# Agressive Zebra Danios?



## Potus (Dec 11, 2009)

I recently switched a 29 gallon tank to a Tang tank. The tank had water in it but no fish for about a month so I bought 6 Zebra Danios to put in the tank to generate some bacteria growth. I was told these would do well as dither fish for the tangs I was going to put in.

I have since added 3 calvus, 3 julie marlieri, and three multis. They are small and I am aware that they will outgrow the tank and I am assuming they will eventually eat the Zebra Danios once they are big enough.

The weird thing is that the Zebra Danios seem to be the most aggressive fish in the tank at the moment. They only bother each other, never any of the Cichlids. My Calvus and one of the multies love to swim up and sit in the middle of the Danios and watch them go nuts. One of the Danios was actually stressed to death and I found it while cleaning the tank this evening.

Has anyone had any sort of experience like this? I just find it strange and confusing.


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## pistolpete (Dec 28, 2009)

What you are probably seeing is the danios spawning. If they are happy Danios spawn almost every day, usually in the morning. The Cichlids are probably hanging around to snap up stray eggs.


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## Potus (Dec 11, 2009)

I'm just shocked that one of them was actually stressed to death. It hid up behind the filter and everything... I wasn't expecting the Zebra Danios would stress out one another


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## nvrstk (Feb 10, 2010)

Are you sure it wasn't the julies? My pair of regani claimed 3/4 of a 90g. I gave up on them completely because of the aggression.


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## Potus (Dec 11, 2009)

No I know it wasn't because they are too small at the moment. They also hang out at the bottom and leave the top of the tank alone. I just found this funny and it was not how I was expecting to lose a Danio.


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## USACanuck (Feb 6, 2007)

I too cycled my tank with Zebra Danio's. I have one Danio left, and the Cichlids don't bug him. In fact, I often find the Danio chasing around the blue flash..


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## Cindyggg (7 mo ago)

pistolpete said:


> What you are probably seeing is the danios spawning. If they are happy Danios spawn almost every day, usually in the morning. The Cichlids are probably hanging around to snap up stray eggs.


Yes this!! This seems to be exactly what is happening in my tank and my danios seem to be spawning. They have been chill but now spawning the danios are being very aggressive and I've lost two smaller ones. My yellow cichlid has come to the top, which he never does and. Seems that be eating eggs or something. Also shivering and sometimes taking off like lightning after a danio every once in a while. Still not sure who actually killed the two danios, as they have disappeared after being all tore up.


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