Zebra's strange (?) behaviour!!!

husky_jim · Post by **husky_jim** » Sun Mar 06, 2005 6:16 pm

Hello to all.
Last week i upgraded my zebra tank from 30g to a 60g wide tank with completely new and clean gravel (in the old tank i had a serious snail problem).
Also i decreased a lot the TDS and change the decoration.Three days after (4 days ago) my dominant male abandoned his favorite cave and he dig a hole/cavity between the gravel and a mopani wood (forming a cave) and the next day i saw one of my smallest (believed to be female-also posted in the id section here) join him inside the cavity and be together for 3+ days now.
I know that probably sounds like spawning activity but i don't now if i have to be happy or worried about this.
The cavity is at the backside of the tank and i have no visual if eggs where layed i just see the female trying to move but the male block her way despite that in my opinion the female has the nessecary space to escape.......

What do you think ???Cause i am just starting loosing my mind

McEve · Post by **McEve** » Sun Mar 06, 2005 9:45 pm

Maybe he didn't like how the cave was positioned related to the current? I know one of mine didn't want to stay in a cave positioned with the opening facing the current when the current was strong.

What are you worried about? Are you concerned that this is a behaviour associated with illness? Or you just pacing in the corridors with the cigar ready?

You might just get the opportunity to light it soon

Adam · Post by **Adam** » Mon Mar 07, 2005 4:15 pm

I too have noticed that the males can be quite fussy on the position of their caves. I currently have five in my tank but only one gets used and there always seems to be squables over this one cave. On the whole the other caves are left vacant. I think that you have to tinker around with the positioning of caves until you find what your zebras like.

As for the current behaviour of your male and female zebra it looks like a good sign to me.

Like McEve says put that cigar on standby

Shell231 · Post by **Shell231** » Mon Mar 07, 2005 4:30 pm

In reading this thread are there any tips on placing caves, in my tank i have the current ( if you can imagine looking at your tank in the back left facing diagonal across the tank )

any tips on placing them i.e facing current just off or not at all things like this would be a great help to me! try and give them the best chance of spawning

McEve · Post by **McEve** » Mon Mar 07, 2005 4:32 pm

Most find that they prefer the current to come from behind or the side, but you'll soon find out what yours prefer. Put 2 or 3 caves in the tank, all with different posistion, and you'll soon see which one they want

Shell231 · Post by **Shell231** » Mon Mar 07, 2005 4:37 pm

Can you put the fry back into the main tank with all the adults ( if you have removed them that is ) to grow up or do fry need separate living space i.e new tank?

McEve · Post by **McEve** » Mon Mar 07, 2005 4:41 pm

You can put them back. Actually, the one that was left with the group was really an escapee

That's how I learned what to do better next time

Shell231 · Post by **Shell231** » Mon Mar 07, 2005 6:05 pm

i was thinking from reading this forum, leaving the fry in with them! seems to have worked better in many cases.

Dr. P · Post by **Dr. P** » Mon Mar 07, 2005 6:18 pm

McEve wrote:You can put them back. Actually, the one that was left with the group was really an escapee That's how I learned what to do better next time

Thats exactly what happened with my 2 fry. They were both booted or escaped from the cave very soon after hatching. The 1 fry I did remove, who didn't make it, (whole other thread

) was kept in a breeding trap alone.

The fish that are in the main tank, with the parents, seemed bigger, healthier and more developed, in comparison to the guy in the trap.....but then again, I think the fry I removed had some possible health issues so I really couldn't say either way for sure. When I am lucky enough to get another spawn, I'll be leaving them with the parents in the main tank. If I am lucky enough to get even more spawns, I will then adopt the same idea as Barbie, and use a hang in the tank tank (if that makes sence) for the older, more developed fry.

On a side note......the fish that "looks after" the 2 surviving fry was nothing to do with their parentage.....he's just stepping up to the job

So in my circumstance, there is no anamosity towards the fry, which can only be a good thing.

Adam · Post by **Adam** » Mon Mar 07, 2005 6:25 pm

It all depends really, like I said before it really is a personal choice. Some like to interviene so as to maximise the number of survivors and others are happy to just let nature take its course no matter how many casualties this entails. I wouldn't say that either way is wrong or right. Perhaps some of the others can comment further.

Shell231 · Post by **Shell231** » Mon Mar 07, 2005 6:33 pm

Ok! say i did remove the fry and placed them in a tank that clipped on the side, i have only seem the one for separating bettas, can you get bigger sizes or is this one ok?

Adam · Post by **Adam** » Mon Mar 07, 2005 6:57 pm

This should be ok but you should provide some supplementary aeration if you were to use the commonly available live bearer/betta traps. Dr P uses a particularly nice breeding trap by Interpet if I remember correctly that has an inbuilt air inlet . Barbie has even gone as far as having an excellent custom breeding trap built.

Shell231 · Post by **Shell231** » Mon Mar 07, 2005 7:12 pm

What is the diamention of the interpet one? and how much?

Dr. P · Post by **Dr. P** » Mon Mar 07, 2005 10:39 pm

Here's a link to the first one I found using google, they are quite popular so I shouldn't think you would have much trouble tracking one down.

http://www.seapets.co.uk/product-detail ... 41230.html

Shell231 · Post by **Shell231** » Tue Mar 08, 2005 6:11 pm

not meaning to sound funny but what si the diamentions of it? sorry for the stupid question