View Full Version : Florecent Red Zebra Danio
fishyz
04-20-2006, 3:28 PM
http://www.petsolutions.com/GloFish®+Red+Zebra+Danio-I-36055-I-.aspxI know they're not monsters but they're cool if you ask me. I think I'm going to order some.
reptileguy2727
04-30-2006, 9:25 AM
that pic gives them no justice. we have some at work right now, neon red. they are genetically modified. they put a piece of coral DNA into the zebra danio genome, now they have neon red babies. the coloring will go away if they are in a planted tank. but since it is genetic it will slowly return if they are removed from the planted tank and put into a non-planted tank.
danepatrick
04-30-2006, 11:22 AM
that pic gives them no justice. we have some at work right now, neon red. they are genetically modified. they put a piece of coral DNA into the zebra danio genome, now they have neon red babies. the coloring will go away if they are in a planted tank. but since it is genetic it will slowly return if they are removed from the planted tank and put into a non-planted tank.
why would the pink go away in a planted tank? we have some at work right now too, and yea, they're awesome. we have silk plants in the tank with a big rock and regular LF danios and their coloring is amazing.
fishyz
04-30-2006, 4:20 PM
If only I can find a home for my regular zebra danios then I'll have some room for them.
reptileguy2727
04-30-2006, 4:48 PM
im not sure exactly why the red went away when the person i talked to about it put them in with live plants, but since coral is photosynthetic as well as live plants, it would make since that maybe the plants took out some nutrients that the red coloring needed or something to that effect.
Chad55
04-30-2006, 7:28 PM
My pike has a home for your zebra danios!:naughty:
Chad
I don't understand why the color would go away in a planted tank.
reptileguy2727
04-30-2006, 8:15 PM
im not sure of the exact chemical details. but one lady i talked to put them in a planted tank, the colors went away, she moved them into an unplanted tank, then they slowly got their colors back. it sounds possible since coral is photosynthetic and so are plants, im assuming the plants outcompeted the glofish for some nutrient or something and therefore the red couldnt maintain itself in the planted tank. maybe im wrong, but it definitely sounds possible and if im wrong it is a very strong coincidence.
Losing color in a planted tank? That doesn't really make much sense, but who knows.
From the Glofish website.
GloFish® fluorescent fish absorb light and then re-emit it. For best results when displaying these extraordinary fish, we suggest the following:
Daytime Viewing – A traditional white aquarium light (such as a fluorescent or halogen light) is ideal for daytime use, although an actinic (blue wavelength) light works great too! Because GloFish® fluorescent fish absorb light and re-emit it, the fish's color will appear brighter and more vibrant as the amount of light used is increased.
Nighttime Viewing – In cases where the room is completely dark, a black light will create the appearance that the fish are glowing in the dark. This is a truly stunning and beautiful way to display your ornamental fish at night! But please remember that the black light will only be helpful in a completely dark room. Using a black light during the daytime will not result in the fish demonstrating its true beauty.
Please note: Aquarium lighting should not be left on continuously, as fish benefit from alternating periods of light and darkness, just like people.
Also from the website one reason I will NEVER buy these fish.
GLOFISH® FLUORESCENT FISH LICENSE NOTICE
The GloFish® fluorescent ornamental fish are intended solely for visual enjoyment as aquarium fish by end users who have purchased these fish from authorized resellers, and not for commercial reproduction. These fish are the subject of various intellectual property rights owned or controlled by Yorktown Technologies, Inc. (“Yorktown”), both in the U.S. and internationally. These rights include (1) patent rights, including published patent applications (2) copyrights; and (3) trademark rights, including slogans and service marks.
By accepting these fish, and as part of the consideration therefor, the recipient agrees: (1) not to, breed or propagate these fish, permit or encourage others to breed or propagate these fish, or otherwise intentionally engage in any activity that may result in or lead to the breeding or propagation of these fish by anyone without the express written consent of Yorktown; (2) not to sell or transfer these fish to anyone in the State of California, or to possess or otherwise engage in any activity that results in the possession of these fish in the State of California.
fishnutham
05-01-2006, 3:21 PM
I have a weakness for danios something about them i like but these ones are extra cool i have to see if i can find someone who sells them..
rallysman
05-01-2006, 3:23 PM
I have a weakness for danios something about them i like but these ones are extra cool i have to see if i can find someone who sells them..
I think TFD has them
fishyz
05-01-2006, 8:43 PM
Man I've been missing out. fishnutham I feel your pain I think every monster fish keeper has a weakness for little non-predatorus fish. I bet that the person on here with the most monsters has a few minows as pets not fish food. Also rallysman WHAT HAPPENED TO THE COWBELL GUY! And chad55 it would be funny if you feed these to you pike then it turns red:ROFL: .
Chad55
05-01-2006, 9:11 PM
HAHA if that was the case that is all he would be getting. I would love to have a bright red pike. Also I do have something useful to contribute to this thread. I had one of these for quite a time and I remember that they are used to test water conditions in like california. The red comes out more or something when the water is polluted. All I know though is they are as hardy as a regular zebras and ten times cooler.
Chad
illustrae
05-02-2006, 9:38 AM
These are cool bioengineered fish, and while mutated, isn't nearly as cruel and is way more beautiful than dyed fish. I believe these fish were originally created for environmental purposes to determine pollution levels in rivers. That is why the color disappears in planted tanks: because there is no pollution and the water system is very healthy. In non-planted tanks, the genome is tricked into thinking that there's a problem with the water because there's no plant life so things like nitrate levels and oxygen and CO2 saturation are different than in a natural healthy water system where plants balance these things out. I'll try to find the article I read on these guys... but they were originally environmental experiments before the aquarium hobby industry got a hold of them!
reptileguy2727
05-02-2006, 9:43 AM
i think there are differences in the aquarium type and the environmental pollution detecting type. and the aquarium industry didnt really "get a hold of them", they were kind of tossed at us as a by-product of environmentalism. i dont think the "pollution" of a non-planted tank keeps them colorful. they usually run about $7-10 and if i was paying that for a fish i would make sure my tank was clean and perfect for them. if cleanliness was the problem i think we would see more cases of problems with their color going away, not just in planted tanks.
fishyz
05-02-2006, 3:41 PM
So they were once used to check for poluted rivers in Califonia that's kind of interesting.
robert55
08-17-2006, 2:04 PM
I've had these fish for some time and played around with the lighting / tank environment quite a bit. First, I can confirm that the fish do not in any way respond to pollution in the water. From www.glofish.com/about.asp: “A non-fluorescing fish will signal that the water is safe, while a fluorescing fish will signal trouble. Although these fish are not currently available, scientists hope to complete this work soon.”
That being said, here's what’s most likely going on:
If you have the older glofish (which has stripes) the color loss is most likely the result of a natural camouflage effect, which causes the stripes to become thicker and darker in a planted tank, or even a tank with dark gravel. You will see the same camouflage effect with a non-fluorescent zebrafish.
The newer glofish are in a golden zebra background and don’t have this problem. If you have these fish, and still see a decrease in color, it is probable that the plants are blocking light from reaching the fish. The more light that hits the fish, the brighter they become; the less light that hits the fish, the darker they become. Of course, you would have to have pretty densely planted tank for this to be an issue.
reptileguy2727
08-17-2006, 2:16 PM
the glofish lost their red when in with plants, not blocked the light, not less intense, it was gone, and SLOWLY came back over weeks after being put in an unplanted tank.
fishyz
08-17-2006, 9:46 PM
I've had these fish for some time and played around with the lighting / tank environment quite a bit. First, I can confirm that the fish do not in any way respond to pollution in the water. From www.glofish.com/about.asp: “A non-fluorescing fish will signal that the water is safe, while a fluorescing fish will signal trouble. Although these fish are not currently available, scientists hope to complete this work soon.”
That being said, here's what’s most likely going on:
If you have the older glofish (which has stripes) the color loss is most likely the result of a natural camouflage effect, which causes the stripes to become thicker and darker in a planted tank, or even a tank with dark gravel. You will see the same camouflage effect with a non-fluorescent zebrafish.
The newer glofish are in a golden zebra background and don’t have this problem. If you have these fish, and still see a decrease in color, it is probable that the plants are blocking light from reaching the fish. The more light that hits the fish, the brighter they become; the less light that hits the fish, the darker they become. Of course, you would have to have pretty densely planted tank for this to be an issue.
I thing I'm alittle lost. Where can I get these "new" glo-fish.
fredmenezes
07-21-2007, 12:44 AM
my clownknife and red devil would fight over them.
the_deeb
07-22-2007, 6:50 PM
I thing I'm alittle lost. Where can I get these "new" glo-fish.
By "new" do you mean the fish that alter their fluorescence based on water quality? If so, these are not currently available to aquarists. The glofish that are currently available express the flourescent gene constantly - these are the ones that you can buy.
The implication is that scientists are in the process of further altering the genome so that the fluorescence gene will be linked to the genes that detect water quality, but this hasn't been done yet.
fishyz
07-23-2007, 5:12 PM
By "new" do you mean the fish that alter their fluorescence based on water quality? If so, these are not currently available to aquarists. The glofish that are currently available express the flourescent gene constantly - these are the ones that you can buy.
The implication is that scientists are in the process of further altering the genome so that the fluorescence gene will be linked to the genes that detect water quality, but this hasn't been done yet.
I mean the ones that don;t alter thier color when in un-poluted water. According to everybody else the ones that get reder as tthe polution gets worse where aroud befor the ones that retianed the red color.:)