Glofish look magical. Although I’m not a fan of genetically modifying fish, patenting them, and then charging exorbitant amounts to own them, I admit they’re some pretty fish. Each to their own, I guess. But if you’re curious like me, you must have wondered what do baby glofish look like at some point. Do they look as enchanting as their parents?
Let’s find out!
What Do Baby Glofish Look Like?
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.
Here’s a brilliant video by Guppy Gurl that shows Starfire Red Glofish fry.
As you can see in the video, these little babies do have a red tinge, although it’s not as intense as in the parents.
And here’s an image of a glofish tetra baby, courtesy of Jessica P.
What Colors Do Baby Glofish Come In?
Baby glofish come in six beautiful colors. They either take after the father or mother’s color. They aren’t born with a brand new and totally different color. The colors they come in are Moonrise Pink, Galactic Purple, Starfire Red, Cosmic Blue, Sunburst Orange, and Electric Green.
Do Baby Glofish Glow?
Yes, baby glofish do glow, although their illuminance isn’t as bright as their parents’. Their fluorescent color results from an inherited fluorescent protein gene that is passed down from their parents.
These fish don’t go through any artificial coloring process like jellybean cichlids or painted glassfish.
So, today’s glofish are produced from the offspring of fluorescent fish originally developed more than a decade ago using the fluorescent protein gene derived from naturally-occurring genes found in marine organisms like jellyfish and certain corals.
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How Fast Do Glofish Babies Grow?
Glofish babies grow at the same rate as the babies of their original species. Glofish tetras are late bloomers that take as long as 2 months to just grow 1.4 inches in length. Likewise, glofish betta fry reach 1.3-1.55 inches long by 8 weeks. And glofish danios take around 3-4 months to get to their maximum size.
On the other hand, glofish barbs, just like tiger barbs, can grow in the quarter to half-inch range every six weeks or so.
And lastly, glofish sharks grow somewhere in the ½-1 inch range within 2 to 4 weeks of age. Therefore, they take several months to reach their maximum size – 6 inches.
Note that these are ballpark figures derived from the estimations made for their original species.
As a matter of fact, the growth rate is subjective to factors like the tank size, diet, water conditions, and genetics.
Below, I’ll lay down 5 quick tips to grow your glofish babies quickly!
How To Grow Glofish Babies Fast?
There’s no secret formula to grow glofish babies. However, if you ensure a conducive environment and feed a nutritious diet, they will grow at the best rate nature will allow.
Here are 4 things you can do:
- Place your baby glofish in a suitably sized aquarium that isn’t overstocked. This will help to eliminate potential stunting issues.
- There should be no threat of predation present in the tank. A stressed fish will not be healthy. And an unhealthy fish won’t grow properly.
- Feed your glofish babies a healthy and varied diet. Ensure they’re able to eat and enjoy the food you provide, so they don’t die from starvation.
- Keep the water pristine. I cannot stress this enough. Invest in a sturdy filter and some test kits to keep everything in check. The ammonia and nitrite levels should be maintained at 0 ppm, while nitrate levels should be below 20 ppm.
What To Feed Glofish Fry?
Glofish fry that have just ‘hatched’ rely on the nutritious yolk sac for their nutritional needs. This usually lasts for a couple of days. Once the yolk sac is all used up, you need to immediately reinforce pulverized food they can fit inside their tiny mouths.
Glofish fry can eat freshly hatched brine shrimp, infusoria, egg yolk paste, and microworms.
And by the way, I wrote hatch as ‘hatch’ because glofish eggs don’t really hatch. Sorry for that wordy sentence.
The point is that glofish eggs don’t hatch the same way a reptile or a bird’s eggs would hatch. Instead, they transform into tiny body parts that eventually take the form of a fry.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Do Glofish Eggs Look Like?
Glofish eggs look like the eggs of their regular species. They’re neither colorful nor glowing. Instead, they are spherical and translucent little balls about 1mm big.
If you are interested to know more about the subject and have a look at some images and clips of glofish eggs, you might want to visit this article.
How Long Does It Take For Glofish Eggs To Hatch?
Glofish eggs take around 24-48 hours to ‘hatch.’ The hatching duration reportedly depends on the water’s temperature.
In warmer temperatures, the eggs hatch faster. But it’s definitely not recommended to unnaturally increase the temperature.
How Do Glofish Lay Eggs?
Glofish bettas, tetras, barbs, and danios are egg scatters. They don’t lay eggs in one place. Instead, the eggs are scattered over plants and substrate. To make matters worse, they eat their own eggs!
How Many Eggs Do Glofish Lay?
The number of eggs depends on the glofish species. Glofish tetras lay 60-130 eggs, glofish barbs lay up to 300 eggs, glofish danios lay 100-120 eggs, and glofish bettas lay around 100-150 eggs.
Final Words: What Do Baby Glofish Look Like?
Apparently, it’s illegal to intentionally breed glofish. But if you have male and female glofish present in your tank, they will inevitably produce some fry sooner or later.
Baby glofish don’t look anything out of the ordinary. They pretty much look like the baby fish of their original species. But they do produce a glow just like their parents under blue LED light.
The coloration is also very light and not at all intense like their parents’.
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