Some people might see a GloFish and think that they’ve been injected or dyed so that they’ll glow with those crazy bright colours.
There used to be fish on the market that were called “painted” that had been injected with fluorescent dye. It was horrible and cruel, huge numbers of the fish died, the ones that lived had a shortened lifespan and the dye didn’t even last, it faded after several months.
But that’s NOT what GloFish are at all.
What are Glofish?
GloFish are actually a genetically modified organism (GMO). Scientists manipulated the genes of fish and added in genes from other organisms, like jellyfish and coral, to give GloFish their bright colours.
GloFish have the ability to fluoresce, meaning their skin can absorb light energy and then emit it back.
This functions just like glow-in-the-dark toys and decorations. Pigments in their skin get “charged” when light hits them.
Then, when they’re in a low light situation, they emit the light energy back out, making them glow.
Pro Tip: Blue aquarium lights, like the ones many aquarists run in their tanks at night, will make GloFish fluoresce brightly. It’s beautiful!
The original GloFish were all zebra danios, but now they have developed other species as well.
- Appearance: rounded forehead with deep chest and belly that quickly tapers down to their tails, large trailing anal fin
- Min. Tank size: 76 liters
- Type of tank: peaceful community tank
- Temperature: 21°-26°C
- Care level: easy
- Diet: omnivore
- Behavior: peaceful schooling fish
- How many can be kept together: must be kept in a group of at least five or more
- Size: 5 centimeters
GloFish tetras are really eye catching as they swim by in a technicolor school.
They are a peaceful fish that’s great in a community tank, but they might nip the fins of slow-moving tank mates like Bettas. You should keep them in a school of at least five, but larger numbers are always better.
They’re very easy to care for and will readily accept flake, pelleted or frozen foods.