Zebra Danios are very popular fish and retail at around $2.00 to $30.00 per fish, depending on the fish. However, the fish’s cost is part of the overall expense, which will include at least a 10-gallon tank, plants, filter, and food. Overall startup costs start at approximately $100 to $170.
While zebra danios are very reasonably priced and even cheap fish to buy on their own, we often forget about all the other things we need to keep them, as well as the fact that they should be kept in groups of at least five fish. We will look at what zebra danios cost, why, and how much you can expect to be spending if you’re starting your aquarium from scratch.
How Much Do Zebra Danios Cost?
Zebra danios are small fish, and because they are relatively easy to keep and rather prolific when it comes to breeding, they are not rare, and the price reflects this.
You can expect to spend between $2 to $30 per zebra danio. Often the higher price may include a group of fish, as zebra danios should not be kept as single fish.
If you pay a larger sum for a group of zebra danios, ensure that your tank is large enough.
What Is The Minimum Number Of Zebra Danios?
Zebra danios are very social fish and will become depressed if they don’t have a school of other zebra danios to live with. You will need a minimum of five zebra danios in order for your fish to be happy and thrive.
As you need at least five fish, your cost will be at a minimum of $10 if working on $2 per fish.
But is this all you will need to spend? Unfortunately not, particularly if you are starting; after all, your zebra danios will need a home.
We will take a look at the cost factors you will be looking at if starting with zebra danios.
Cost Factors For Zebra Danios
So, we have established that one needs to start with at least five zebra danios, but what else will be needed?
- Fish tank
- Filter, Pump, and tank accessories for the fish tank
- Tank Light
- Tank gravel
- Aquatic plants
- Fish food
Minimum Sized Tank Cost For Zebra Danios
Zebra danios are busy, active fish that grow to a maximum length of two inches; although they are smaller fish, they do need a lot of room to move. One should provide fish with one gallon of tank space per one inch of fish.
Because of this, the minimum tank size for zebra danios is 10 gallons, although larger tanks will be even better.
The tank should also be long rather than tall, as a wider tank provides the zebra danios with sufficient space to swim in. The average 10-gallon tank costs $40. However, one can get a fully kitted 10-gallon tank that includes filter, light, and accessories for $100.
Filter, Pump, And Accessories Cost For Zebra Danios
While zebra danios are pretty hardy, they need a filter that costs around $10 to $40 as these will assist in maintaining clean, aerated water, which will assist in keeping the fish happy and healthy.
A small pump, which retails at around $10, is also a good idea as although zebra danios can manage in still water, they prefer a small current as this will provide them with entertainment.
Every fish tank should also come with a few fish-keeping accessories like a net and, if possible, a care guide for the fish. Many tanks come with these, but on their own, you would be looking at $2 to $10.
Tank Light Cost For Zebra Danios
Zebra danios are tropical freshwater fish used to a reasonable amount of light. You can set up standard lighting for a fish tank, with LED options being the most cost-effective at the cost of between $10 and $20.
The cost can go up if you opt for fancier lighting rigs.
Tank Gravel Cost For Zebra Danios
It’s a good idea to have a gravel bed for your tank, and you can get various gravels as you wish for your tank. The average cost is between $8 and $16 for 5 lbs. of gravel.
You can clean gravel and reuse it over time, so it won’t necessarily be a repeated expense each time you clean the tank.
Aquatic Plant Costs For Zebra Danio Tank
Zebra Danios like a bit of plant life in their tanks, but as they also need lots of swimming space, you won’t need to get too many plants.
You can also opt for lower-lying plants, as zebra danios tend to swim in the middle and upper tank areas. Aquatic plants will retail at different prices depending on whether you get live or artificial plants.
Both live and artificial plants retail from $5 upwards, so you must decide what works best for you and your tank.
Macro photo of a zebrafish (Danio rerio) with a black background.Cost Of Fish Food For Zebra Danios
Fish need food to live just like we do, so this is another cost that you will need to factor into your budget. Fortunately, Zebra Danios are small fish, so feeding them will not break the bank.
Zebra danios are omnivorous and will be happy with tropical flakes or pellets, as well as shrimp pellets and even algae.
As small fish, zebra danios need only be fed a few pinches of flakes or pellets two to three times a week unless you have other species living with them, in which case you will need to feed your fish every day.
The average cost of fish pellets or flakes is about $5 to $10, and it does last quite a long time, an ounce lasting for well over a month.
Conclusion
While Zebra Danio on their own does not cost very much, with each fish costing as little as $2, they do need to be kept in a school of at least five fish and in a tank of a minimum of 10 gallons in size.
With all the tank paraphernalia and equipment to ensure a healthy and clean environment for your zebra danios, the costs can rise to anywhere between $100 and $200.