Image Credit: Zoofari (Creative Commons license)
In glofish, the fluorescent gene is passed on from parents to offspring. Luckily, they don’t have to go through a cruel dying process like painted glassfish to develop those bright, peppy colors. They’re born that way. So, does that mean glofish eggs illuminate just like their parents? What do glofish eggs look like?
Find out below!
What Do Glofish Eggs Look Like?
Glofish eggs look like regular fish eggs. They’re neither colorful nor do they glow. They are little spherical balls rarely bigger than one millimeter. The eggs are white and almost translucent. A glofish betta’s eggs look just like regular betta’s eggs. And it’s the same for the rest of the 4 species.
This video here shows a batch of glofish eggs being laid and then eaten. There’s also a clip of a lone egg hanging off a plastic plant.
Sorry to be a party pooper. But yea, that’s about it!
Also, note that these eggs don’t ‘hatch.’ That’s because they don’t have shells. So a glofish’s eggs don’t develop or hatch in the same way as a chicken or a snake’s eggs would.
Instead, the eggs develop tiny body parts as the nutritious yolk sac is consumed.
What Do Glofish Tetra Eggs Look Like?
Glofish tetra eggs look like regular tetra eggs. They are clear, spherical balls slightly smaller than one millimeter. A black dot inside these tiny clear balls means the eggs were successfully fertilized.
Glofish tetras can lay anywhere between 60-130 eggs in one session. The adhesive eggs will stick to the moss, leaves, or yarn mop. The non-adhesive ones will filter through the structure and fall to the bottom.
And like all tetras, glofish tetras too consider their own eggs as food. So, it’s wise to remove the parents immediately if you are looking forward to tiny fluorescent babies.
What Do Glofish Danio Eggs Look Like?
Glofish danio eggs look like clear round balls about the same size as glofish tetra eggs – a bit smaller than 1 millimeter. They have a jelly-like consistency.
The eggs pretty much look the same way as a regular zebra danio’s eggs.
Here’s a picture of zebra danio’s eggs:
Glofish danios are egg scatters. And they immediately start eating their eggs once done spawning. So, even though your danios can produce 300-400 eggs in one breeding season, only a few will make it to adulthood.
A fertilized glofish danio egg has 3 components – a single cell, a yolk, and a protective membrane called the chorion.
Here’s an excellent video that chronicles the development of zebra danio eggs right from the beginning to the end.
Since glofish danio eggs are the same as zebra danio eggs, you might want to watch this!
What Do Glofish Barb Eggs Look Like?
Glofish barbs are the illuminating descendants of tiger barbs. So, even though glofish barb eggs do contain the fluorescent gene, they look just like regular barb eggs. They are white, spherical, and grow around 1 millimeter big.
Glofish barbs can lay anywhere between 150-200 eggs during one breeding season.
However, like typical barbs, glofish are egg scatters. Moreover, they love snacking on their own offspring. So, most eggs don’t see the light of the day. Only a few survive and grow into adults.
What Do Glofish Betta Eggs Look Like?
Glofish betta eggs are about 1 millimeter big. They are white, almost translucent, and have an oval shape. These eggs are identical to regular betta eggs. They aren’t glowy or colorful at this stage.
The fertilized eggs will have tiny grayish-black specks on them. Those unfertilized will retain their original form and soon develop fungus – that is, if they don’t get eaten.
Once the female lays her eggs, the male will retrieve them and deposit them in the previously created bubble nest. He will then chase the female and watch over the eggs until they become little fry.
Here’s a beautiful image of a male betta and his bubble nests.
What Do Glofish Shark Eggs Look Like?
Unfortunately, there’s no picture or information available on glofish shark eggs on the internet. These fish are tough to breed in captivity. Breeders take the help of gonadotropic hormones to encourage them to breed.
But by evaluating the eggs of other similar species, I have concluded that their eggs look like translucent, oval balls. And this time, I assume they’re bigger than 1 millimeter.
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What Do Baby Glofish Look Like?
Baby glofish look like any other baby fish. At this point, they develop their pretty colors and are perfectly capable of glowing under the fluorescent lights. And as juveniles, they look like miniature versions of the adults.
Here’s a cool video of Starfire red glofish fry!
Glofish Eggs Hatching Time – How Long Does It Take?
Glofish eggs don’t hatch. Instead, the eggs transform into different body parts. The whole process usually takes around 24-48 hours.
Studies have shown that increasing the temperature slightly can speed up the entire process. However, I wouldn’t recommend doing so in a home aquarium setting.
Let nature take its own course.
Where Do Glofish Lay Their Eggs?
Sorry, but there’s no information available on glofish rainbows. But the remaining four glofish species – barbs, danios, tetras, and bettas – are egg scatters. They will conveniently scatter their eggs among gravel and plants.
Some eggs will adhere to plants, while others will fall to the bottom. And if they’re lucky, they won’t get consumed.
How Fast Do Glofish Grow?
Glofish grow at the same rate as their regular cousins.
A glofish betta usually takes 7 months to be considered fully developed. Glofish tetras are late bloomers – taking as long as 2 months to reach ¼ inch in length. And you can expect glofish barb to grow quarter to half an inch long every six weeks. Lastly, it takes glofish danios 6 weeks to reach 1 inch long.
However, these are all tentative growth rates. How fast and big they will grow depends on temperature, pH, space, diet, and exercise.
Glofish Eggs Fertilized – How To Know?
There’s no foolproof way to know if glofish eggs are fertilized. But the most common practice is to carefully inspect the eggs for tiny specks of gray and black that supposedly are eyes!
Final Words: What Do Glofish Eggs Look Like?
As magical as glofish look, their eggs are pretty simple-looking and, dare I say, bland.
The point is they look identical to the eggs of their original species – tiny, spherical, translucent, and almost white.
Although glofish eggs contain the fluorescent gene responsible for that magical glow, the eggs themselves don’t glow. They aren’t colorful either.
Also, the egg’s development process is the same as that of the original species.
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