Tankmates...
Tankmates...
Okay, I know that this issue has been discussed before. And that the most sensible conclusion is to have no tankmates at all with the L046.
But I have 9 zebras (4 adults and 5 youngsters) in a planted 160 liter tank and it would be nice to have something lively in the upper layers.
Does anyone has some positive experience or recommendation for tankmates?
Let me list the former tankmates that were not a succes and why:
Ancistrus: too big and competetive, eats all the zebra food and scares them off
Pearl gourami: idem dito
Hadgets: don't like the strong current
Glowligth tetras: eat all the zebra food
Endler guppies: idem dito
Corydoras: idem dito
Armano shrimps: eat all the zebra food and I caught one eating a precious zebra egg
I was considering last days the fish listed below, but I don't think they are a succes either:
Sparkling gourami: I am worried that the sound it produces could stress the zebra's a little and make it more difficult for them to breed again.
Epiplatys dageti: needs much lower temperatures and very low current
At the moment I have 6 Rasbora hengeli (closely related to the Harlequin Rasbora) that are ideal in the sense that they are small and don't eat anything from the bottom. But I am phasing them out as I am a little fed up with them.
Also I have 4 Otocinclus affinus to help me to combat the algues. They seem to do a good job and they don't compete with the zebra's either.
A tankmate for the zebra imo should:
- not compete for food on the bottom
- be small
- stand strong current and high temperatures
I found it difficult to find such a fish. Does anyone have suggestions?
But I have 9 zebras (4 adults and 5 youngsters) in a planted 160 liter tank and it would be nice to have something lively in the upper layers.
Does anyone has some positive experience or recommendation for tankmates?
Let me list the former tankmates that were not a succes and why:
Ancistrus: too big and competetive, eats all the zebra food and scares them off
Pearl gourami: idem dito
Hadgets: don't like the strong current
Glowligth tetras: eat all the zebra food
Endler guppies: idem dito
Corydoras: idem dito
Armano shrimps: eat all the zebra food and I caught one eating a precious zebra egg
I was considering last days the fish listed below, but I don't think they are a succes either:
Sparkling gourami: I am worried that the sound it produces could stress the zebra's a little and make it more difficult for them to breed again.
Epiplatys dageti: needs much lower temperatures and very low current
At the moment I have 6 Rasbora hengeli (closely related to the Harlequin Rasbora) that are ideal in the sense that they are small and don't eat anything from the bottom. But I am phasing them out as I am a little fed up with them.
Also I have 4 Otocinclus affinus to help me to combat the algues. They seem to do a good job and they don't compete with the zebra's either.
A tankmate for the zebra imo should:
- not compete for food on the bottom
- be small
- stand strong current and high temperatures
I found it difficult to find such a fish. Does anyone have suggestions?
I searched this forum for "tankmates" and drew my own conclusion:
My Rasbora hengeli (quite simular to Rasbora heteromorpha, Harlequin rasbora) have the good qualities to stay small, to stand high temperatures and they don't eat from the bottom. So I think that I will stick to it.
Just one more question:
Does anybody has experience with the cherry barb (barbus/puntius titteya)?
I do have the suspicion that they eat from the ground. Is that true?
My Rasbora hengeli (quite simular to Rasbora heteromorpha, Harlequin rasbora) have the good qualities to stay small, to stand high temperatures and they don't eat from the bottom. So I think that I will stick to it.
Just one more question:
Does anybody has experience with the cherry barb (barbus/puntius titteya)?
I do have the suspicion that they eat from the ground. Is that true?
The Rasbora hengeli don't.
That is for sure, they are in there for half a year and besides that they are absolutely peaceful, they don't even come close to the bottom, so they don't even have any encounter with the zebras.
For the cherry barbs I am indeed not so sure, they seem to be more agressive.
I was more worried about them stealing the zebra food. As did the Glowlight tetras in a failed experiment one month ago.
That is for sure, they are in there for half a year and besides that they are absolutely peaceful, they don't even come close to the bottom, so they don't even have any encounter with the zebras.
For the cherry barbs I am indeed not so sure, they seem to be more agressive.
I was more worried about them stealing the zebra food. As did the Glowlight tetras in a failed experiment one month ago.
- jerms55555
- Obsessed!!
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- Joined: Wed Dec 22, 2004 6:50 pm
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I do have 8 ottocinclus affinus with the zebras now.
They don't seem to compete with the zebras. When I throw sinking tablets in the tank, they seem to eat indirectly from it by scavencing the substrate around it, but they don't attack directly the tablets. Funny behaviour, but it gives the zebras a change to feed properly.
Tetras are not a good company in my experience (cardinals and glowlights) as they tend to eat all the food from the ground, especially the glowlights are very greedy.
I share the same experience with the corydoras. These are too efficient in bottom feeding. They will leave nothing for the zebras.
Zebra ottos must be really nice looking with the zebras. Can you show a photograph?
They don't seem to compete with the zebras. When I throw sinking tablets in the tank, they seem to eat indirectly from it by scavencing the substrate around it, but they don't attack directly the tablets. Funny behaviour, but it gives the zebras a change to feed properly.
Tetras are not a good company in my experience (cardinals and glowlights) as they tend to eat all the food from the ground, especially the glowlights are very greedy.
I share the same experience with the corydoras. These are too efficient in bottom feeding. They will leave nothing for the zebras.
Zebra ottos must be really nice looking with the zebras. Can you show a photograph?
Tanks mates
Well i've got some whiptails with mine. They are great tank mates and algae cleaner's!!!!!
Cheers,
Clint
Cheers,
Clint
- andrewcoxon
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Congo's are much more robust and are not as dither as most Tetra's are; thus I would not recommend them as tankmates. I believe they would not hestitate to eat away at the Zebra's food if given the chance. Try Neons or other skittish Tetras. Or better use Cherry Shrimp.andrewcoxon wrote:would congo tetra work?
- zebrastorey
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I've got standard Harlequin Rasboras with mine and they don't compete too badly for food and never nip fins.
I would agree with the above and say no to barbs. They are bad fin nippers. Also, my first two zebs came from a tank with Serpae Tetras and they had chewed my poor zebs to shreds. Best avoided!
I would agree with the above and say no to barbs. They are bad fin nippers. Also, my first two zebs came from a tank with Serpae Tetras and they had chewed my poor zebs to shreds. Best avoided!