If I can't have the cave - then nobody is going to have it!

McEve · Post by **McEve** » Thu Aug 31, 2006 8:10 pm

Our Zebras are so full of personality. I just turned the light on in the tank I'm medicating, after three days. I immediately noticed that the smaller male had been in trouble. No stripes left on him, he had been chewed on, no doubt.

As I sat watching the larger male came out from behind his shelter under a rock and started beating on the smaller male. Got him away from the cave, then tried to get in there himself, but alas, the cave was too small for comfort so the larger male sulkingly went back to his hiding spot.

ok, I figured this man needs a bit of help, so I took one of LyreTails caves, which are quite a lot larger than the standard Zebra caves, and swapped one of the caves with this one.

I think it took 1 min and 34 seconds, and the larger male was well settled into the new larger cave, and is now leaving the smaller male alone.

The smaller male still can't believe his luck and is excpecting an attack any time

(there is a cave at the other end of the tank that he can choose if he wants too, but I guess holding on to this cave saves his last bit of dignity) They're like children

eklikewhoa · Post by **eklikewhoa** » Thu Aug 31, 2006 8:17 pm

cool!

i wouldnt have the heart to let the little one get beat up that bad though.

McEve · Post by **McEve** » Thu Aug 31, 2006 8:29 pm

I did fix the situation as soon as I noticed it

chanettt · Post by **chanettt** » Thu Aug 31, 2006 8:44 pm

will that stripe heal itself or it will leave the scar on that zebra? i guess i have to made a bigger cave in case this problem occure. however, better leave more room between each cave so larger male will not beat each other around don't you think?

McEve · Post by **McEve** » Thu Aug 31, 2006 8:49 pm

The stripes will heal, this is a minor damage

sometimes the stripes change, so that they get a different pattern after a fight like the one mine have been in, but the fight they were in was really not serious.

Like I said, there's a cave at the far end of the tank he can go to if he wants to

I've had the lights on for an hour or more now, and the bigger male is quite content in his cave, hasen't left it for a second. I doubt there will be any more fighting between these two, as the larger male now has what he wanted to start with

chanettt · Post by **chanettt** » Thu Aug 31, 2006 8:53 pm

i see so you are looking forward for the new pattern right?

just kidding~ by the way what is the size of the bigger cave?

McEve · Post by **McEve** » Thu Aug 31, 2006 9:12 pm

These are LyreTails caves
http://www.zebrapleco.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=862

Here's one of my females that got a new pattern after a fight
http://www.zebrapleco.com/forum/viewtop ... ht=pattern

she didn't have that circle before the fight.

AND, if you guys think you can a colony of Zebras without occationally seeing this you'll have to rethink

There will always be the occational fight, and in 95% of the cases all that will happen is that they loose their stripes, and sometimes they grow back in a new patter, sometimes not. Sometimes they will actually kill eachother. (fortunately I've been spared for this)

You'll notice in the thread that some people think L98 is a mutation of L46 resulting from just these kind of things.

It's part of the Zebras behaviour.

You'll notice that the smaller male has his tail up. That means he's by no means beaten and is ready for another round. This is not going to happen now as the other male now has what he wanted to start with. As a matter of fact, as we speak there's a female trying to get in to the battered males cave! So who the winner and the looser is might not be what we think

chanettt · Post by **chanettt** » Thu Aug 31, 2006 9:40 pm

too bad that LyreTails no longer make the cave. they look really nice. by the way the new pattern look really beautiful

Mindy · Post by **Mindy** » Sat Sep 02, 2006 1:31 pm

How big is that male??

He looks giant!

McEve · Post by **McEve** » Sat Sep 02, 2006 10:38 pm

He is big. 10cm not counting the tail. They are both living in harmony now btw, ever since big got his cave

McEve · Post by **McEve** » Mon Sep 04, 2006 4:53 pm

Ebony and Ivory, living side by side in perfect harmony.

discusbabe · Post by **discusbabe** » Mon Sep 04, 2006 8:42 pm

Oh wow! Poor little thing! That would break my heart to see a zeb like that but then I don't have the experience you have with them!

McEve · Post by **McEve** » Mon Sep 04, 2006 10:48 pm

he's not unhappy, notice the blue tinge in his fins, and he's had suitors knocking on his doors too. After all, he did manage to hold on to the cave!

He's the tanks hero as far as the girls go