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The following specimen is always chased by the alpha male (there are four zebra, the other two look like female very much), it is 7cm long. i suppose it's a female when i acquired it in the store while the odontodes under the eyes are of middle length which puzzle me. Please take a look at the following photos and would you say it is a male or a female? Thanks much.



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hi

i would say it is a very nice male...

Miezekatze wrote:hi

i would say it is a very nice male...

Thanks Miezekatze. i guess so too as it is the only fish which cannot approach the area ruled by the alpha male...

If you recently got the fish you better start him on a fattening up diet. He looks a bit skinny...

McEve wrote:If you recently got the fish you better start him on a fattening up diet. He looks a bit skinny...

Thanks McEve, yes, you're right that it is a bit thin... however, it does not eat the branded pet food (Tropical, Sera, Tetra, etc...) It only eats the baby brine shrimp (bbs), but i doubt if it can eat enough food... Do you have some good recommendations for it? Do you think the live food like blood worm is a good choice? Please advise. Thanks much.

If it doesn't eat anything but BBS I'm not surprised it's thin. It would have to enormous amounts the get enough sustanance for a body that size... How about red plancton? Or Cyclops or Bosmids? Or Artemia? That should tempt even the fuzziest eater...? Or of course blood worms, but I'm not sure I would give live blood worms unnless I knew they came from a reputable source that checks them for bacteria and parasites that can be harmful.

Good luck, hope this helps!

McEve wrote:If it doesn't eat anything but BBS I'm not surprised it's thin. It would have to enormous amounts the get enough sustanance for a body that size... How about red plancton? Or Cyclops or Bosmids? Or Artemia? That should tempt even the fuzziest eater...? Or of course blood worms, but I'm not sure I would give live blood worms unnless I knew they came from a reputable source that checks them for bacteria and parasites that can be harmful.

Good luck, hope this helps!

Thanks McEve, will try and i myself also do not want to try blood worm if there're better alternatives as blood worm definitely came from dirty places...

Are there any feeder blocks anyone would recommend?

My zebras will chomp on algea wafers and sinking wafers too.

Maybe feed in multiple spots of the tank, that way the alpha male gets his food first and will leave this one alone to eat. If you're feeding frozen or dry food, soak the food in a cup of tank water and use a turkey baster to feed food directly to the bottom of your tank. Just a thought...

- Angela

Thanks. Strange enough, all my plecos eat the pleco wafer BUT only the zebra do not touch it!! Is it a problem coming from my feeding them with the delicous bbs and they simply ignore the other food? ~.~"

NetsuaiAngel wrote:Are there any feeder blocks anyone would recommend?

My zebras will chomp on algea wafers and sinking wafers too.

Maybe feed in multiple spots of the tank, that way the alpha male gets his food first and will leave this one alone to eat. If you're feeding frozen or dry food, soak the food in a cup of tank water and use a turkey baster to feed food directly to the bottom of your tank. Just a thought...

- Angela