GloFish: Ultimate Care Guide – Glofish is actually a type of zebrafish that has been genetically modified. Initially, these fish were developed to monitor pollution in water bodies.
When in a toxic environment, this fish will light up. In other words, glofish become an indicator to measure pollution in water.
Zhiyuan Gong at the National University of Singapore was the one who started this brilliant idea.
Of the many stunning freshwater fish, there is one that is becoming a trend among hobbyists. Yes, it is GloFish.
GloFish has a quite unique shape and color. One of its uniqueness is the bright color that shines, at first glance similar to the light of a neon tetra.
However, unlike the tetra type, GloFish has solid colors, namely red, blue, green, yellow, pink, and purple, but is lit. While the tetra only in some parts of it looks lit.
Especially if the tank lights are turned off, and the lighting is replaced with LED or UV lamps. You will be mesmerized by their dazzling light.
As if they have no skin, this fish only looks like its bones with a certain color. For example, the blue one, when using a special lamp, the color changes, it really glows and lights up. The blue base color disappears and turns transparent.
So many also call Glofish a “Glow in the dark” fish, because indeed they emit fluorescent in the dark. Like sea coral at night, if you’ve ever seen one.
There are two species of glofish, tetra and danio.
Of the tetra types, there are 6 types, namely sunburst orange, electric green, starfire red, cosmic blue, moonrise pink and galactic purple.
Meanwhile, from the danio, there are cosmic blue and electric green.
Although the names are both glofish, there are differences between the two. Tetra are slightly flattened, while danio are smaller and elongated.
Caring for Glofish in a tank is actually not too difficult, even beginners can do it. The care is not much different from other freshwater fish.
Maybe the difference in how to care for glofish and other fish is from the lighting alone. Fish care requires special light so that they can bring out their beauty. Without the lights, there is nothing special about this beautiful fish.
With the proper use of lights, you will notice a drastic change in the color of these fish.
Overview
Since these fish are quite hardy, they can entertain you for up to 8 years with proper care. Most of them live between 3 and 8 years. A fairly long life span for a small sized fish.
Glofish body size can reach 6 inches, but mostly only 1-4 inches. The size depends on the type of glofish.
Considering they are “tester” fish, glofish are hardy fish that can survive in all water conditions. Even so, good quality water is highly recommended for fish to grow well and be happy.
How to Care for Glofish
There are a few simple steps that you need to prepare before caring for a glofish. Read carefully!
Tank
Provide a 5-gallon or more tank. The more species, you need a bigger tank. For GloFish Shark, you’ll need 20+ gallon tank, and just keep one in the tank.
You can decorate the tank as you wish, because basically this fish is already beautiful.
For colored fish, it is very suitable if you choose white sand as a substrate. They don’t have a problem with that either.
Related: Banggai Cardinalfish Care Guide (Pterapogon Kauderni)
Water parameters
Set the water temperature to 72-82 °F, more than that is fine if you live in the tropics. But try no more than 84 °F.
You can find out the temperature of the water by using a water thermometer.
If the water temperature is too high, you can lower it by using a chiller. On the other hand, if it’s too low, you can use an aquarium heater.
Keep the water pH at 7.0-8.0. Similar to freshwater conditions in general. To check the pH, you can use a pH test kit.
Feeding
You can feed the glofish two to three times a day. Small amounts are enough to keep them healthy. Do not overfeed, it will leave a lot of leftover food in the water.
Leftover food will dissolve in water, and it will mess up the water parameters. In addition, overfeeding will also make the tank dirty quickly, and is dangerous for the fish themselves.
To figure out how much to feed your glofish, always start with small amounts. If the food runs out quickly and the fish still look hungry on the surface, you can add more. Just little by little until they don’t want to touch the food anymore.
The mistake of beginners is that they feed all the time. They think the fish will grow up fast, and they don’t get sick/die because of starvation. In fact, fish will not die/sick even if they are only fed once a day.
Flakes, pellets and frozen or freeze-dried food are the best foods for glofish. It’s just that you need to make sure the carotenoids and beta carotene are high in the food.
Carotenoids and beta carotene are color-forming substances in fish. Glofish will be more vibrant if both substances are sufficient.
Related: Why Do My Fish Keep Dying?
Tank mates
Glofish are actually quite calm fish. This makes it suitable for community tanks.
Some fish that are suitable for tank mates:
- Guppies
- Mollies
- Swordtail
- Platies
- Neon Tetras
- Pleco
- Zebra Danio
- Angelfish
In addition to the above, you can also mix with fish that are the same size, not aggressive, and they are not predators.
Related: Black Ghost Knifefish (Apteronotus albifrons): Ultimate Care Guide
Routine care for Glofish
Do a water change once a week, or at least once every two weeks. If it is necessary, you can do it more often.
Replace the water in the tank with new water that has been settling overnight. Not all, just 20% of the total water volume. The rest, leave it in the tank.
While you are doing a water change, also clean the glass tank, dirt on the substrate, and replace the filter components.
The key to them being healthy and happy is to maintain great water quality.
Related: True Freshwater Bumblebee Goby Fish Care
Conclusion In Care for GloFish
How to care for glofish is actually quite easy, therefore they are suitable for beginners. They are quite hardy, as they were firstly designed for it.
This beautiful fish is available in various colors and types. Even though they look luxurious, they don’t really need luxurious life support. Just make sure there is good oxygen in the water, and keep the great water quality.
If you want to buy, this fish is not an expensive and rare fish. That makes this fish a favorite for coloring your community tank.