Name: A Custom-Built Recirculating Zebrafish Housing System (Video) | JoVE Journal
Uploaded: 2026-03-13T13:25:00.000+00:00
Duration: 8 min 1 s
Description: Learn how to build a custom recirculating zebrafish housing system for affordable aquatic animal husbandry. This robust design maintains stable water conditions for long-term research and teaching applications.

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The authors would like to thank the many students who have helped maintain and modify the housing system over the past 9 years.

<ol><li>Harper, C., Lawrence, C. <a target="_blank" href="http://scholar.google.com/scholar?hl=en&safe=off&q=author%3aHarper%2C+C+%22The+Laboratory+Zebrafish%22">The Laboratory Zebrafish</a>. , CRC Press. Florida. (2011).</li>
<li>Dooley, K., Zon, L. I. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed?term=((Zebrafish%3A+a+model+system+for+the+study+of+human+disease%5BTitle%5D)+AND+%22Curr+Opin+Genet+Dev%22%5BJournal%5D)">Zebrafish: a model system for the study of human disease.</a> Curr Opin Genet Dev. 10 (3), 252-256 (2000).</li>
<li>Szychlinska, M. A., Marino Gammazza, A. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed?term=((The+zebrafish+model+in+animal+and+human+health+research%5BTitle%5D)+AND+%22Int+J+Mol+Sci%22%5BJournal%5D)">The zebrafish model in animal and human health research.</a> Int J Mol Sci. 26 (5), 1945(1945).</li>
<li>LeBert, D. C., Huttenlocher, A. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed?term=((Inflammation+and+wound+repair%5BTitle%5D)+AND+%22Semin+Immunol%22%5BJournal%5D)">Inflammation and wound repair.</a> Semin Immunol. 26 (4), 315-320 (2014).</li>
<li>Harvie, E. A., Huttenlocher, A. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed?term=((Neutrophils+in+host+defense%3A+new+insights+from+zebrafish%5BTitle%5D)+AND+%22J+Leukoc+Biol%22%5BJournal%5D)">Neutrophils in host defense: new insights from zebrafish.</a> J Leukoc Biol. 98 (4), 523-537 (2015).</li>
<li>Rouf, M. A., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed?term=((The+recent+advances+and+future+perspectives+of+genetic+compensation+studies+in+the+zebrafish+model%5BTitle%5D)+AND+%22Genes+Dis%22%5BJournal%5D)">The recent advances and future perspectives of genetic compensation studies in the zebrafish model.</a> Genes Dis. 10 (2), 468-479 (2023).</li>
<li>LeBert, D. C., Squirrell, J. M., Huttenlocher, A., Eliceiri, K. W. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed?term=((Chapter+3+-+Second+harmonic+generation+microscopy+in+zebrafish%5BTitle%5D)+AND+%22Methods+Cell+Biol%22%5BJournal%5D)">Chapter 3 - Second harmonic generation microscopy in zebrafish.</a> Methods Cell Biol. 133, 55-68 (2016).</li>
<li>Kim, S., Carlson, R., Zafreen, L., Rajpurohit, S. K., Jagadeeswaran, P. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed?term=((Modular%2C+easy-to-assemble%2C+low-cost+zebrafish+facility%5BTitle%5D)+AND+%22Zebrafish%22%5BJournal%5D)">Modular, easy-to-assemble, low-cost zebrafish facility.</a> Zebrafish. 6 (3), 269-274 (2009).</li>
<li>Paige, C., Hill, B., Canterbury, J., Sweitzer, S., Romero-Sandoval, E. A. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed?term=((Construction+of+an+affordable+and+easy-to-build+zebrafish+facility%5BTitle%5D)+AND+%22J+Vis+Exp%22%5BJournal%5D)">Construction of an affordable and easy-to-build zebrafish facility.</a> J Vis Exp. (93), e51989(2014).</li>
<li>Lipscomb, B., Seymour, N., Lewis, J., LeBert, D. C. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed?term=((An+affordable+and+easy-to-construct+zebrafish+housing+system+for+stable+long-term+laboratory+research%5BTitle%5D)+AND+%22Zebrafish%22%5BJournal%5D)">An affordable and easy-to-construct zebrafish housing system for stable long-term laboratory research.</a> Zebrafish. 20 (6), 260-270 (2023).</li>
<li>Virostek, P. <a target="_blank" href="http://scholar.google.com/scholar?hl=en&safe=off&q=author%3aVirostek%2C+P+%22Sound+effects+decibel+level+chart%22">Sound effects decibel level chart</a>. , Creativefieldrecording.com. https://www.creativefieldrecording.com/2017/11/01/sound-effects-decibel-level-chart/ (2017).</li>
<li>Guibert, N., Mocho, J., Bally-Cuif, L., Bedu, S. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed?term=((Balance+between+daily+water+renewal+and+nitrate+levels+in+a+recirculating+zebrafish+housing+system%5BTitle%5D)+AND+%22Zebrafish%22%5BJournal%5D)">Balance between daily water renewal and nitrate levels in a recirculating zebrafish housing system.</a> Zebrafish. 22 (5), 189-194 (2025).</li>
<li>Hammer, H. S. Water Quality for Zebrafish Culture. <a target="_blank" href="http://scholar.google.com/scholar?hl=en&safe=off&q=author%3aHammer%2C+HS+%22The+Zebrafish+in+Biomedical+Research%22">The Zebrafish in Biomedical Research</a>. , Academic Press. (2020).</li>
</ol>

The authors have nothing to disclose.

The recirculating housing system described herein can be constructed in total for under $1500. The yearly cost is estimated to only be $75, assuming no major component replacements are needed, with all components available through local and online retailers. No special tools or skills are needed in order to complete the construction of this project, which makes it accessible for most to assemble, though it is essential to modify the lengths of materials if not using the exact metal stand utilized in the protocol describe...

Zebrafish are a common model organism used in biological research. They are tolerant of many environmental conditions and breed easily with high numbers of offspring1. They make a great model for a wide range of biological research, including human health, inflammation, genetics, and toxicology1,2,3,4,5,6,7. They also offer a cost-effective option with relatively low maintenance requirements. However, creating a zebrafish housing system can be intimidating, especially for those with less experience - many factors should be kept in mind, such as recirculation rates, water quality, and the challenges of housing zebrafish at multiple stages of their development.
Commercial zebrafish housing systems are often expensive, which can pose a significant barrier for smaller laboratories or those with limited funding. These systems can cost tens of thousands of dollars, especially with additions such as automatic feeders and autocleaning, but these additions are unnecessary for budget-conscious laboratories, as well as those hoping to utilize the zebrafish in a classroom setting. For these types of facilities, constructing a zebrafish housing system is much more reasonable. There have been other articles published with custom construction plans, but each has its own disadvantages. Kim et al. demonstrated a method to create an easy-to-construct, 80-tank system8. At the time of publication, it was around $500 to build, but in the present time, it would be much more expensive. Paige et al. created a plan meant as an improvement to the previously mentioned method, but the cost to construct was $15009. Additionally, maintenance of a 150 fish colony was estimated to be $1000 every 3 months9.
In this article, we have established a method of constructing a recirculating zebrafish housing and filtration system, which, when paired with the previously published housing tank design10, is significantly less expensive than commercially available systems. In addition, it is simple to construct with a few common tools. The system, when utilizing 30 individual tanks (~70% capacity), is also relatively quiet, producing roughly 60 dBA of sound, the equivalent of a normal conversation or a television11. With a couple of simple modifications or by running it with fewer tanks, we believe the system could be used directly in a classroom setting without being a distraction to students. The overall design of the recirculating system is as follows: water that has been heated and conditioned is pumped from a sump basin through a main water supply line, which carries it up through the center of the housing rack. Ball valves off the main supply line provide water to a baffle, which supplies water at adjustable flow rates to the individual tanks at each level. To prevent excess buildup of pressure within the main supply line, the system utilizes a pressure release line with an adjustable ball valve to return excess water back to the sump. Water entering the tanks from the baffle recirculates within the tanks, with &#34;overflow&#34; captured by a slightly angled trough that runs through the center of the housing rack at each level. Water from the trough then flows into a vertical return pipe, which returns it to the sump basin, where it is cleaned by a multistage canister filter and sterilized with a UV light.

<table><tbody><tr><td>0.17&quot; inner diameter clear vinyl tubing 20 ft</td><td>Lowes</td><td>814315</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>1-1/2&quot; PVC pipe cap x3</td><td>Lowes</td><td>23899</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>2&quot; PVC pipe cap x1</td><td>Lowes</td><td>23900</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>3/4&quot; inner diameter clear vinyl tubing 5 ft&amp;nbsp;</td><td>Lowes</td><td>879267</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>3/4&quot; to 1/2&quot; threaded elbow and 1/2&quot; adaptor&amp;nbsp;</td><td>Lowes</td><td>23931</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>3/4&quot; x 3/4&quot; x 1/2&quot; Tx4</td><td>Lowes</td><td>3311539</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>3/8&quot; hose barb nylon T coupler x3</td><td>Lowes</td><td>877110</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>3/8&quot; inner diameter clear vinyl tubing 5 ft</td><td>Lowes</td><td>879263</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>40 gallon sump basin</td><td>Tractor Supply</td><td>2229846</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>5/8&quot; inner diameter clear vinyl tubing 10 ft</td><td>Lowes</td><td>814320</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>AAwipes 8-in-1 Aquarium Test Kit&amp;nbsp;</td><td>Amazon</td><td>B0D2RG3LXR</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Attmu 50 pcs reusable fastening straps</td><td>Attmu</td><td>8350503624091</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Bacto-sure high-density foam filter (2-pack)</td><td>Pets Warehouse</td><td>8729780257055</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Cascade CCF3UL Canister Filter, 100 Gallon, 265sph</td><td>Aquatic Warehouse</td><td>30172015946</td><td>Purchased from Amazon</td></tr><tr><td>Charlotte pipe 10 ft PVC pipe 1-1/2&quot; diameter x2</td><td>Lowes</td><td>23830</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Charlotte pipe 2-in x 2-in PVC DWV sanitary T</td><td>Lowes</td><td>23395</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Charlotte pipe 5 ft PVC pipe 1-1/4&quot; diameter</td><td>Lowes</td><td>23982</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Charlotte pipe 5 ft PVC pipe 2&quot; diameter</td><td>Lowes</td><td>23832</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Charlotte pipe 5 ft PVC pipe 3/4&quot; diameter</td><td>Lowes</td><td>23990</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Honeforest TDS meter</td><td>Walmart</td><td>B073713G5F</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Industrial strength rack 48 x 24 x 72</td><td>Lowes</td><td>23395</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Ispinner 28 pcs worm gear hose clamps</td><td>Home Depot</td><td>313206783</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>JoyTube plastic hose barb reducer pipe fittings 5/8&quot; to 3/8&quot; pack of 3</td><td>Amazon</td><td>B08DNJY57G</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>LASCO 2-in x 2-in x 2-in dia Elbow PVC fitting</td><td>Lowes</td><td>23910</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Pond pump submersible (2100 GPH)</td><td>Amazon</td><td>B004DFMZME</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Qmseller stainless steel aquarium valve x6</td><td>Amazon</td><td>B07PDSVH3N</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Submersible aquarium heater</td><td>Amazon</td><td>B0DLG8VSL8</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Tetra whisper easy to use air pump for aquariums</td><td>Amazon</td><td>B0009YF4FI</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>UV light sterilizer Coralife Turbo Twist UV sterilizer, 6x</td><td>Coralife</td><td>96316156005</td><td>Purchased from Amazon</td></tr><tr><td>Uxcell drip irrigation barbed value for 5/8&quot; double male barbed valve aquarium water flow control - 3 pcs x2</td><td>Harfington</td><td>1003460</td><td>Purchased from Amazon</td></tr></tbody></table>

a custom-built recirculating zebrafish housing system

A Custom-Built Recirculating Zebrafish Housing System

Zebrafish are a popular model organism for performing in vivo studies, partly due to being considered inexpensive to house and maintain. Yet, commercial housing systems are typically cost-prohibitive to smaller research groups. Multiple custom-built zebrafish housing systems exist, but have issues with inconsistent water conditions, poor water cycling rates, and fragile housing tanks. These design issues reduce the viability of these systems for long-term research programs. In this article, we present a custom-built recirculating zebrafish housing rack, which is novel, affordable, and easy to construct. This system, when paired with our previously published housing tank design, allows for the housing of zebrafish at any stage of development. There are multiple levels of filtration and sterilization, which establish stable water conditions, allowing for the establishment of long-term usage of zebrafish for research and teaching. The system described below has been used by our laboratory to house zebrafish for 9 years, representing multiple generations of housed fish and hundreds of experiments.

The protocol presented here will create a three-level recirculating zebrafish housing system (Figure 1). When paired with the previously published modular zebrafish tank design10, the system can easily accommodate 30-36 individual tanks, with each large tank capable of holding ~40 fish at a density under 10 adult fish/liter1. In total, the housing system can hold over 1,200 adult zebrafish with a small overall footprint (~5' x 7') (~1.52 m x 2....

Here, we present a novel, easy-to-construct, and low-cost protocol for recirculating zebrafish housing.

Zebrafish are a popular model organism for performing in vivo studies, partly due to being considered inexpensive to house and maintain. Yet, commercial ...

We designed and tested an affordable recirculating zebrafish housing system for budget conscious research labs and educational programs. Many existing zebrafish housing systems are cost prohibitive for smaller research labs, so we designed an inexpensive housing system. To begin, assemble the housing rack by fixing the support brackets at the required heights, and then install a vertical return pipe.Using a saw, cut a 3.81-centimeter diameter polyvinyl chloride pipe into three pieces, each measuring roughly 121.92 centimeters in length. Then, make two lengthwise cuts along each of the 121.92-centimeter pipe sections to create a U-shaped trough. Place each U-shaped trough onto a shelf with one end inserted into the T-joint of the main vertical return.Using the previously inserted string or wire, secure the opposite end of each trough to create a gentle downward slope toward the T-joint of the vertical return. Adjust the trough to achieve a 1.5 to two-degree slope toward the main vertical return. Position the sump basin beneath the assembled rack.Ensure a clearance of approximately 14.29 centimeters between the top of the basin and the underside of the first shelf. Adjust the basin so that it protrudes slightly from the shelf and aligns with the overhanging vertical return pipe to direct the water back into the basin. After setting up the sump filtration and temperature control systems, position the water pump inside the sump basin aligned with the support bracket of the tank return system.Cut a 1.905-centimeter vinyl tubing to a length of 69.85 centimeters, and connect the tubing to the pump. Connect a T coupler to the tubing. Position this T coupler slightly below the second shelf, and orient it toward the far side of the sump basin.Using a box cutter, cut a 1.905-centimeter vinyl tubing to a length of 36.195 centimeters, and fasten the tubing directly to the opposite end of the T coupler from the previous step. Sequentially connect 36.195 and 36.83 centimeters vinyl tubing to T couplers, adding a new T coupler after each segment and positioning it slightly below the second shelf facing the far side of the sump basin. Then, connect a 1.905 to 1.27-centimeter reducing elbow with a 1.27-centimeter male adapter to the tubing.Seat the reducing elbow and male adapter on the top surface of the fourth shelf. Orient the elbow and adapter to connect to the vinyl pressure release line running back down to the sump. Cut a 1.58 centimeter vinyl tubing to a length of 7.62 centimeters.Connect the tubing to the 1.27-centimeter male adapter at the top of the shelf, and then attach a ball valve to the free end of the tubing. Next, using a box cutter, cut a 1.58-centimeter vinyl tubing to a length of 213.36 centimeters. Connect the tubing to the free fitting of the ball valve.Route the tubing across the top of the rack and then direct it down along the leg of the housing rack into the sump basin. Using fastening straps, secure the tubing along the leg of the housing rack. Then using a box cutter, cut a 1.575-centimeter vinyl tubing into three pieces, each measuring 6.35 centimeters in length.Connect each piece to one of the three free T-couplers on the main water supply line, and connect a ball joint to the free end of each tubing section. Next, attach three vinyl tubings with 6.35 centimeter length to the free end of a ball joint and connect a 1.58 centimeter to 0.95 centimeter reducer to each 1.58 centimeter tubing section. Cut a 0.95-centimeter tubing into three pieces, each measuring 5.715 centimeters in length.Connect each piece to a reducer, and attach a 0.95 centimeter nylon T-coupler to each tubing section. Obtain six pieces of 0.9525 centimeter vinyl tubing, each measuring 5.08 centimeters in length, and connect each piece to the nylon T-couplers. Attach a hose clamp to each of the six tubing pieces.Slip a steel aquarium valve onto each available tubing end and tighten the hose clamps to secure the valves. Using fastening straps, secure each steel aquarium valve to the shelf above. Finally, using a box cutter, cut 0.43-centimeter vinyl tubing to the appropriate length required to reach each tank.A three-level recirculating zebrafish housing system was created following the protocol. The sump conductivity remained relatively stable throughout the year based on weekly measurements. Over the 21-day assessment period, the conductivity fluctuated, but remained within 600 to 1, 000 microsiemens per centimeter, which is safe for the zebrafish.Nitrites remained in the low category each day during the 21-day period. Nitrates stayed in the low category for 18 of the 21 days tested, and were in the medium category for three days, remaining within the safe range for zebrafish. The reproductive success was checked in the system during the same three-week period with a total of 18 mating pears.Of the 18 total mating pairs, 11 were successful, corresponding to approximately 70%mating success. The 24-hour embryo survival rate was nearly 70%The average clutch size for successful matings was approximately 150 embryos. This protocol allows researchers to build a zebrafish housing system that they then can use for both research or educational purposes.Proper tubing connections, slope of return lines, and secure fittings are essential to maintain consistent water circulation and prevent leaks. Future studies can modify the system for larger zebrafish colonies and automated water quality monitoring.

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Learn how to build a custom recirculating zebrafish housing system for affordable aquatic animal husbandry. This robust design maintains stable water conditions for long-term research and teaching applications.

A Custom-Built Recirculating Zebrafish Housing System

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