Danio Kerra

2023 Author: Molly Page | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-11-27 22:49

Danio Kerra, or blue zebrafish, or turquoise zebrafish, or Thai zebrafish is an active, schooling and peaceful fish native to Asia. Due to its unpretentiousness, it is considered one of the best fish for beginners. Has a fairly attractive color. Takes any feed. It gets along well with fish who like bright lighting. For a pair of 6 fish, an aquarium from 30 liters is suitable. In amateurs, it is not as common as other types of zebrafish. Reproduces easily.

Photo © K. Arendt

Etymology: the generic name "danio" comes from the Bengali dhani - meaning "in the rice field." The specific name "kerri" is given in honor of Dr. AFD Kerr (1877-1942), an Irish doctor and botanist, who first found this fish on about. Ko Yao Yai (Thailand) in 1929.

Related article Danio dangila

Habitat: Asia - Thailand, Malaysia, Burma.

Habitat: island forest streams and rivers, characterized by very clean water and rocky substrate. Danio Kerra adheres to quieter areas and marginal areas (border strip between two different habitats).

Description: the body is elongated, translucent. A pair of long mustaches. There are about 30 scales in the lateral line.

Color: the main background is gray-blue with a golden tint. Two golden stripes stretch from head to tail. The fins are transparent with a green or yellow tint. Eyes with gold trim. Depending on the region of origin, the color varies from blue to yellowish shades.

Size: up to 4-5 cm.

Life expectancy: 3-4 years.

Aquarium:

general or specific, oblong, tightly closed from above with a lid.

Dimensions: each fish requires at least 6 liters of water. For a flock, an aquarium of 30-60 liters, 60-80 cm long and no more than 30-40 cm high, is suitable.

Water: pH 6.5-7.5 dH to 5-12 °, aeration, good filtration, weak flow. Weekly water changes up to 30-50%. Loves clean, settled, oxygen-rich water.

Temperature: 22-26 ° C.

Lighting: bright.

Substrate: gravel or small dark colored stone.

Plants: Hardy plants planted on the sides and along the back of the aquarium.

Decoration: driftwood, roots, large boulders, grottoes and other decor, a lot of free space is required for swimming.

Feeding: in nature - omnivorous, feeds on small insects and their larvae, various organic debris. In aquariums, it willingly eats medium-sized live, frozen ("Neon Cyclops") feed and their substitutes with herbal supplements. Adult fish are fed 2-3 times a day in small portions. The blue zebrafish is prone to overeating, so once a week the fish are given a fasting day.

Behavior: zebrafish Kerra is an active schooling fish that does well in groups of 6-10 or more tails. When kept in pairs or alone, fish become shy, constantly stressed and start to hurt.

Personality: peaceful, timid.

Water zone: middle and upper water layer.

May be kept with: Peaceful proportionate fish (other types of zebrafish and brachydanios, tetras, gourami, scalars, discus, guppies, mollies, swordtails, rasbora, char, plekostomus).

Not to be kept with: large, aggressive fish.

Fish breeding: nesting spawning (2 males and 1 female). Producers are seated for 7-15 days and fed abundantly with live food. Spawning aquarium volume from 35 l. (depending on the number of fish), water level 10-15 cm, aeration, filtration (using an air-lift filter with a sponge). A separator mesh and several bushes of small-leaved plants (for example, Javanese moss, fontinalissa, pinnate) are placed on the bottom. Water parameters: T 25-28 ° С, pH 6.5-7, dH about 6 °. The water must be settled for at least a week. Spawning can also be triggered by adding cooler water than in the aquarium (every 2-3 hours) and at the same time feeding a large amount of live food, or at the same time adding 50-60% cold water. Fish are planted in the spawning grounds in the evening, and in the morning (with the first rays of the sun) spawning usually begins.

Sex differences: males are smaller and slimmer than females, colored brighter.

Puberty: begins at the age of 4-6 months.

Number of caviar: up to 200 eggs.

Incubation period: 2-4 days depending on the water temperature.

Offspring: fry swim for 3-4 days. Juveniles are very sensitive to pollution, so every day they change up to 10% of water and siphon the soil a couple of times a week.

Growth rate: with an abundance of feed - fast.

Feeding juveniles: starting food - "live dust", ciliates, rotifers, then - nauplii of Artemia and Cyclops.

Jigging from parents: after spawning, producers are jigged.

Related article Danio rerio

Comments: Kerra zebrafish can interbreed with other zebrafish species, but all offspring will be sterile.

The species is prone to diseases such as bulging and trichodinosis.