ConductScienceConductScience

Zebrafish Novel Tank Diving Analyzer

Upload Y-coordinate tracking data. Get bottom time %, latency to top, transitions, freezing, vertical heatmap, and time-binned habituation analysis.

Vertical AnalysisBottom DwellingCSV Export

Try it out

Load example Novel Tank data (Vehicle vs Buspirone, 12 fish)

Tank Configuration

Upload Y-Coordinate Tracking Data

CSV with Y position and time columns. Supports EthoVision, ANY-maze, Zantiks, and generic formats. Optional: animal ID, group, velocity columns.

  • Analyzing adult zebrafish novel tank diving test data with Y-coordinate tracking
  • Computing bottom dwelling percentage, latency to top, and zone transitions
  • Comparing anxiety-like behavior across treatment groups or genotypes
  • Generating time-binned vertical distribution curves for habituation analysis
  • Detecting freezing episodes from velocity data

Don't use for

  • Larval zebrafish locomotion in well plates — use the Open Field Test Analyzer with zebrafish presets
  • Horizontal exploration patterns — use the Open Field Test Analyzer
  • Light/dark preference in larvae — use the Light/Dark Box Test Calculator

Novel Tank Diving Test — Background

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.

Vertical Distribution Analysis

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.

Frequently Asked Questions

Next Steps

Zebrafish Housing Systems

Rack systems, tanks, and water quality monitoring for zebrafish facilities

Browse →

Track with ConductVision

Real-time swim path tracking from video — automated zone detection for novel tank diving

Browse →

Need Help?

Get a quote on equipment or talk to our team.

Request quote →