Upload Y-coordinate tracking data. Get bottom time %, latency to top, transitions, freezing, vertical heatmap, and time-binned habituation analysis.
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Load example Novel Tank data (Vehicle vs Buspirone, 12 fish)
CSV with Y position and time columns. Supports EthoVision, ANY-maze, Zantiks, and generic formats. Optional: animal ID, group, velocity columns.
When to use
Do not use for
A fish can be actively swimming in the bottom zone (moderate anxiety) or completely immobile at the bottom (severe anxiety). Report both metrics separately.
A single summary statistic across the full session can mask treatment effects. Always analyze time bins — some drugs affect early exploration but not later habituation.
Trapezoidal tanks have a smaller bottom zone by volume than rectangular tanks. Be consistent with tank type across experiments and report the zone boundaries used.
This free browser-based tool analyzes zebrafish novel tank diving test data. All computation happens in your browser ��� no data is uploaded to any server. Supports CSV exports from EthoVision XT, ANY-maze, Zantiks, and generic formats. Produces publication-ready figures and statistics.
Last validated 2026-04-05. Calculations are designed for planning and documentation support; verify procurement decisions against manufacturer specifications or institutional SOPs.
ConductScience (2026). Zebrafish Novel Tank Diving Analyzer. ConductScience Online Tools. https://conductscience.com/tools/zebrafish-novel-tank-analyzer
The novel tank diving test was developed as a high-throughput zebrafish anxiety assay by Levin et al. (2007) and further standardized by Egan et al. (2009). It exploits the natural diving response of zebrafish when introduced to unfamiliar environments. Over a typical 6-minute trial, healthy fish gradually explore upper zones as they habituate. The test is widely used for screening anxiolytic and anxiogenic compounds, genetic mutants, and environmental stressors. Key advantages over rodent assays include higher throughput, lower cost, and the ability to test both larval and adult fish.
Unlike the open field test which analyzes horizontal (XY) movement, the novel tank test focuses on vertical (Y-axis) distribution. The tank is conventionally divided into three equal zones: top, middle, and bottom. The primary measure is bottom time percentage — the fraction of the session the fish spends in the bottom third. Time-binned analysis (typically 1-minute bins over 6 minutes) reveals habituation: anxious fish may never leave the bottom, while habituating fish show a progressive decrease in bottom time across bins. Transition counts between zones indicate exploratory activity and are reduced by anxiogenic treatments.
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