ZebraPleco.com • The complete Hypancistrus zebra resource

I have noticed my female is very very beaten up is this normal for them to be voilent during spawning? and will see come out of the cave alive?

Is she out of the cave?

No, but she is still alive i see she moving ( i had to check i was worried ) there is a few of her stripes sort of missing looks weird? is this a common thing during spawning and a few patches like bite marks on here top/side area and also a few red marks poor cow really getting a beating.

How do you know all this if she hasen't been out of the cave...? Anyways, spawning *can* be very taxing on the female, and the male as well. I remember my male didn't have any stripes at all after his forst spawn.

That said, keep an eue on them, just in case you're not witnessing a spawn, but a male trapped by another male. Maybe a male that has eggs, but isn't the alpha? I've been away for the last week, so haven't kept up with all the happenings, but read somewhere that you had egg in a cave?

I have eggs in this cave BUT my female is still in there i can see in thats how i know she is all beaten up, all of the other males are accounted for so i know it isn't 2 males in there just a wee bit worried she might get really badly injured.

How long has she been in there then?

i feel quite lucky, my female goes in, does the business and gets out pretty fast