There are two glofish tetras variants – standard and long-finned variants. Both varieties were made by genetically modifying black skirt tetras that originally come from Paraguay and Guapore Basins in South America.
There was even a petition with thousands of followers to ban their sale. As a result, the International Betta Congress had to come up with an exclusive Glofish Betta Policy.
You can keep about 12-15 glofish tetras, 14-15 glofish danios, 4-6 glofish bettas, and 9-10 glofish barbs in a 30-gallon tank – Not together, of course! But unfortunately, a 30-gallon tank is still not big enough for feisty glofish sharks that need about 50 gallons each to thrive comfortably.
Baby glofish look just like the babies of their original species. However, like their parents, they glow under the blue LED light. They don’t have much coloration when first ‘hatched’ and during the first few days of their lives when they’re in the wiggler stage. However, they develop pretty colors taking after their parents as they grow.
There are five different glofish species. And luckily, none of them have an appetite for each other. Although glofish sharks, bettas, and barbs are aggressive fish, they still don’t eat each other or any other fish. And glofish danios and tetras are petite fish that can barely fit any other fish into their mouths.
Glofish tetras, danios, and barbs are schooling/shoaling fish. While they are sociable most of the time, they become aggressive when kept in numbers less than 5-6. Glofish bettas, especially males, are extremely territorial and aggressive. However, the ‘most aggressive glofish’ titleholders are glofish sharks.
The most prevalent reason behind glofish swimming sideways is swim bladder disease. A swim bladder is a gas-filled internal organ that helps bony fish like glofish maintain buoyancy. And when this bladder is impacted due to illness, injury, or any other abnormality, the fish will have a hard time maintaining its buoyancy – resorting to swimming erratically like sideways.
The temperature for glofish should fall between 60-81°F (15-27°C). So far, there are 5 glofish species, and they’re all tropical fish. Therefore, they prefer warmer water and need a heater. Ideal temperature range for glofish tetras is 60-80°F, for glofish barbs is 74-80°F, for glofish danios is 65-77°F, for glofish bettas is 78-80°F, and for glofish sharks is 75-81°F.
No, glofish cannot get pregnant because they aren’t livebearers. All five glofish species are egg-layers. So, a female carrying eggs is called gravid. Females will have to lay eggs, and males will have to externally fertilize them. Only then will the eggs yield fry.
Glofish tetras can live with loaches, plecos, and rasboras. Glofish barbs can live with guppies, gouramis, and shrimps. Glofish barbs can live with other barbs, mollies, and platies. Glofish bettas can live with shrimps, loaches, and snails. And lastly, glofish sharks can live with barbs, gouramis, and rasboras.
Glofish sharks are omnivores, unlike great white sharks that only consume flesh and bones. In aquariums, they eat almost anything you offer – from pellets and shrimps to algae and blanched veggies.
Glofish sharks get around 4-6 inches (10-15 cm) long, just like their original species, rainbow sharks. These are long-bodied fish with flat bellies, pointed snouts, and erect dorsal fins that give them an almost intimidating shark-like appearance.
Glofish danios get just as big as their all-natural cousins – 2 inches (5 cm). However, some prodigies are known to grow up to 3 inches (7.6 cm) long. They’re tiny fish, aren’t they? But boy, are they active! So, you’d still need a sizable tank to house them.
You can keep around 5-6 glofish tetras in a 10-gallon tank. 5-6 is the bare minimum number of tetras you should keep to observe their unique schooling behavior. So, you’re in luck! However, if I were to give you my two cents, I’d say go for a bigger tank. It’d genuinely make life easy for both you and the fish.
Glofish bettas glow under the blue LED lights due to the presence of a specific protein called green fluorescent protein (GFP) that is originally found in jellyfish. GFP emits a bright green light when it comes into contact with the light of a specific wavelength. This protein was initially injected into the betta fish embryo.
