ZebraPleco.com • The complete Hypancistrus zebra resource

Hi -- I have a mix of 13 Zebs. Can anybody tell me how I get them to breed.... I have mix of Tap & RO available, typically keep them @ 86f... and do cold water changes ...

Hi snr69,

Just a few questions because I know the other members will ask these:

What's your tank setup look like?
What are your tank parameters: Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrate, pH
How often are you doing the water changes?
What and how often are you feeding your zebras?

There's an article and a video of courtship on this site:
http://www.zebrapleco.com/articles.php

Everyone has different theories on getting their zebras to spawn, some say they just tank care of their tank, feed, and ta-dah! they spawn when the zebras are left to their own.

Some say stimulating a rainy season helps, when you do a cold water change, what is the temperature difference of the cold water going in?

Do you time your cold water changes with a rainy day in your region? I hear that helps too.

- Angela

Some members also have a theory that wild caught zebras may need stimulating but tank raised ones don't.

Do you have wild zebras or tank raised? What sizes are they? Male/female ratio?

I think we can often try and do too much in an effort to get/help them to spawn and this only results in upsetting them. I'm a big believer in just leaving them to get on with it, they'll spawn when they're ready.

Right --- serious start now...

New tank setup...

Most of mine were meant to be wild caught....

Water parms are currently

Nitrite.. 10 ( now fixed by water change )
Nitrate 10
TDS 250 ppm ?
KH 10
PH 7.1 -- Although I will drop this with RO to 6.6 ?
Temp --- 32 currently

Sand
Slate
Caves
Plants



and 15 Zebs

Hey --- this is cool --- some cave trapping going on --- two in the cage and the little one said ...

Baby Zebs ?

Water parms are currently

Nitrite.. 0
Nitrate 100
GH >7degree D ( less than 14 )
KH 3
PH 6.8-- Although I will drop this with RO to 6.6 ?
Temp --- 31

Nitrates 100?? To high in my opinion, but just my tuppence worth.

And in an earlier post, nitrites of 10, woops, thats lethal, fish will die.

For fish to spawn they need good parameters that are stable, NO ammonia, NO nitrite and nitrates less than 50. pH anything from 5 - 7, but it must be stable with no sudden swings - keep a kH of 3dkH.

Feed plenty of good quality, high protein food, prawns, white fish, tetra prima or doromin.

I dont have any mature L046's so these conditions are what I use for spawning anything else I have, Discus, L333's, BN's, Bolivian Rams and Corydoras (Aenaus and Sterbai). The L333's and Corys seem to be kick started with the cold water change method. All the rest just spawn when they are ready and well fed.

Hope that helps

Tom.

Thanks

I'm not convinced these test strips are very accurate...

i dont have any exp with breeding but i would have to say that there shouldnt be any nitrite and your nitrates are a bit on the high side! i would look into getting a better test kit, you did spend a small fortune for the fish so why not part with money to get a good test kit.