Zebra Danio Advice.help Needed

[lilmisshertz]

Hi there,
I've recently bought some zebra danios, and they have a habit of chasing each other, Which I presume is just play, as their very active fish??
Well I think one of them is pregnant as its belly is very rounded and she just looks...well....fat!
Alot of the zebras seem to chase her alot and its pretty constant. WHat do you think I should do, if anything? I don't want her to be stressed out, and by the way they keep chasing her I think she would be,
Thanks for any advice

 

[-germ-]

Have you got any plants in your tank?
She's probably being chased because shes gravid as you've already guessed.
Normally danios'll chase the female through plants to get her to release her eggs which they can then fertilize. So it sounds like part of this.....
Do you want them to breed? If you do you need to make a spawning mop and maybe laying some large pebbles on your substrate so the eggs can fall into the crannies.

 

[ebrcknrdg]

Have you got any plants in your tank?
She's probably being chased because shes gravid as you've already guessed.
Normally danios'll chase the female through plants to get her to release her eggs which they can then fertilize. So it sounds like part of this.....
Do you want them to breed? If you do you need to make a spawning mop and maybe laying some large pebbles on your substrate so the eggs can fall into the crannies.

My danio has had this "large belly" for a few months now! Will it hurt her if she doesnt release the eggs? She/he seems to eat more than the other one so i just presumed she was more greedy!

 

[lilmisshertz]

Have you got any plants in your tank?
She's probably being chased because shes gravid as you've already guessed.
Normally danios'll chase the female through plants to get her to release her eggs which they can then fertilize. So it sounds like part of this.....
Do you want them to breed? If you do you need to make a spawning mop and maybe laying some large pebbles on your substrate so the eggs can fall into the crannies.

Yes I have plants, but seeing as I'm still researching on live plants, the plants I have are arteficial.
How do you make a spawning mop? I have a rough idea but someone who knows what they're doing is best to ask
Will quarentining them help at all? Will she still lay her eggs if I quarantined her with the one male I suspect keeps chasing her??

 

[-germ-]

Really don't know, i've never bred fish myself but i've had conflicting info;
1) Holding eggs in the stomach for too long can lead to their deterioration and eventually some form of toxic shock resulting from this, for the fish.
2) I've only heard about this mentioned in connection with danios so i'm not sure if its a general thing; that eventually the eggs can be re-absorbed by the fish.
It seems to be breeding time for danios, there is alot of members of this site with swollen danios so i'd expect the worst (or best) that she is pregnant.
But i'm sure you'll get more well-informed posts soon on this subject. Maybe try posting a similar question in the cyprinid part of this forum.
In both cases i'd add a spwaning mop or some dense plantation and see what happens....

 

[lilmisshertz]

Have you got any plants in your tank?
She's probably being chased because shes gravid as you've already guessed.
Normally danios'll chase the female through plants to get her to release her eggs which they can then fertilize. So it sounds like part of this.....
Do you want them to breed? If you do you need to make a spawning mop and maybe laying some large pebbles on your substrate so the eggs can fall into the crannies.

Yes I have plants, but seeing as I'm still researching on live plants, the plants I have are arteficial.
How do you make a spawning mop? I have a rough idea but someone who knows what they're doing is best to ask
Will quarentining them help at all? Will she still lay her eggs if I quarantined her with the one male I suspect keeps chasing her??

Also how long do they normally chase her before she finally gives in and lays her eggs?

 

[-germ-]

Yeah, if you stick them in a seperate tank with the aforementioned large substrate/pebblesit should encourage them.
Get a piece of card, wrap (lengthways) loads of undyed wool/twine around the card, then snip it off at one end and tie it off at the unsnipped end with some more wool/twine and connect it to a normal wine bottle cork. Thus making a floating mop like thingy.
Did that make sense?

 

[lilmisshertz]

Yeah, if you stick them in a seperate tank with the aforementioned large substrate/pebblesit should encourage them.
Get a piece of card, wrap (lengthways) loads of undyed wool/twine around the card, then snip it off at one end and tie it off at the unsnipped end with some more wool/twine and connect it to a normal wine bottle cork. Thus making a floating mop like thingy.
Did that make sense?

I think I got it. So its like a ball thing??? lol
Thanks for the info!

 

[-germ-]

Not a ball!
A mop...
I'll try and find a link, 2 minutes...

 

[lilmisshertz]

no i mean when you tie the two ends together your making a circle underneath and a mop thing on top.
I'm not sure I'm explaining myself clearly at all! lol

 

[-germ-]

general danio info link...
making spawning mop linl....
Good luck
Linl whats a linl, should be link!

 

[ebrcknrdg]

general danio info link...
making spawning mop linl....
Good luck
Linl whats a linl, should be link!

so let me get this right, you just float that on top of the water and wait? will the fish know what to do?

 

[-germ-]

Add a few obviously depending on your tank size, 1-2 floating, 1-2 weighted and then leave them to it.
They will however only 'do it' when the female is ripe with eggs so it may not happen immediately, get a pic and post it in cyprinids and ask if she is ready to spawn.....

 

[boyneburn]

One end of the mop should sink almost to the bottom.The best way is to remove the pair in the evening & they should spawn the next morning.You will see the male chase the female into the mop they will curl up & start to quiver & you should be able to see the eggs falling.Danios love eating their eggs,so if you want to raise the fry remove the adults as soon as spawning appears to have finished.
You should have a look on Pete Cottles website Danios & Devarios

 

[ebrcknrdg]

Add a few obviously depending on your tank size, 1-2 floating, 1-2 weighted and then leave them to it.
They will however only 'do it' when the female is ripe with eggs so it may not happen immediately, get a pic and post it in cyprinids and ask if she is ready to spawn.....

well its only a 32l so im guessing ill need 1 or 2? Will itaffect them if they are in a community tank?