We propose and demonstrate a Q-switched erbium-doped fiber laser (EDFL) using an erbium-doped zirconiaalumina siBca glass-based fiber (Zr-EDF) as a saturable absorber.As a 16-cm-long Zr-EDF is incorporated into a ring EDFL cavity,a stable Q-switching pulse train operating at 1565nm wavelength is successfully obtained.The repetition rate is tunable from 33.97kHz to 71.23kHz by increasing the pump power from the threshold of 26mW to the maximum of 74mW.The highest pulse energy of 26.67nJ is obtained at the maximum pump power.