but they are still beautiful fish that I am enjoying and just an excuse to get more!Hi from Atlanta
Hi from Atlanta
Just picked up two zebras on trade. In a 20g with some Red Cherry Shrimp. I believe after trolling here for the last 3 months since I got them I have wound up with two males. but they are still beautiful fish that I am enjoying and just an excuse to get more!
but they are still beautiful fish that I am enjoying and just an excuse to get more!- Attachments
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TwoTankAmin
- Moderator
- Posts: 1253
- Joined: Fri Apr 21, 2006 2:16 am
- Location: Westchester Co., NY
Re: Hi from Atlanta
Welcome to the site and the world of zebras. You may or may not be correct in sexing. The best way to do so it to vent them.
There is a difference in the sex ratios you will get from wild caught zebras vs tank raised. Because of how they are collected, there tend to be way more males than females which came out of Brazil, allbeit illegally removed. However, when they spawn there is not a lopsided balance of the sexes. When there were a fair number of zebras being smuggled out of Brazil which constituted the main supply and before there were many people spawning them, females were very highly prized.
This is still the case but nowhere near to the extent it used to be. But very few sellers will sell females only. Generally, one must buy pairs of groups. Also, the smaller/younger a zebra is, the more difficult it is to sex. So the odds of getting both sexes for a fair price is to buy a group of youngsters. The downside to this is you can have a multiple year wait until they are likely to spawn.
There is a difference in the sex ratios you will get from wild caught zebras vs tank raised. Because of how they are collected, there tend to be way more males than females which came out of Brazil, allbeit illegally removed. However, when they spawn there is not a lopsided balance of the sexes. When there were a fair number of zebras being smuggled out of Brazil which constituted the main supply and before there were many people spawning them, females were very highly prized.
This is still the case but nowhere near to the extent it used to be. But very few sellers will sell females only. Generally, one must buy pairs of groups. Also, the smaller/younger a zebra is, the more difficult it is to sex. So the odds of getting both sexes for a fair price is to buy a group of youngsters. The downside to this is you can have a multiple year wait until they are likely to spawn.
What makes the common person uncommon is common sense.
Re: Hi from Atlanta
Yeah we tried the whole eating thing and well I'm just not great at it so while i finally got a camera capable of taking good shots of their undersides they haven't decided to stick to the glass again and I'm just not 100% comfortable on handling them or disturbing them.
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TwoTankAmin
- Moderator
- Posts: 1253
- Joined: Fri Apr 21, 2006 2:16 am
- Location: Westchester Co., NY
Re: Hi from Atlanta
Don't be nervous. I keep several species of pricey Hypancistrus and they get moved, or have their tank torn down, several times a year. The tear down is how I get to see them and to redistriubute/sell them. They handle it just fine. The one caveat is to be careful not to ding them with the frame of the net.
I actually remove them from their tank to a smaller photo tank with cooler water in it for sexing purposes This usually gets the tube to come out. It also lets me take pics from all sides which I can then display on a bigger screen. It is a lot easier to see all the details when you have it enlarged at high resolution.
I actually remove them from their tank to a smaller photo tank with cooler water in it for sexing purposes This usually gets the tube to come out. It also lets me take pics from all sides which I can then display on a bigger screen. It is a lot easier to see all the details when you have it enlarged at high resolution.
What makes the common person uncommon is common sense.
