smallest size female

[oscar01]

What is the smallest size female that you zebra breeders have spawned ? regardless of age.

[Rob]

Hi Oscar01

The smallest female I have spawned was approximately 55mm give or take a few mm. That said she only spawned a couple of times and both spawns resulted on minimal numbers of eggs, (i.e. less than 5 ). If my memory serves me correctly the frist spawn was infertile and the second produced 3 fry.

Also relying on my faded memory I think she was around 3 years old and was a very slender fish.

I hope this helps.

Rob

[Stevie.K]

Hi Oscar around 60 mm, seeing as you are new member you could tell us your fish background & where you are from & a few people may say hi

[oscar01]

Hi guy's, thanks for your input, I acquired a group in January and they are about 2.5" now and was wondering if they were physically able to spawn.

[TwoTankAmin]

Imo there is a problem in having smaller females spawning. The number of eggs a female will produce on average is a function of her size- smaller = fewer eggs and larger = more egg. Initially all of a fish's energy is basically devoted to growing- it heads toward maturity and size. However, once the female reaches sexual maturity (i.e. the ability to make eggs) any energy used for reproduction is thus not used for growth. In the wild and in tanks with decent size colonies, the females compete for the right to spawn just as the males do. Normally these competitions are won or lost based on size.

If a female in a tank begins spawning at a small size due to the specific conditions in that tank making this possible, the result will be she slows her growth rate in favor of egg production with the end result being a smaller female who produces fewer eggs over the longer term.

This is one of the reasons I prefer to keep plecos acquired with the intent to spawn them in groups rather than pairs or trios. Of course if one is starting with grown adults this would not be an issue, it is when one is growing out fish to spawning age/size that is can be.