a bit of a problem.... need some advice!

[andrewcoxon]

hi guys,

as i speak my big males got a female trapped in his cave but im worried about my other male. recently he's been taking quite a few beatings and he never gets the chance to recouperate.... but im worried if i move him they will stop spawning because iv upset the balance.

in the tank iv got the 2 big males (however the real boss is still quite bigger than the once who's getting beat on) and a slightly younger male who seems to keep out of it in the far left of my tank in his cave. the female and a younger fish thats looking female also.

i want to know if its a good idea to move the injured male after this current spawning attempt to my other group which consists of younger fish just reaching sexual maturity (both looking female and getting quite fat i might add) where he will have a more peacefull life and perhaps get a chance to breed as he will be alpha.

or will it just make everything stop spawning!?

answers on a postcard plz.....

[McEve]

How badly beaten is he? If it's bad, and he never gets any rest I'd move him. It might, as you say, upset the hierachy, and the alpha might need the sub male, but if it's bad I would move still move him. He might be the alpha for your other females

If it stops your alpha, which I have a feeling it wont, as it sounds like he's on a roll, you could always move the sub dominant back after he's recuperated.

(I'm not familiar with the expression "answers on a postcard plz", what does it mean?)

[ZebMan]

I think that expression is like "Short and Sweet", although I have never heard of it before either.

[Rob]

Hi Andrew

I agree with McEve, remove the male just after the spawn. Whilst the male is in the cave with the female, the sub-alpha male is not threatened, but any interference, (like chasing a fish around a a tank) could interupt the spawning process.

In all reality I doubt if removing the male will discourage the pair from spawning in the long-run. Believe it or not Zebras do appear to be relaitvely fussy individuals. i.e. you can have a male & female in a tank for moths with no "action", then swap the males and you get a spawn. i.e. they are either interested in each other or they are not. If the female sees the current male as a proposed mate then this should continue irrespective of whether there is an sub-dominant male present or not.

Rob

[andrewcoxon]

thanks guys,

il remove him once the eggs are laid this time then.

[John]

answers on a postcard plz.....

What's your adress andrew?

il remove him once the eggs are laid this time then.

Dang, just bought a postcard and that's what i wanted to write you