Dyed Zebra Danios??

I was wondering what everyone's take on this would be... I was at my LFS the other day and my sister was with me and she fell in love with these very pretty fish and excitedly called me over and I felt horrified. They were Zebra Danios and the label on the tank said something like, Orange glow Danio and Red or Cherry glow Danio? Something like that. Anyway, They did look just like regular Zebras but maybe a tad larger and they were fabulous reddish and orangish colored but you could still see their stripes and see through them a little just like a fish that hadn't been dyed. I am wondering if anyone has seen these anywhere and if they really are a breed. I've been looking in fish species books, etc but haven't seen any or even seen a mention of them as being a variety that is related. Considering how pretty they were, I would imagine everyone would know of them and that is why I am asking. I really respect this locally owned LFS and would really be disappointed to think they had these fish on purpose. I am tempted to ask them what they are and how they get fish like that just to see how they came to have them and see what they say. I do know that they will buy or take fry from a person once they are grown enough to sell in their store as long as the fry are big enough and healthy. I am just hoping (pipe dream possibly) that they maybe came upon them from someone and are just selling them because there was nothing else to do. What do you guys think?

 

I have seen them at a lfs. I do not THINK they are dyed. Next time I am in that part of town I will see what I can find out.

 

No, they're not dyed. Genetically engineered zebras - no harm done to the fish. there are other posts on this if you do some searching. 



Check on the above link. Lots of information on the Glofish Zebras.

 

So cool! Thanks Terry! That explains it. Now I may actually have to get some. They did seem to be a little spendy for fich that if dyed, probably wouldn't last long. I'm glad I kept my impertinent mouth shut and didn't make an issue at the store about it without knowing the facts. This is not the first time you have come through for me. I got that API test kit that you had posted the info about the nitrate readings on and thankfully it is a great kit and more accurate than the test strips I was using. Although the tests had different results, I can be assured that my water was stable even though I didn't have necesarily true readings. I know this is off the thread a tad but I wanted to thank you again for the fabulous info. Thanks!!!!

 

if I wasn't a noob, I would have spent the $5.99 for those Danios. I am very glad they are not dyed, they are so cool looking, but I opted for the guys that were on sale for $0.88 instead.....saving me about $20 in the long run....

But I would say buy 'em and see how they work...Please let us know!

 

I will! I can't wait now to get a few. Hopefully they will school with the Zebras I already have so I don't have to get too many right now. Hopefully the store still has some. I can't buy any from my local petco. They sell teeny baby fish in everything and I think they put them out on display the minute they come in so the poor fish hasn't even acclimated to the new water yet. Their fish are always sick and the tanks always have dead fish in them and stuff.

 

Good question. I wonder if they will join other Danios and school? I think they should, as Leopard Danios will join Zebras, but I may be mistaken.

 

So cool!  Thanks Terry!  That explains it.  Now I may actually have to get some.  They did seem to be a little spendy for fich that if dyed, probably wouldn't last long.  I'm glad I kept my impertinent mouth shut and didn't make an issue at the store about it without knowing the facts.  This is not the first time you have come through for me.  I got that API test kit that you had posted the info about the nitrate readings on and thankfully it is a great kit and more accurate than the test strips I was using.  Although the tests had different results, I can be assured that my water was stable even though I didn't have necesarily true readings.  I know this is off the thread a tad but I wanted to thank you again for the fabulous info.  Thanks!!!!

You're welcome! The API tests will give you a much better idea of your water quality than the strips. And that variable API nitrate test (without getting bottle 2 really shaken up first) really had me confused till I got the information direct from API on how to get the best results with it. Glad to hear the information is helpful to others!

 

Good questions on whether or not the glofish zebras with school with normal zebras and danios. My guess is yes, but if anyone has the glofish with the others it would be interesting to find out.

 

Yup, those Red Zebra Danios started appearing at the LFS in my city around mid-January.. at first I was somewhat cautious, since I stumbled across Fishlore while trying to identify a species of neon-green fish I'd bought from one of my LFS.. the debate that ensued about fish being dyed and injected etc. made me feel so guilty, I stayed away from any kind of unaturally colored fish until Saturday last when I bought me some of those crazy little brutes.. don't worry, they are genetically colored, and yes they're even more hyper than anything I've had in a while, hence 'crazy little brutes!'

BTW.. they're incredibly beautiful under color-enhancing bulbs.

 

OK. So I will be getting some of the glo's when I see them next. I also kind of like those pearl danios as well, they have a real subtle glow to them as well. Do they school with zebras too? I kind of figured that the leopards would since I have recently picked up a few more zebras and one of them that has stripes and looks like the other except his tail fin has spots instead of the stripes continuing all the way through. I figure he must have a little leopard in him. It is a quirk like that, that makes him one of my favorite fish! Again, thanks all for the input! It is all very appreciated!

 

Wow....I thought they were dyed so I didn't buy them, but I guess I'll buy them now. ;D

 

I just picked up a couple of the red glofish a few days ago I am experimenting with fish to see if any are going to get eaten by my cray these guys spend most of their time at the top of the tank I have three rosy red minnows and a fathead that was mixed in when I bought them they seem to stay at the bottom of the tank now my glofish seem to want company at the top of the tank and have actually started inticing the minnows to come frolic at the top of the tank with them where my minnows used to just stay in one part of the tank and chill they now dart and play with the glofish like they're old friends since they're in the same family (cyprinids) they have the same shaped bodies and the rosy reds are solid orange where the glofish are striped like the original zebras and red overall they mite be one of the best additions to a smaller community tank and from what the websites say, in larger tanks they would be great for large schools I have a blacklight that I can lay across the front of my tank on the front ledge of the stand my artificial plants seem to be the brightest thing in the tank but to see the little red streaks in the light is really amazing with a bigger tank and more of the glofish I think it would be an amazing scene to help one relax something akin to a lavalight I guess anyone who tries this will have to tell us how it works since photographs don't pick up the glow from the blacklight maybe video is the way to go have a good day Lee

 

I have seen them at a lfs.  I do not THINK they are dyed.  Next time I am in that part of town I will see what I can find out.

No, they are not dyed....I saw them at the LFS the other day and spoke to the guy that normally takes care of me...I said to him - "please tell me those fish aren't dyed."

He actually told me that they inject - get this - DNA from sea urchins into their eggs and the result is the spectrum of colors in these fish...So actually they are genetically altered.....Very cool, pretty fish, but not something I support.

 

and only a few of them were implanted with the gene all of this was quite a while ago I read somewhere that all the glofish being used today for pets and research are spawn of the original implanted stock so if you breed glofish like they are zebra danios you continue to get glofish now I want to know if you can get two colors to breed, can you get a marbleized fluorescent danio in my imagination I see red and orange to give a look of fire or lava anyway the researchers are now trying to add a "switch" to the fish to let them "turn on and off" the glow effect so when they get in water that is toxic they will glow and if the water is clean the will remain "dark" now think about this what if they would be natural gauges for our aquariums too much nitrate = red fish glow too much co2 = green fish glow get the idea? it could be coooool Lee

 

I dunno if I like the idea of genetically engineered fish. The whole playing god thing kinda bugs me, for peole to try to improve upon nature is kinda ...off to me. But as far as I can tell there isn't any reason to boycott them as they aren't really in pain or pained by the process as these current generations genes aren't messed with. But there parents ???. So yea. Just some food for thought.

 

I just got some glofish today. I was looking for the green ones for my step-daughter but the store only had 1 red and several orange. I ended up getting the red and 2 orange for my tank. They do school with the zebra danios. Just a note, if they do breed it is illegal to sell, trade or barter them. Apparently they are a liscensed product. I am still going to try to get some of the green.

 

they are not died there genes were altred ...dont know the detials but that's what I hear

 

I saw them at our LFS today and was amazed at how brilliant and bright they are. One of the workers told me that they were genetically altered with jellyfish and that they were created to detect problems in the water. Our store had bright orange and a highlighter yellow color. I bought a yellow one. If it acclimates well I plan on buying an orange one too.

-M

 

my two red glofish have become full-fledged members of the tank they school with the rosy red's sometimes but the rosies like to hang out in the current and the glofish are tank wide swimmers very active and playful but from watching them in the store I think they need a larger school someone said danios do best in three's or better so since I moved my goldfish to a tank better suited for his growth spurt i'm going to get two orange glofish to see if I can get the school effect a blacklight in the room and the hood light turned off make a great conversation piece as your fish look like they're electrically illuminated I think we should band together and give this fish a name less corporate than Glofish any suggestions? Brilliant Danios comes to mind or we could borrow from the tetras and call them Neon Zebras I dunno Glofish makes me think of BigMac Lee

 

Vertigo,
I think you are 100% right. My LFS told me, when I bought my glo-fish, that they like schools of 6 but that sometimes they will school with other community fish. My children have named ours Comet, because she never slows down. I wish I had seen the glo-fish before I bought my neon tetras.....oh well.
Good Luck!

-M