All species
fishbeginner
Zebra Danio
Danio rerio
The striped speedster of the hobby — nearly indestructible, always on the move, and the best starter schooling fish there is.
2–2.5 in4–5 years
Habitat
Enclosure
10 gal minimum · schools of 6+
Temperature
64–77°F
Humidity / Water
Freshwater · pH 6.5–7.5
Heating & lighting
No heater strictly needed — one of the most temperature-tolerant tropical fish. A gentle heater keeps them stable in cool rooms.
Diet
Feed these
- Micro pellets
- Crushed flake food
- Frozen daphnia
- Baby brine shrimp
Never feed
- Cold rooms below 60°F
- Long-finned, slow tank mates (they nip)
- Overfeeding
Small pinches twice a day — they'll eat anything, so don't let them out-compete slower fish.
Cohabitation
Can live with
Neon tetras White Cloud Mountain minnows Corydoras catfish Harlequin rasboras Cherry barbs Other zebra danios — schools of 6+
Never house with
Betta — they nip long fins Angelfish — nipped and stressed Oscar
Hyperactive schoolers — too fast and nippy for slow, long-finned fish. Give them length to race and six-plus companions of their own kind.
