Hi,
would it be a problem to put 7 new youngsters that are between 3 and 4 cm(1.2 to 1.5 inches) in with 7 adults(were 8 but one died few weeks ago)???in a tank of 160 litres???
thanks
putting new youngsters with adults?
putting new youngsters with adults?
- 10Xadult L-46(4males, 6females)+fry
- 10Xyoung L-46(4-5 cm)
- 5Xyoung L-46(3,5 cm)
-22XDiscus(7breedingpairs)
-1xl260
-20Xcorysterbai
- 10Xyoung L-46(4-5 cm)
- 5Xyoung L-46(3,5 cm)
-22XDiscus(7breedingpairs)
-1xl260
-20Xcorysterbai
- Plastic Mac
- Mentally Certified!
- Posts: 725
- Joined: Mon Aug 08, 2005 12:23 pm
- Location: Hertfordshire, UK
Wait till someone with a better understanding comes along before making a final descision however in the meantime I'll give my two cents worth:
I would have thought that adding youngsters to an already established tank of adults could well lead to bullying...perhaps changing the decor round may help but if the adults are breeding you may well interrupt the process by changing the decor round....then again you might interrupt the breeding cycle by adding the youngsters anyway...they may need to re-establish the heirarchy within the tank which would take some time.
Another thing, a 35 gallon tank I think is too small for that many zebra's, 14 in total. I personally think your probably at your limit anyway with the 7 adults..
Like I said wait for McEve or Rob or someone to give their opinion as they have much more experience when it comes to the potential for squabbling in the tank.
Plastic Mac
I would have thought that adding youngsters to an already established tank of adults could well lead to bullying...perhaps changing the decor round may help but if the adults are breeding you may well interrupt the process by changing the decor round....then again you might interrupt the breeding cycle by adding the youngsters anyway...they may need to re-establish the heirarchy within the tank which would take some time.
Another thing, a 35 gallon tank I think is too small for that many zebra's, 14 in total. I personally think your probably at your limit anyway with the 7 adults..
Like I said wait for McEve or Rob or someone to give their opinion as they have much more experience when it comes to the potential for squabbling in the tank.
Plastic Mac
Hi Tariq,
Adding the youngster will most likely postpone any breeding, simply because they regroup every time you add or take away a fish. The youngsters should be safe though, I've only once seen any aggression towards youngsters, and that ws from a psychotic male that didn't get along with other Zebras at all. darned shame too, useless for breeding of course, and the most stunning male I've seen to this day.
Actually, I put youngsters (2cm - 4cm) in with a group of strange adults only a few weeks ago. Had no problems.
But as always, make sure you have plenty of hiding places where the young ones can rush to should there be any trouble. Fish are individualists too, maybe you have a psychotic one in your group too LOL J/K!
But when all that is said, it won't be long before there will be figting in your tank, simply because 160L is too small for 14 adults needing a territory IMO
I think it should be ok, for a while, but wait and hear what the others have to say first too
Adding the youngster will most likely postpone any breeding, simply because they regroup every time you add or take away a fish. The youngsters should be safe though, I've only once seen any aggression towards youngsters, and that ws from a psychotic male that didn't get along with other Zebras at all. darned shame too, useless for breeding of course, and the most stunning male I've seen to this day.
Actually, I put youngsters (2cm - 4cm) in with a group of strange adults only a few weeks ago. Had no problems.
But as always, make sure you have plenty of hiding places where the young ones can rush to should there be any trouble. Fish are individualists too, maybe you have a psychotic one in your group too LOL J/K!
But when all that is said, it won't be long before there will be figting in your tank, simply because 160L is too small for 14 adults needing a territory IMO
I think it should be ok, for a while, but wait and hear what the others have to say first too
thnx everybody ,
well i just found out that one of my males has been dead for i dont know how long becuase i only found his skeleton while i was cleaning a bit.
so that makes it 6 adults, unbelievable 2 death within 1.5 month and one died in the summer also, just within a week i got her. that makes me really sad,but hopefully i will have some luck with my remaining group and i hope that the ones that spawned for me are still allive. i hope the youngsters will be the future,i do have a 54 litre tank thats cycled but i was scared that it might be too small for the young ones.
thanx
well i just found out that one of my males has been dead for i dont know how long becuase i only found his skeleton while i was cleaning a bit.
so that makes it 6 adults, unbelievable 2 death within 1.5 month and one died in the summer also, just within a week i got her. that makes me really sad,but hopefully i will have some luck with my remaining group and i hope that the ones that spawned for me are still allive. i hope the youngsters will be the future,i do have a 54 litre tank thats cycled but i was scared that it might be too small for the young ones.
thanx
- 10Xadult L-46(4males, 6females)+fry
- 10Xyoung L-46(4-5 cm)
- 5Xyoung L-46(3,5 cm)
-22XDiscus(7breedingpairs)
-1xl260
-20Xcorysterbai
- 10Xyoung L-46(4-5 cm)
- 5Xyoung L-46(3,5 cm)
-22XDiscus(7breedingpairs)
-1xl260
-20Xcorysterbai
Tariq,
you are planning to quarantine them first , right?
I would definitly quarantine them for at least a month.
I have a group of 13 adults and 2 fry in a 30 gallon tank - not the best and I am going to move them but they are spawning like crazy now - that was the goal when I combined them in the tank in the first place.
I have heard that several people have had similar experiences when combining zebras in a tight group - they would start to spawn. That was the reason I did it.
If yours are already spawning I would leave them alone.
The other thing about combining that many fish is that you should have had them on hand and observed them for some time (a few months) to make sure they are all healthy before combining them, just to make sure they are all well and healthy. In a crowded tank like that a small problem can get outof hand very quickly and one dead fish may poison the whole system.
So, if it was my fish I would leave them be if the adults are spawning. If they were not I would quarantine the young ones for about 3 months and then combine them to see if it would help spawning.
you are planning to quarantine them first , right?
I would definitly quarantine them for at least a month.
I have a group of 13 adults and 2 fry in a 30 gallon tank - not the best and I am going to move them but they are spawning like crazy now - that was the goal when I combined them in the tank in the first place.
I have heard that several people have had similar experiences when combining zebras in a tight group - they would start to spawn. That was the reason I did it.
If yours are already spawning I would leave them alone.
The other thing about combining that many fish is that you should have had them on hand and observed them for some time (a few months) to make sure they are all healthy before combining them, just to make sure they are all well and healthy. In a crowded tank like that a small problem can get outof hand very quickly and one dead fish may poison the whole system.
So, if it was my fish I would leave them be if the adults are spawning. If they were not I would quarantine the young ones for about 3 months and then combine them to see if it would help spawning.
- Andrew C
- Obsessed!!
- Posts: 251
- Joined: Sat Jan 22, 2005 8:52 pm
- Location: Bridge Of Weir, Scotland, UK.
Tariq
If you are having unexplained deaths in the tank, i would not add another fish to the tank.
I would leave the tank alone for a few months (regarding adding fish) and see how the fish get on, new additions to a tank are more prone to disease than a fish that has lived in the tank a long time.
It would be better if you could set up a different tank for young zebras !
If you are having unexplained deaths in the tank, i would not add another fish to the tank.
I would leave the tank alone for a few months (regarding adding fish) and see how the fish get on, new additions to a tank are more prone to disease than a fish that has lived in the tank a long time.
It would be better if you could set up a different tank for young zebras !
thanx everybody,
i bought the zebras yesterday and i couldnt resist the temptation,instead of 7 i bought 10 zebras at a price of 60 euros a piece from germany.
and to be honest i had them in a white bucket yesterday before putting them in to the tank and it seemed like i already could see some difference in shape ,some looked more rouned like females,i could be wrong ofcourse.
and another interesting note is that the breeder i got my l46 from didnt use strong current at all,almost now current just a filter and thats all, and when i had my spawn in my tank a while ago my powerhead had also slown down alot and wasnt that strong at the time of the spawn ,so i will keep that in check that when the next time my current slows down a bit if that could trigger a spawn.
thanx
i bought the zebras yesterday and i couldnt resist the temptation,instead of 7 i bought 10 zebras at a price of 60 euros a piece from germany.
and to be honest i had them in a white bucket yesterday before putting them in to the tank and it seemed like i already could see some difference in shape ,some looked more rouned like females,i could be wrong ofcourse.
and another interesting note is that the breeder i got my l46 from didnt use strong current at all,almost now current just a filter and thats all, and when i had my spawn in my tank a while ago my powerhead had also slown down alot and wasnt that strong at the time of the spawn ,so i will keep that in check that when the next time my current slows down a bit if that could trigger a spawn.
thanx
- 10Xadult L-46(4males, 6females)+fry
- 10Xyoung L-46(4-5 cm)
- 5Xyoung L-46(3,5 cm)
-22XDiscus(7breedingpairs)
-1xl260
-20Xcorysterbai
- 10Xyoung L-46(4-5 cm)
- 5Xyoung L-46(3,5 cm)
-22XDiscus(7breedingpairs)
-1xl260
-20Xcorysterbai
Hi Tariq,
Congrats on your recnt zebras purchases, that's a very good price you got them for.
I agree with the others and in particular with Andrew's comments. If you have unexplained deaths in your tank you really should be looking for the cause and adding more zebras may just compound the problem. I suspect that the deaths may well be territorial in origin in which case adding more zebras will not help. At the very least I would consider adding some more cover in the form of drift wood so that newcomers and existing residents can have their own territories. I would also consider moving up to a larger tank and or increasing the current filteration on your tank.
Whilst your existing group have spawned you will find that the new comers will eventually upset the existing heirachy within the tank when they start to mature. Maturing males may well attempt to challenge for Alpha status in the tank in which case spawning activity will stop until a new pecking order is established. I have had this happen in one of my own tanks.
Sorry for the lecture, I just don't want to see you run into problems.
Good luck.
Adam
Congrats on your recnt zebras purchases, that's a very good price you got them for.
I agree with the others and in particular with Andrew's comments. If you have unexplained deaths in your tank you really should be looking for the cause and adding more zebras may just compound the problem. I suspect that the deaths may well be territorial in origin in which case adding more zebras will not help. At the very least I would consider adding some more cover in the form of drift wood so that newcomers and existing residents can have their own territories. I would also consider moving up to a larger tank and or increasing the current filteration on your tank.
Whilst your existing group have spawned you will find that the new comers will eventually upset the existing heirachy within the tank when they start to mature. Maturing males may well attempt to challenge for Alpha status in the tank in which case spawning activity will stop until a new pecking order is established. I have had this happen in one of my own tanks.
Sorry for the lecture, I just don't want to see you run into problems.
Good luck.
Adam