定制的循环斑马鱼饲养系统
March 13th, 2026
在这里，我们介绍一种新颖、易于构建且成本低廉的斑马鱼循环养殖方案。
我们设计并测试了一套经济实惠的循环斑马鱼养殖系统，适用于预算有限的研究实验室和教育项目。许多现有的斑马鱼养殖系统对小型研究实验室来说成本过高，因此我们设计了一个廉价的养殖系统。首先，先将支撑支架固定在所需高度，然后安装垂直回风管。
用锯子将直径3.81厘米的聚氯乙烯管切割成三段，每段长度约121.92厘米。然后，在每一段121.92厘米的管道段上纵向切开两次，形成一个U形槽。将每个U形槽放在架子上，一端插入主垂直回风槽的T形接头。
利用先前插入的绳子或钢丝，固定每个槽的另一端，形成一个缓和的向下倾斜，朝向垂直回风的T形接头方向。调整槽位，使主垂直回风口倾斜1.5到2度。将集水槽放置在组装好的架子下方。
确保水盆顶部与第一个搁板底部之间约有14.29厘米的间隙。调整水盆，使其稍微突出于搁板，并与悬垂的垂直回水管对齐，将水引导回水盆。在设置好集水坑过滤和温度控制系统后，将水泵放置在与回水槽系统支架对齐的集水池内。
将一根1.905厘米的乙烯基管切割成69.85厘米长，并将管子连接到泵上。连接到管子上。将该T型接头稍微位于第二个搁板下方，并朝向集水坑的远侧。
用美工刀将一条1.905厘米的乙烯基管切割成36.195厘米长，并直接将管子固定在前一步T型联结器的另一端。依次将36.195和36.83厘米的乙烯基管连接到T型接头，每段后加装一个新的T型接头，并将其稍微放在面向集水池远侧的第二个搁板下方。然后，用1.905到1.27厘米的减针弯头和1.27厘米的公头适配器连接到管子上。
将减小弯头和公适配器放在第四层架子的顶部。将弯头和适配器调整到连接到通往油底壳的乙烯基压力释放管线。将1.58厘米的乙烯基管切割成7.62厘米长。
将管子连接到架子顶部的1.27厘米公适配器，然后在管子的自由端连接球阀。接着，用美工刀将1.58厘米的乙烯基管切割成213.36厘米长。将管路连接到球阀的自由接头。
将管子沿着机架顶部布线，然后沿着机体架的腿部向下引导进入集水坑。用固定带将管子固定在外壳架的腿上。然后用美工刀将1.575厘米的乙烯基管切割成三段，每段长6.35厘米。
每件连接到主供水管线上的三个自由T型接头之一，并在每个管段的自由端连接球接头。接着，将三根长度为6.35厘米的乙烯基管连接到球接头的自由端，并在每个1.58厘米管段上连接一个1.58厘米到0.95厘米的减针。将0.95厘米的管子剪成三段，每段长5.715厘米。
将每件连接到减速器，并在每个管段上安装一个0.95厘米的尼龙T型接头。准备六根0.9525厘米的乙烯基管，每根长5.08厘米，并将每根连接到尼龙T型接头。在六个管子部件上各接一个软管夹。
在每个可用管线端装上一个钢制水族阀，并拧紧软管夹以固定阀门。用固定带将每个钢制水族阀门固定在上方的架子上。最后，用美工刀切割0.43厘米的乙烯基管，长度适合每个罐子。
按照该协议，建立了三层循环斑马鱼饲养系统。根据每周测量，集水坑的电导率全年保持相对稳定。在为期21天的评估期间，电导率有所波动，但保持在600至1000微西门子每厘米范围内，这对斑马鱼来说是安全的。
亚硝酸盐在21天内每天保持在低水平。在21天检测中，硝酸盐有18天处于低级，3天处于中等级，仍处于斑马鱼的安全范围内。在同一三周内，系统中共检测了18个交配梨的繁殖成功率。
在18对交配中，有11对成功，约占70%的交配成功率。24小时胚胎存活率接近70%，成功交配的平均窝数约为150个胚胎。该方案允许研究人员构建斑马鱼养殖系统，用于研究或教育目的。
正确的管路连接、回水管线的坡度和固定接头对于保持水流稳定和防止漏水至关重要。未来的研究可以改进该系统，以适应更大规模的斑马鱼群落和自动化水质监测。
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Overview
This article introduces a custom-built recirculating zebrafish housing rack designed to be affordable, robust, and easy to construct. The system addresses common issues found in other custom solutions, such as inconsistent water conditions and fragile tanks, making it suitable for long-term zebrafish research and teaching applications.
Key Study Components
Area of Science
- Model organism research
- Aquatic animal husbandry
- Laboratory equipment design
Background
- Zebrafish are widely used for in vivo studies due to their low maintenance costs and research versatility.
- Commercial zebrafish housing systems are often too expensive for smaller labs.
- Existing custom-built systems frequently suffer from poor water quality control and fragile construction.
- Reliable, long-term housing is essential for multi-generational zebrafish research.
Purpose of Study
- To develop and present a novel, cost-effective, and durable zebrafish housing rack.
- To provide a system that maintains stable water conditions suitable for all developmental stages.
- To enable long-term and multi-generational zebrafish research in resource-limited settings.
Methods Used
- Design and construction of a custom recirculating housing rack.
- Integration of multiple filtration and sterilization levels for water quality control.
- Compatibility with a previously published tank design for flexible housing.
- Long-term validation through nine years of continuous use in a research laboratory.
Main Results
- The custom system provides stable water conditions suitable for zebrafish at all life stages.
- Multiple filtration and sterilization steps ensure water quality and system longevity.
- The rack has supported hundreds of experiments and multiple generations of zebrafish over nine years.
- The design is accessible and affordable for smaller research groups.
Conclusions
- The described housing rack is a viable alternative to commercial systems for zebrafish research.
- It enables long-term, stable, and cost-effective maintenance of zebrafish colonies.
- The system supports both research and teaching needs in diverse laboratory settings.
Frequently Asked Questions
Executive Industry Relevance
Reliable, scalable zebrafish housing is critical for in vivo model continuity and experimental reproducibility in early-stage drug discovery. This custom-built recirculating system addresses cost and operational barriers, enabling long-term, multi-generational studies in resource-limited R&D environments. Stable aquatic model infrastructure supports robust phenotypic screening and target validation workflows across the discovery pipeline.
Strategic Applications in Biopharma R&D
Early Discovery & Target Validation
- Enables sustained use of zebrafish as a disease-relevant in vivo model for hypothesis testing.
- Supports functional target validation by maintaining healthy, multi-generational colonies.
- Reduces biological variability through stable environmental control.
Screening & Assay Development
- Provides consistent housing conditions for reproducible phenotypic screening assays.
- Facilitates preparation of validated zebrafish cohorts for compound evaluation.
- Improves assay standardization by minimizing water quality fluctuations.
Translational & Preclinical Research
- Enables long-term studies that bridge early discovery to preclinical validation using zebrafish models.
- Supports continuity in translational research by maintaining stable animal populations.
- Allows for the investigation of multi-generational effects relevant to chronic exposure studies.
Pipeline & Workflow Integration
This recirculating housing system underpins the zebrafish model's role from early discovery through preclinical research, supporting both hypothesis-driven and screening-based workflows.
- Discovery Biology: Maintains healthy zebrafish populations for robust hypothesis testing and pathway analysis.
- Screening: Ensures reproducible assay conditions for reliable compound screening outputs.
- Analytics: Provides stable environmental parameters for quantitative phenotypic measurements.
- Translational Research: Supports long-term and multi-generational studies for translational continuity.
- Enterprise Reuse: Offers a scalable, cost-effective infrastructure adaptable across research programs.
Operational & Enterprise Impact
- Scientific Value: Enhances predictive confidence and reduces mechanistic ambiguity in zebrafish-based studies.
- Operational Value: Delivers standardized, reproducible, and scalable aquatic model housing.
- Strategic Value: Improves go/no-go decision quality and capital efficiency by supporting robust in vivo data generation.
- Portfolio Impact: Enables risk-adjusted prioritization of targets and compounds through reliable model continuity.
Implementation Considerations
- Requires expertise in aquatic animal husbandry and system maintenance.
- Needs access to basic filtration, sterilization, and water quality monitoring equipment.
- Demands cross-team standardization of animal care protocols for reproducibility.
- Adaptable to various zebrafish developmental stages and experimental designs.
- Long-term viability depends on regular system upkeep and monitoring.
