You are likely to end up with quite a few more fish than you might have bargained for! If you do want to look after some Zebra Danio, it is worth noting that they are hardy creatures and prolific breeders. There are many different selectively bred varieties of this particular danio, although most of them will have long, thin black stripes that run down the length of their bodies. These little schooling fish are a great option for beginners as they are inexpensive, easy to care for, and very pretty to look at. Once they reach around 3 years old, they should have 10 bands in total. When they are young, they start out with just 5 stripes then, after a year, the bands start to split into two every 6 months. Interestingly, you can actually tell how old one of these fish is by counting how many stripes it has.

They are pretty peaceful and hardy overall, and usually get on well in a community environment. These fish are active and vibrant, and they can actually jump surprisingly high, so they need a large aquarium. The Black Banded Leporinus has incredibly distinct vertical stripes all down its long body, and it’s this bold pattern that makes them so popular among aquarium enthusiasts. You won’t find many fish that are more clearly striped than this characin.

Striped bottom feeder fish