quite a lot of energy in a community tank, often schooling together and then darting off separately.
Suitable tank mates for the Danio are similar peaceful fish of about the same size including corydoras and tetras.
Zebra Danios are sometimes used as dither fish in aquariums because they are so active and always moving around the tank.
The purpose of a dither fish is to help calm shy and edgy fish that may be wary and tend to hide away.
The idea being that the scared fish will notice that the Danios are out swimming around happily and may grow more relaxed and at ease in their environment.
They get the name from the five horizontal, dark blue stripes on the side of their body extending to the end of the caudal fin.
Males are differentiated from females as they have gold stripes between the blue ones while females have silver stripes and are also larger in the belly area.
The long finned variety are particularly attractive.
A very unique and fascinating feature of the species is that the zebra Danio male will usually spawn with, and remain loyal to, the one female.
A breeding pair are best put into a separate breeding tank containing fine leaf plants for spawning, and a layer of marbles placed across the bottom.
The female should be added a couple of days before the male to let her settle down.
Then after the male is added sometimes putting in a few cups of cold water to the tank may induce the spawning.
Approximately 300 - 400 eggs are produced and are then fertilized by the male.
The eggs then float down to rest between the marbles on the floor of the tank, where they are safe until hatching.
The parents can then be removed back to the regular tank.
A sponge filter should be added to the spawning tank and the eggs will hatch in a day or two.
When the fry become free swimming in about another day or two they will need to be fed plenty of food and to be fed often.
Live infusoria, liquid fry, and the crushed yolk of a hard boiled egg are all excellent for them.
When they are larger the fry can have newly hatched brine shrimp.