Zebra's always in Hiding

Sigma · Post by **Sigma** » Tue Oct 25, 2005 10:58 pm

Hello People.

Please could someone tell me why my Zebra's are always in hiding. Since the day I brought them (1 1/2 months ago) I rearly see them.

The only time I see them is when I want to feed them and that is because I remove them from there hiding place (I want to make sure they are eating). When ever I do this, I watch them for around an hour or 2. In this time there hide out is taken out of the tank so they cannot go into hiding again.
They do manage to eat and after a while they go back into hiding. I have sneaked up to the tank at all hours and I cannot see them. I want to take the hide out out of the tank but I know that they most probably fill secure in this with 2 clown loach and a pakistani loach.

What should I do?

Also I have just noticed that 1 of them has a couple of white spots on the tail. I am guessing this is white spot but have treated the tank and nothing has changed.

Telnes · Post by **Telnes** » Tue Oct 25, 2005 11:21 pm

My first reaction to what you say, is that you should leave their hiding alone, and not remove this every day. That is if this is wath you are doing. If you do have withe spot, this stressfull situation could cause it. But maby it is just marks of a scar ? The other fish you have in the tank, is that wath we in norway calles Botia ? They are orange and black they come from indonesia and eat snails and stuff

If it is, i dont think is a good fish to keep with your zebra plecos. They are known to be quite agressive. If i am mistaken,please forgive me, i am just trying to be helpfull.

If i am correct i would change fish mates and make a different hiding place fore the plecos witch would make it possible for you to study them without having to remove anything.

Sigma · Post by **Sigma** » Tue Oct 25, 2005 11:27 pm

Hi there Telnes.

You are correct about the loach, it is also know as a botia and he seems fine with the zebra's from my hours of watching. I must state that I don't remove the hide out every day. I tend to do this every 3 days but do place food around it on the other 2days. I will be moving the zebra's out just before Christmas when I have set up the new tank for them and the other 8 I plan to get and they will be going on there own for a while until i have purchased some discus.

Nut thank you for you advise, it will be taken into consideration. will post an update if it works.

Marc

McEve · Post by **McEve** » Tue Oct 25, 2005 11:38 pm

The best tank mates for Zebras are - Zebras IME. Clown loaches are very active fish that can easily intimidate the Zebras thus make them stay in hiding due only to this active fish being present.

It would also stress them further if the tank is rearranged, hiding places removed, put back in so forth, and - contrary to what one might think, you'll find that they will be more active if you provide more hiding places. It's all a matter of making them secure, and that they have the opportunity of going into hiding at any time they like.

Discus might not be comfortable with the current preferred by Zebras, but I know several people keep them together with Discus, and even had them spawn.

Good luck with your project, and lucky you for finding 8 Zebras

Are they grown fish? WC? F1's?

Telnes · Post by **Telnes** » Wed Oct 26, 2005 12:13 am

I have had fry zebra`s together with Discus, and it workt just fine. Had more current on some places in the thank, but i lost track of one of the fry, but when i sold the Discus and wanted to move the zebra`s too a smaller tank it was just as fat and fine as the other fry. But i you are getting spawning group i wold have them alone in the tank.

If you havent found your new zebra`s yet, mayby you should take a trip to Bergen. 150 £ fore the tickets and they sell f1 fry fore 100£ a piece

And it is a beautiful litle town

Sigma · Post by **Sigma** » Wed Oct 26, 2005 11:08 am

Thansk for the info.

I have already found my breeder, that is where I got my first 2 from. He has been quite sucessful. He has also had an article in "Practical Fish Keeping" Magazine.

I will try some of the comments that has been mentioned but the clown loach have to stay in the tank, it was there's in the first place. But they will be out soon.

Marc

Adam · Post by **Adam** » Wed Oct 26, 2005 12:42 pm

Hi Sigma,

Welcome fellow Londoner.

I really wouldn't worry about your zebras hiding all the time and I wouldn't move decor around just to see them. This will only cause them to hide even more, once they are well settled in you may see a bit more of them, however they are likely to remain secretive. Start worrying if they remain out in the open as this usually indicates that something is wrong.

It's good that you have managed to find a breeder with whom you can deal direct. It's pretty risky business buying them online these days due to the zebra scammers that are operating out there.

Personally I would move the Pakistani Loach sooner rather than later. There have been a number of reports where zebras kept together with clown loaches have died. Search the forum and you will find the thread where this was discussed. Botias have a sharp retractable spine under their eyes that they can use if they are threatened. I suspect that this could be the cause of the zebra deaths.

Regards.

Adam

Plastic Mac · Post by **Plastic Mac** » Wed Oct 26, 2005 1:23 pm

All sounds like good advice. My zebs are kept in a zeb only tank and have been there around 2-3 months. It's only now that they are starting to venture out in 'daylight' and not be quite so startled each time I walk up to the tank. They need time to get used to their surroundings and certainly removing their hiding place each feeding time will freak them right out. Mostly it's just a question of being patient.
If you want to see them feeding I found a good way is to switch the tank light off, switch the room light off and just sit there in the dark with your mobile phone light on shining into the tank...it's just enough light to see into the tank but not enough to freak them out.
I did this the other night with my black ghost knife fish. He'll normally just hide because he's naturally nocturnal and if food goes in the tank while the lights are on he might rush out grab something but then dive straight back into his hidy-hole. But i was absolutely dumbfounded in the dark using the phone light to see him swimming round the tank like a trapeze artist, literally! He was doing barrell rolls and loops and all sorts of other fancy manoevers, it was amazing