# Glowfish



## LadyVictorian (Nov 23, 2011)

What am I seeing...I guess I have heard about glowfish but I finally looked into them for the first time today and found out they were genetically engeineared fish that can glow under the right lights. Now being that I use to want to be a geneticists this is VERY interesting to me and I am almost tempted to get a few. I think they are zebra danios's or something along those lines, pretty much freaks of natures from a lab. Has anyone had these fish? Are they easy to care for? What other fish can they be with? Do you have positives of negatives about them? I would really love too see what people have to say on them because now I want a 10gal setup to keep them in with a black light overhead.


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## AngesRadieux (Oct 6, 2011)

I think they're mostly zebra danios, but I'm pretty sure I've seen some white skirt tetras that were also genetically modified to have those fluorescent colors. From what I've read their care is basically the same as the care for regular zebra danios. They do best kept in groups of 6 or more and they can be pretty active. You might be better off with a 20 gallon for them so they have more room to swim. I have my danios sharing a tank with dwarf rainbow fish and a pair of albino kribs without any issues. They're popular as dithers for cichlids because they're very fast and therefore usually can't be caught by larger, slower fish. From what I've seen, they appreciate plants.


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## LadyVictorian (Nov 23, 2011)

Do they live as long as normal zebra danios or would the genetic manipulation screw with life span and health?


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## babystarz (Aug 3, 2012)

There's a website by the company explaining everything. They were basically designed for water quality research purposes. Originally geneticists inserted the gene to create flourescing proteins into a fish embryo, and the current fish available are descended from those altered fish. Scientists using them realized they were pretty cool looking which led to their secondary purpose as pets. A portion of the sales go to the original research project.

According to them (and keep in mind they aren't exactly an unbiased party) the fish are totally normal in lifespan, size and behavior. They will pass on their fluorescent genes to offspring so it's a bad idea to release them into native populations but otherwise they are identical to their normally colored counterparts. There are 5 colors and a few different species available.


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## LadyVictorian (Nov 23, 2011)

Very interesting. I would be interested to test that theory out myself. Though you know I have faith genetics has come a long way I don't have faith it has come long enough to alter a fish's DNA without screwing something up. Perhaps it's even something so small they don't notice it or they simply are afraid to say their lifespan is shorter. I know some cloned pets don't live as long as the original did (yes you can clone pets I have seen pets who were cloned...it's weird and expensive)


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## thekoimaiden (Oct 19, 2011)

If you do get glowfish, you should get a larger tank than a 10 gal. Zebra danio are very active fish and like to live in large shoals. A 20 gal or 29 gal would be a much better fit. You could do black sand and get some albino cory cats to go with them.


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## LadyVictorian (Nov 23, 2011)

I already have a 10 and a 20 gallon that use to belong to mice. I'm fixing it up to be fish friendly and hold water again. FYI reptile tanks are cheap, even the larger ones. I just need some lights, heater, and filter for them. I wonder, albino corries would be cool with them but can african dwarf frogs or a female betta live with them as well? I recently have fallen in love with blonde african dwarf frogs. Was going to get one but they were all very skinny and the lady at the store said they came in to them is rough shape and she won't sell any until they know for sure the frogs were okay (it was a cool store) however she was willing to give me one for free if I really wanted one but to keep the store updated on it's health for the first month in case it passed away and then they would pull all the frogs from the sale floor. I'm also thinking my baby betta Nix is female, not 100% and am either going to eventually put her in the 10gal with some shrimp and a frog or put her in a 20gal community tank.


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## thekoimaiden (Oct 19, 2011)

I would put the frog with the glowfish before I put a female betta. Danio are really active fish and can easily stress out slow fish like betta and gourami. A few weeks ago, a friend tried a dwarf gourami with her danio, and the danio out-competed it for food and ended up stressing it to death just from all their activity. 

Just make sure the frog is eating. Danio are vicious little buggers.


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## LadyVictorian (Nov 23, 2011)

I hand feed my ADF in my male betta's tank which seems to be the best way to get ADF's to eat. So maybe one cory, a ADF, and what is about how many do the danio's do best in? Six or more?

Also 2 cories and 2 ADF's in the 20gal or would that be overstocking. I know ADF's can live alone but they like to have other ADF's. That is one think I feel sorry for Bilbo Froggins my current ADF. I bet he would liek to have a frog friend when they get moved into a 10gal tank.


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## thekoimaiden (Oct 19, 2011)

Cories are shoaling fish that do best in groups of three or more. The more you have, the more active and adorable they will be. Personally, I won't do less than six cories together. Danio are also shoaling, so no less than six. Really the more the better with them. You could do 10 easily in the 20 gal. 

A good potential stocking plan would be 10 danio (how ever many glofish and regulars you want), 6 albino cories, and then 2 to 3 ADF's.


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## LadyVictorian (Nov 23, 2011)

Nice so then I wouldn't be overstocking a 20gal by getting more. Nice.


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## Creat (Dec 6, 2010)

Dont know if its a little late, but glofish are zebra danios but they do live shorter lives and colors sometimes fade a little with time. The actual dyed fish like the skirt tetra loose color over a few months those are a big scam.


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## LadyVictorian (Nov 23, 2011)

Ah that is something good to know, hmmm....rethinking the use for my 20 gallon tank now...(MORE BETTAS???)


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## skepkat (Aug 23, 2012)

My LFS have a few really knowledgeable staff. Both Petsmart & Petco didn't seem thrilled with glowfish. Seems they do tend to have shorter life spans, but not clear if it is due to the genetics directly or a bad shipment or if they are simply more sensitive to living condition and die as a result of poor care.

Anyway, point is, both stores steered me away from them as good fish.

I've read that zebra danios are not good tank mates for betta and the Petsmart girl agreed. But maybe the glowfish are a bit more docile??? Cause she thought they were a better fit for a betta than the zebras.


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