Zebra Danios are non-aggressive species that every beginner wants to add to their home aquarium. But before adding zebra danios to your community tank, you must know about the fish’s natural behavior. So, are zebra danios aggressive? Let us discuss below:
Zebra Danios are non-aggressive species that prefer the company of other tankmates. However, zebra danios can turn aggressive in an overcrowded tank or due to insufficient food. Provide ample space in the tank, pair them with suitable tankmates, and avoid underfeeding to prevent aggression.
The article below will discuss aggression in zebra danios and the actions you should take to prevent it. In addition, we will also discuss the natural behavior of zebra danios.
Contents
Zebra Danios natural behavior
- Zebra Danios are non-aggressive species that prefer to interact with their tankmates.
- Zebra Danios are schooling fish, so they need to live in groups and cannot live alone.
- Zebra Danios thrives in a temperature between 64 to 75°F.
- Zebra danios show aggressive behavior like nipping and chasing if placed in an overcrowded tank or not kept in a group of at least 5.
- Zebra danios prefer a water Ph level between 6.5-7.5.
- Zebra danios are not live bearers as they lay unfertilized eggs.
- Zebra danios prefer to eat the live aquatic plants in the tank.
Are zebra danios territorial?
Zebra danios are peaceful species that do not prefer aggression in their tank.
However, if you place them in an overcrowded tank, your fish can become territorial, leading to chasing and fin nipping.
Not placing your zebra danios in schools of at least five can also lead to stress in your fish, making them territorial and aggressive towards the other fish in the tank.
In addition, some other common reasons behind your zebra danios turning territorial are lack of food and the presence of unsuitable tankmates.
Therefore, providing ample space and a peaceful environment in the tank will be advisable to prevent such issues.
7 reasons that make your zebra danios aggressive?
Here are the seven reasons that can make your zebra danios aggressive
- Poor water condition
- Lack of food
- Overcrowded tank
- Unsuitable tankmates
- Stress
- Not keeping them in schools
Poor water condition
Poor water condition in the tank can also make your zebra danios aggressive with their tankmates.
Poor water conditions in the tank can lead to significant stress in your fish, making them turn aggressive with their tankmates.
In addition, poor water conditions can also lead to a drop in the tank’s oxygen level, making your fish suffer from oxygen deficiency and gasp for air at the top of the tank’s water surface.
Lack of food
Underfeeding your zebra danios can make them aggressive and compete with their tankmates.
In addition, not providing enough food to your zebra danios can also make them weak and prone to several diseases and parasites.
Also, read: Why Is My Zebra Danios Not Eating?
Overcrowded tank
Placing your zebra danios in an overcrowded tank can also make them aggressive.
An overcrowded tank provides no space for your zebra danios to swim, eventually making them aggressive with their tankmates.
In addition, placing your zebra danios in an overcrowded tank also affects the growth of your fish.
Unsuitable Tankmates
Pairing your zebra danios with unsuitable tankmates can also make them aggressive.
It would be advisable to avoid pairing your zebra danios with fish with long fins like fancy goldfish, as your fish sometimes gets an urge to bite those fins.
In addition, pairing your zebra danios with aggressive tankmates like betta can lead to severe aggression in the tank, eventually leading to severe physical injuries to your fish.
Stress
Stress also plays a significant role in making your zebra danios aggressive with their tankmates.
Many factors can lead to stress in your zebra danios. Some of them are as follows:
- Poor water condition
- Underfeeding
- Aggressive tankmates
- Inadequate Parameters
- Overcrowded tank
Not keeping them in schools.
Zebra danios are schooling fishes that need to be kept in at least a group of 5.
Placing your zebra danios in an underpopulated tank can lead to stress in your fish, eventually making them aggressive.
How can you tell aggression is occurring?
There are numerous ways to discover aggression in your tank. Some of them are
- Your fish is hiding
- Your fish gets injured.
- Passed away fish in the tank
Your fish is hiding
Your zebra danios hiding in the tank’s corner indicates aggression in the tank that requires your immediate action for the well-being of your fish.
Your fish mainly prefer to hide if you have paired them with aggressive tankmates.
However, hiding is not a complete indication of aggression, as your zebra danios sometimes like to hide when they are sick or lonely.
Your fish is injured.
It indicates aggression in the tank if you discover your zebra danios injured.
You will mainly discover injuries in the tails or fins of your fish. We advise you to ensure that the damage to your fish is because of the other tankmates rather than any sharp aquarium decors in the tank.
The injury caused due to sharp objects can lead to infections in your zebra danios.
Passed away fish in the tank
If you discover a passed-away fish with injuries in your tank, it indicates that other tankmates bullied your fish.Â
In such a case, removing the aggressive fish from your tank will be advisable.
However, numerous reasons, like dropsy, swim bladder diseases, and fin rot, can make your zebra danios pass away rather than fight.
How to tell if it is aggression or not?
It is usual to be confused whether your zebra danios are getting aggressive or just interacting with the other tank mates.Â
So, here are some ways to decide whether it is aggression or not
- If you discover your zebra danios swimming around each other rather than after each other, it shows that your fish are not being aggressive with their tankmates.
- Seeing your zebra danios coming closer to each other and then dart away rather than chasing indicates that your fish is not being aggressive.
The above are some ways to tell whether it is aggression or not.
Actions to take after you notice aggression in the tank?
Here are the actions you can take after you notice aggression in the tank
- Avoid overcrowding your zebra danios as an overcrowded tank can lead to stress in your fish, making them aggressive with their tank mates.
- Provide enough food to your zebra danios, as lack of food makes your fish compete, leading to aggression in the tank. However, you must ensure that you are not overfeeding your zebra danios. To prevent overfeeding, we advise you to provide the quantity your fish can consume in under two minutes.
- We advise keeping a good ratio of male and female zebra danios in the tank. Keeping more female zebra danios with fewer males will help to avoid chasing.Â
- Eliminate the aggressive fish from the tank, as pairing your zebra danios with aggressive fish can lead to severe health injuries, eventually leading to the passing away of your fish.
- Maintain the tank’s water quality, as poor water conditions can lead to stress in your zebra danios, making them aggressive with their tank mates. We advise performing a 30% weekly water change in the tank to keep the water clean.Â
- Â Provide lots of hiding spots in the tank as it helps to eliminate stress in your zebra danios, as stress can make them aggressive with their tank mates.Â
Conclusion:
- Zebra Danios are non-aggressive species that prefer to interact with their tankmates.
- If you place them in an overcrowded tank, your zebra danios can become territorial, leading to chasing and fin nipping.
- Placing your zebra danios in an underpopulated tank can lead to stress in your fish, eventually making them aggressive.
- Ensure to maintain the tank’s water quality as inadequate water conditions can lead to stress in your zebra danios, making them aggressive with their tankmates.
- Consider providing lots of hiding spots in the tank as it helps to eliminate stress in your zebra danios as stress can make them aggressive.
Reference: ResearchGate