The Temple University Zebrafish facility was established early in 2008. It is housed in the Biology Building in a newly renovated room of 1,200 square feet. It contains 8 double-sided six-shelf zebrafish housing units. For flexibility of use, standard Aquaneering racks were widened and equipped with double gutters, allowing us to mix and match tanks freely on both sides of each unit.

Water is supplied by an in-house reverse osmosis unit and circulated through particle filters, biological filter and UV sterilizer. Water salinity and pH are automatically maintained, while water pressure and temperature are constantly monitored. A quarantine room houses a single five-shelf housing rack and holds fish imported from outside Temple University.

In their natural habitat zebrafish spawn twice a year when the day/night cycle reaches 14 hours /10 hours. We therefore maintain a 14 hour light/10 hour dark lighting cycle. Many fish are set up for mating daily. Fish strains which fail to produce embryos by natural mating are propagated by in vitro fertilization. Fish embryos are raised to adulthood in the facility to establish breeding stocks and produce new transgenic lines.

Currently the facility houses zebrafish which belong to the laboratories of Dr. Darius Balciunas, Dr. Gianfranco Bellipanni, Dr. Raymond Habas and Dr. Karen Palter.