Long finned zebra danios

[Tempestuousfury]

I'm not sure exactly where the danios threads should be placed, so I thought this'd be the best place.
I want to add some long-finned zebra danios to my 50 gallon. I've got 7 normal-finned zebra danios in there and I want to know if long-finned danios can school w/ short-finned ones w/o being torn to shreds by the others.

Do their fins slow them down? Will they be constantly harrassed by the others? Even though they should be in groups of 6+, would it be ok if I place 2-4 long-finned danios into the tank?

 

[philby4000]

i don't see why not

they should be fine.

 

[Lateral Line]

The long fins are a man made "enhancement". They cause them to swim un - naturally and slowly, they will not be able to school with the normal ones, because they will not be able to keep up with them. As you have noticed, Zebras will take little nips at each other as they chase each other about, the long finned ones will attract more attention, thus I can see them being bullied.

That is conjecture however, I can't say for definite, I would never have any of the artificial "long finned" anythings in my tanks.

 

[Tempestuousfury]

Do you think I should add 2 to see? I ask b/c that'd be cruel, but I'd remove them at the first sign of aggression...

 

[Auratus]

I have two long finned zebra, two short finned and one long finned gold. All school together. The long finned are just as fast and once their tails and fins grow in they are beautiful, they still have the stripes on them and everything. My gold I got from wal-mart and had nipped fins and barely and tail left. Now everything has grown in beautifully and he became a she. I don't know why lateral would say that. They are just as fast and do not get nipped at all. Bertha, my biggest female who I've had for almost 2 years hasn't even nipped at them and she is huge.

 

[Tempestuousfury]

How can you tell the gender? I read that the females are bigger and bloated (they're never pregnant, I don't know why I said that) and that they are silver with black stripes. Can you tell me how to tell the difference?

 

[MAM]

The long fins are a man made "enhancement".

are they really? are all "long-finned" varieties (for example, tetras)? they were bred for the longer finned trait i assume...................

 

[Auratus]

Well, danios don't get pregnant. They lay eggs. When the female is mature and has good food and water she will puff up like a balloon. She gets super fat. Males look very slender compaired to females. In the stores you can't really tell because they don't have good color and aren't mature. Males have more of a golden stripe and females are more silver but I can't tell the difference, I don't think many people can! Just wait, and if it gets fat then it's a she! You don't have to have a certain amount of males or females because they don't fight. Here is a picture of a male and female. You can clearly tell the difference! Long finned males will breed with short finned females and visa versa, it doesn't matter!

Long finned

 

[juliethegr8t]

Just to put in my two cents - I have 2 short finned Zebra Danios, and 4 long finned. I also have found no difference between the two as far as speed, etc. They all get along wonderfully. In fact, 2 of the long finned actually have VERY long fins - much longer then what I usually see in the store, and they get long fine too! The only problem is if you have anything dangerous to long finned fish in your aquarium. Two of mine got their fins ripped (not nipped!) when I put in a new plastic plant that turned out to be dangerous. Treat them like you would a betta when choosing decorations.

Also - an interesting fact, if you have some of both, and they interbreed (which they will!), you'll get long finned babies if one of the parents is. All of the fry currently growing up for me are long finned - CUTE little buggers.

 

[ryan]

i hav a long finned dainio great lil guy

 

[Lateral Line]

>>>
are they really? are all "long-finned" varieties (for example, tetras)? they were bred for the longer finned trait i assume...................
<<<

Yes, MAM, the long finned varieties are not natural, they have been line bred to be aesthetically pleasing to some people, and encumbered by excess baggage. As I said, there is no way I'd ever have any of them in my tanks.

 

[Auratus]

line bred to be aesthetically pleasing to some people, and encumbered by excess baggage.

You shoudn't say that they are "encumbered" if you have never had them before. Their long fins don't disable them in any way. They act the same as any zebra danio.

Also, I'm sure at least one fish you have has been inbreed or modified by humans in some way. Saying you wouldn't have them in your tanks make it sound like you don't have any fish that has been messed with by man, when almost all fish have been "messed with" in some way.

 

[Lateral Line]

>>> if you have never had them before

I don't need to have owned them to have seen them, and common sense would tell you that fish not designed to have long fins would experience additional hydraulic drag from them - they therefore will have to work harder to swim - simple physics. They are, therefore, encumbered.

>>> when almost all fish have been "messed with" in some way.

That is not true. There are vast numbers of captive bred fish on the market that look just like their wild counterparts. The only point I would agree with is that a lot of captive breeders do not have a great genetic diversity in their breeding stock, and the resulting fish are often somewhat weaker - however, you can get good quality fish if you are observant and patient.

I keep mostly cyprinids. Apart from the long finned varieties, albinos, and hyper/hypo melanics, there are very few "mucked about with" examples. Since I do not keep any of the mucked about with versions, you aere correct in saying...

>>> make it sound like you don't have any fish that has been messed with by man,

 

[FanOFish]

Man it's getting hard for people to ask questions in this forum without someone throwing out their personal feelings about altered fish. The question, if anyone cares was.

I want to add some long-finned zebra danios to my 50 gallon. I've got 7 normal-finned zebra danios in there and I want to know if long-finned danios can school w/ short-finned ones w/o being torn to shreds by the others.


Lateral your emotional response was..

The long fins are a man made "enhancement". They cause them to swim un - naturally and slowly, they will not be able to school with the normal ones, because they will not be able to keep up with them.

Auratus based on personal experience said:

I have two long finned zebra, two short finned and one long finned gold. All school together. The long finned are just as fast and once their tails and fins grow in they are beautiful, they still have the stripes on them and everything

Julie based on personal experience said:

Just to put in my two cents - I have 2 short finned Zebra Danios, and 4 long finned. I also have found no difference between the two as far as speed, etc. They all get along wonderfully. In fact, 2 of the long finned actually have VERY long fins - much longer then what I usually see in the store, and they get long fine too!


So...Tempestuousfury.....you seem to have contradictory information here. You must decide whether to go with an experts opinion or two members with personal experience with exactly what you want to do....the beauty of a free world is that you can make your own decision.

 

[Lateral Line]

>>> Lateral your emotional response was..

My response was not emotional, it was based on simple obsevable physics - fluid dynamics in this case.

If you took an aircraft and stuck massive great wings and fins all over it without improving the engines, would you still expect it to fly as well? How about a car? Or a boat, or a submarine? Of course it won't work as well, it is suffering from an increase in drag either aero dynamic or fluid dynamic. The beauty of science is that you can make statements like this as a statement of fact not as an emotional outburst - that is the whole point.

>>> the beauty of a free world is that you can make your own decision.

That beauty also includes my right to state my position does it not? The question was asked to the forum as a whole, not just the people who may agree with you, is that not the case? Surely one of the reasons we have forums at all is so that people get to hear more than one point of view?