Notice that the fish has a rather long nose. It's got a bluish tint in his eyes (Unfortunately the blueish tint in the eyes are very hard to capture on picture, but it should be easy to spot when looking at the fish), which sits relatively high on the head, almost like buttons. A healthy Zebra has a bluish tint to it's caudal and tail fins. There's no red spots or lesions on the skin, the fins should not be frayed, and the tail has a pronounced V-shape. Look at the fish' tummy, it should be round, showing that the fish is eating well and don't have any internal ailments.

(Maybe one of you have a better picture?)

Severe damage after fighting
fin nipping, will heal
Underdeveloped fins *

The Zebra is usually a very peaceful fish, but they are able to fight quite fiercly for their territory or their posistion in the hierarchy. The picture shows a male that was beaten up by the alpha male in the colony.

This fish was restored to previous health by an experienced aquarist, but the wounds could have been fatal. Treat with frequent watercanges, and an antibacterial agent.

It's interesting to note that the fish developed a different pattern on his tail as he healed.

A fish with damaged fins from fighting or tailnipping from tankmates they shouldn't be kept together with will look quite differerent. This will heal without too much trouble given the right conditions.

Clean water and correct feeding, in a tank with suitable tankmates is all it takes to heal this kind of damage.

A captivebred Zebra can, if not given optimal condition, end up with underdeveloped fins. The fish on the picture has no pelvic fins, a round tailfin, and very short pectoral fins. The fish on the picture has not been given optimal growing conditions and are seriously underdeveloped.

This is a permanent damage

This fish is the same fish as shown above *

From this angle one can see even more clearly that this is a severely underdevolped fish. It's about two years old, but has all the characteristics of a fry. Only when seen from above one can tell it's an adult fish due to the width of the head. The Dorsal fin can clearly be seen as severely underdeveloped as well.

Do not buy a fish that looks like this, or show any signs of stunted growth. Always ask how old the fish is before you buy, and make sure the fish has developed according to it's age.

A severe case of malnourishment

This fish is so undernourished that not only the tummy is sunken - the back of the fish is sunken as well. One can clearly see that this fish has a head much wider than the body, and that it is an adult. The fish also has underdeloped fins.

Never buy a fish with a sunken belly, it should be round and full. The muscle tone should clearly show that the fish is well fed.

If the fish has an extremely sunken belly, it could have permanent internal damage, and be beyond salvation.

Infectious viral growth

This picture shows a condition that is infectious and appears to be either viral or bacterial in origin. It appears that the pathogen responsible causes normal cells to mutate and form the growths, I suspect the growths to be some sort of sarcoma.

It looks like the only effective treatment is to physically remove these tumours, and treat the affected area with iodine, as soon as possible to prevent cross infection

Fungal diseases and infections are one of the most common ailments an aquarist has to treat. With the Zebra Pleco it's most common form appears to be brought about by territorial disputes.

Despite being a relatively timid fish, the zebra pleco will defend it's territory from other zebra's with great vigor, often resulting in injury or in some cases the death of a fish.

Serious fungal infection on the pectoral fin

In normal conditions the Zebra (and other fish) are protected by a mucus that covers the skin of the healthy fish. After terrirorial disputes or spawning activity however it is often common to see a reddening of the pelvic fins and areas around the vent. Although in itself this is not a major worry it can lead to further complications in the form of fungal growth. Any “break” of rupture in the protective mucus, exposing damaged flesh will provide an area for the infectious spores (which are naturally abundant in most aquarium) to form a foothold and form fungal infections.

As you can see from the picture on the Left, an otherwise healthy female has been in a territorial dispute resulting in a damaged pectoral fin. Despite starting off as slight dispute, resulting in a reddened fin tip, the territorial fight increased until the injury removed all flesh from the tip of the fin. This area, then became susceptible to fungal infection which , can be seen as cotton wool like strands.

If caught early enough, fungal infections can be treated relatively easily with a topically applied Methyl Blue solution. (This should only be done if the fungus is clearly visable). It can often be easier to catch the fish and place it in a breeder hanging inside the tank. Then using a clean cotton bud, dabbed Methyl blue, gently dab the affected area. It is also important however to ensure excellent water quality to reduce the chance of the infection increasing.

If left to progress a fungal infection will kill the fish within a matter of days.

The best way of making sure this does not happen is undoubtedly prevention. The majority of fungal infections occur due to tank disputes. Therefore by making sure that there are sufficient areas for fish to hide and form territories the risk of such infections should be kept to a minimum.

Ich/Velvet

Zebra with Velvet

Ich is a well known parasitic disease in the aquarium hobby. Zebras can, like other aquarium fish, be infected by this disease. Fortunately there are efficient and easy ways to cure this disease.

Read first hand experiences with how to deal with this disease in this forum thread