# My Zebra Danio is Turning... Green?



## FatherLandDescendant (Jul 24, 2014)

FullMetalMako said:


> Ammonia: 0ppm
> Nitrites: 0ppm
> Nitrates: << 5.0ppm
> pH: 8.3 (this is less than what comes straight out of the tap and the tank remains steadfast at this pH)
> ...


How much lower is your pH stright out of the tap? Something in your tank may be raising your pH. To me that seems kind of high. Is the pH in the previous tank that high as well? How long have these fish been "re-homed" in the new tank?


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## Grah the great (Jul 3, 2013)

I commend you for not keeping the danios in the 3 gallon, though I will say that you may want to up their numbers (danios do best in groups of 8+...they're also more interesting that way). As for the green color, it is likely due to the fish's iridescence - in my tank, my zebras vary from black to dark blue to blueish green in their darker stripes, with most of this variation being caused by their position relative to the tank's lighting (front lit danios tending towards the more colorful hues I just mentioned). The plump belly suggests that the green one may also be a gravid female...my danios are so swollen with eggs that the eggs can sometimes be seen inside the fish if you look closely enough!


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## n25philly (Dec 12, 2013)

I think he just figured out he is a glo fish...

Seriously though zebra danios should be in a 20 gal minimum they are very active. It's also best to keep them in a full school, it's better for them and they can get nippy if they aren't


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## gmh (Jul 16, 2014)

I think they will color up a bit more when you add a few others. These are good beginner fish but a group of 10 or so will dominate the tank. I once kept a school of long finned zebras in a 20g long that were really colorful and slightly less hyper. You will probably want to go with with just the zebras as your schoolers and perhaps a few Cories for the bottom.


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## mistergreen (Dec 9, 2006)

green poop is from the green plants they're eating.


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## FullMetalMako (May 28, 2014)

The 3 gallon was a present from a friend who knew I really wanted to get into the hobby. I couldn't turn it down (it was Xmas!) and so did the best I could with what I had. I'm glad to hear that this isn't some adverse reaction to something. 

My pH comes out of the tap at almost the highest that the API testing kit goes. In the 3 galling is check my pH with testing strips and I believe the pH was around 6. However, the same testing strips show my pH to be at around 7 in the new tank too. Either the API kit is wrong or my strips are. I think as long as it's stable, I'll be fine. I'm going to check some other sources of water (I.e. From work) to see if it's maybe my plumbing.


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## n25philly (Dec 12, 2013)

Test strips are highly inaccurate.

Fortunately zebra danios are very hardy, so as long as it stays stable they should be fine


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## ErtyJr (Jun 21, 2014)

FullMetalMako said:


> The 3 gallon was a present from a friend who knew I really wanted to get into the hobby. I couldn't turn it down (it was Xmas!) and so did the best I could with what I had. I'm glad to hear that this isn't some adverse reaction to something.
> 
> My pH comes out of the tap at almost the highest that the API testing kit goes. In the 3 galling is check my pH with testing strips and I believe the pH was around 6. However, the same testing strips show my pH to be at around 7 in the new tank too. Either the API kit is wrong or my strips are. I think as long as it's stable, I'll be fine. I'm going to check some other sources of water (I.e. From work) to see if it's maybe my plumbing.


Checking other sources won't help unless you know 100% they are coming from the same place. And even then it's still debateable. All water comes out different. As for the strips or the test kit, both can be inaccurate but you should just toss out your strips. Don't bother with them. The test kit is far far better.


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## FullMetalMako (May 28, 2014)

ErtyJr said:


> Checking other sources won't help unless you know 100% they are coming from the same place. And even then it's still debateable. All water comes out different. As for the strips or the test kit, both can be inaccurate but you should just toss out your strips. Don't bother with them. The test kit is far far better.


So this is the water profile from the twin of the city I live in. We get our water from the same aquifer. I can't imagine it's very different.

pH 8.3 – 9.4
Total Hardness (as CaCO3) 80 mg/L
Total Hardness (as CaCO3) 5 grains per gallon
Fluoride 1.0 mg/L
Sodium 65.3 mg/L
Iron Not detected
Manganese Not detected
Chlorine 0.2 – 3.9 mg//L
Lead Not detected
Copper 0.06 mg/L
Nitrate 0.03 mg/L
Cations / Anions, me/L 3.2/ 3.7 ppm
Potassium, K 2 

Essentially, it seems like there's not much I can do. I'm considering Almond Leaves, driftwood, and/or alder cones.
Also, the test strips are from the microbiology lab I worked in. Lab grade albeit basically a tool used to estimate. Definitely going to trust the API kit more.


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## ErtyJr (Jun 21, 2014)

FullMetalMako said:


> So this is the water profile from the twin of the city I live in. We get our water from the same aquifer. I can't imagine it's very different.
> 
> pH 8.3 – 9.4
> Total Hardness (as CaCO3) 80 mg/L
> ...


I also have lab grade as well but I would never use them, I have them for work , and as you said they are just to estimate. 

Your on the right track as far as almond leaves, driftwood, ect but a few things.

First don't go overkill, you change the ph too fast a and your in for a bunch of dead fishes. 

Secondly, consider the collection of rainwater, you can use half rainwater to soften up you water, and help lower that ph.

Third, keep in mind peat driftwood and leaves all release tannins. That's going to make your water darker. If that's not something you want you're going to be doing water changes and defeating the purpose.


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## gmh (Jul 16, 2014)

I'm guessing your local fish store may have the same water source. 
I'll bet they do nothing to alter their water other than dechlorinate.
Fish you buy locally should do fine in your water. 8.3 ph is not so bad and your total dissolved solids are actiually pretty low.


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## FatherLandDescendant (Jul 24, 2014)

ErtyJr said:


> Third, keep in mind peat driftwood and leaves all release tannins. That's going to make your water darker. If that's not something you want you're going to be doing water changes and defeating the purpose.


You can use Purigen to scrub the tannen staining if you do go that route.

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=3578+4136+4190&pcatid=4190


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## Betta132 (Nov 29, 2012)

No, you don't need to be concerned about him going green. Probably just a color brightening brought on by the new and better tank.


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## popytoys (Dec 16, 2013)

Hi I like Danio Zebra too! The one I had was over 4 years... Out of topic here...may I ask if you have ever breed them successfully before? If so, do you seperate the parents and the eggs/frys?

Thank you!


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## FullMetalMako (May 28, 2014)

Thanks all for the help!



popytoys said:


> Hi I like Danio Zebra too! The one I had was over 4 years... Out of topic here...may I ask if you have ever breed them successfully before? If so, do you seperate the parents and the eggs/frys?
> 
> Thank you!


Personally, I haven't but that's probably because I've only got two and I'm not even sure of their sex. From what I've read about breeding (nicely put here: http://www.seriouslyfish.com/species/danio-rerio/) is that you need to put them in a smaller tank with dimmer lighting and marbles on the bottom. When they spawn the eggs should fall out of the reach of the adults. Remove the adults, wait for the eggs to hatch, and you've got a tonne of danio babies to feed and raise!


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