I've had my Zebra Pleco a couple of mnths now and thought i would give you all an update. I'm glad to say all is well, I am currently do twice weekly water changes using 50-50 RO-Tap which gives me a KH of about 4-5 but a PH in the tank of around 7.8. The water is kept around 82 and the Zebra seems very happy he has recenty moved from his residence by the side of the filter pipe into a much more comfortable position in a ledge on the bogwood. He is bright in colour and has the happy blue edge to the fins and tale. I'm feeding him on a varied diet of bloodworm, brineshrimp (his favourate) and tetra prima.
I thank you all for your help in the early stages.
I still don't understand how I can have soft water with a PH of 7.8-8.0 but all fish seem happy anyway.
I'm using carbon at the moment to try and keep the yellow tint from the bogwood down on a recipe of 1 Tablespoon per 10 gallons and was thinking of changing the carbon every 4 weeks and advice on this matter would be good as well as if it's o.k to use carbon on a perminant bases as I was told it leaches Phostphate and highers the PH slightly.
Zebra Plec Update
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adrianhaslett
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Plastic Mac
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Glad to see all is going well. 
As for the carbon, personally I stopped using that a while ago. I found it to be pretty ineffective, especially at removing tannins. OK it removed some but with the amount of tannin I have in my water, the carbon could just not cope. I've never heard of carbon leaching phosphates( perhaps someone else might have the answer to that) but I could imagine it raising the pH somewhat. Since tannins lower the pH to some degree, removing them will reverse the process.
Your fine to use carbon on a permanent basis, unless you need to use meds of course (the carbon will remove them). Changing it every four weeks is also fine, as long as you stick to that regime...after a while the carbon will break down and realease all that it has captured, not good.
There are though, imo better products out there which will serve the same function as carbon. I use a product called Purigen, it removes tannins very effectively and it will also remove the nitrogen cycle products. The best thing about it though is it's rechargable so no need to keep buying replacement carbon.
Good luck with your zeb.
Plastic Mac
edited to add: I just searched google to check on the phosphate issue and it would seem that all carbon releases phosphates to some degree, as that is it's nature. However, higher quality brands will (apparently) release less phosphates (PO4) than standard brands. Most of the links seem to center around phosphates with marine tanks, understandably...regardless though, some of the info can no doubt be transferred to freshwater:
http://www.netpets.com/fish/reference/f ... bmeth.html
http://saltaquarium.about.com/cs/filtra ... 061098.htm
http://www.aquahobby.com/articles/e_chemical.php
As for the carbon, personally I stopped using that a while ago. I found it to be pretty ineffective, especially at removing tannins. OK it removed some but with the amount of tannin I have in my water, the carbon could just not cope. I've never heard of carbon leaching phosphates( perhaps someone else might have the answer to that) but I could imagine it raising the pH somewhat. Since tannins lower the pH to some degree, removing them will reverse the process.
Your fine to use carbon on a permanent basis, unless you need to use meds of course (the carbon will remove them). Changing it every four weeks is also fine, as long as you stick to that regime...after a while the carbon will break down and realease all that it has captured, not good.
There are though, imo better products out there which will serve the same function as carbon. I use a product called Purigen, it removes tannins very effectively and it will also remove the nitrogen cycle products. The best thing about it though is it's rechargable so no need to keep buying replacement carbon.
Good luck with your zeb.
Plastic Mac
edited to add: I just searched google to check on the phosphate issue and it would seem that all carbon releases phosphates to some degree, as that is it's nature. However, higher quality brands will (apparently) release less phosphates (PO4) than standard brands. Most of the links seem to center around phosphates with marine tanks, understandably...regardless though, some of the info can no doubt be transferred to freshwater:
http://www.netpets.com/fish/reference/f ... bmeth.html
http://saltaquarium.about.com/cs/filtra ... 061098.htm
http://www.aquahobby.com/articles/e_chemical.php
