Zebrafish Facilities for Small and Large Laboratories

Abstract

This chapter focuses on zebrafish facilities for small and large laboratories. Common principles underlie all sizes of zebrafish facilities. Each facility has different research goals and available space. Efficient functioning and avoidance of failures are primary concerns. Greater control over potential negative outside influences such as water supply, air supply, food, and new fish increases stability and security. This has to be balanced with considerations of space, equipment cost, labor, cost of maintenance, staff technical abilities, research usefulness, as well as efforts invested in a particular fish line. A zebrafish facility can range in size from a few independently filtered aquarium setups, through one or more self-contained racks, each equipped with a common filtration system, to larger facilities with many tank racks and large separate filtration units. A new facility design provides a rare opportunity to more cheaply install an extensive centralization friendly infrastructure, such as specialized plumbing and electrical equipment. Fish containers (tanks) should be selected with several features in mind. Container size and desired population size will affect efficient space utilization and ease of use. Most people first encounter zebrafish in pet stores or home aquariums. Their hardiness, low maintenance, and ease of breeding make them good fish for beginners. These traits simplify maintaining large numbers of them without plenty of individual attention. Zebrafish can tolerate fairly wide extremes of environmental parameters. The water conditions can be maintained by hand or automatically with a water system.