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I'm wondering if small, baby one inch bristlenose plecos are compatible with equal size baby Zebras? I'm expecting a group of 3 zebras in a couple of weeks, and probably 5 more within 2 months. I will be setting a separate tank for the zebras, with sand, bogwood, etc.

Recently I ordered a group of 6 baby bristlenose plecos for my 180 gal discus tank. They came in about one inch. They either got lost in the tank or became a nice meal for my big discus. I was thinking of raising the bn to at least 2 inches in the Zebra tank, before dumping them in the big tank. What do you think?

I'm sure the baby BN's got lost in your tank with the discus. I doubt the discus would have eaten them. Discus have small mouths.

The BN's and zebras should be fine together. They will share and eat the same types of food.

How big is the tank?

Not sure about tank size yet. I was thinking 10 gals, but that may be too small. I want to raise 6-8 zebras from 1" size for the next couple of years in there, before they start pairing off (hopefully).

10 gallon is way small for that many. A 20 gallon long would be better.

10 gal for 5 zebras and 6 bns is too small of a tank. 10 gal is prolly good for just the zebras. You can put them in the same tank but you have to watch because bns are more aggressive toward food then zebras. And you don't have to feed bns too much of high protein diet like your zebras. Too much of high protein in their diet will mess up their system. Even though they are omnivore, their diet should consist of 70% veggy to 30% high protein. While your zebras are just opposite. just my 2 cents...

i would go for at least a 20gallon long for that many fish.

Thank you guys! A 20 gal it shall be. Trying to start right so I won't have to move them around later. Already got some Amazon plants & wood for them.

I have spawned bn for years and zebras since last April. I have never mixed them and I would not do so. For me the reasoning is quite simple.
Bn give 50-75 fry in a spawn, zebras give a small fraction of that. I sell 1.5 inch bn for about $5 and sell 1 inch zebras for $125 and up. The math here does not support mixing them since any potential problems that might result simply do not justify doing so.

ApacheDan wrote: Already got some Amazon plants & wood for them.

Hope you've got that for the bn's.
For your zebs you need slate, rocks and caves.

when my zebs were smaller i kept some small bn's with them. they were all fine for a while but whne the bn's got bigger they would steel all the food.
i would say that there ok to keep together but as soon as the bn's start out growing the zebs move them to a different tank

I think it would be ok to house the baby zebs in a 10g, I've got 18 in one 10g now. Stack some rocks (no gravel) for several caves and crevices (did I spell that right?) and they seem to stick to one spot - I think they like each other at this size - the wee ones, that is. The older ones are starting to move around a bit more. I added 7 new fry and made small crevices for them and they still hang out where they bigger ones are. The small are under and inch and the older are pushing 2 inches, maybe larger.


I would have to agree to keeping fry separated to species. Just for food, because one might be less shy, thus leaving the shy hungry.


But as the saying goes, what works for me may not be what works for you... Kind of what is trash to someone is treasure to another, or poison or some other saying... I ramble,so er... Merry Christmas!!

Small investment for a priceless Zebra. Just went to my LFS & got a 20g with 50/50 lights for the plants. Got Bogwood, stones, medium sand,
Amazon Swords plants...just going to use a cycled outside filter meant for 50gal to provide overfiltration & cycle the water faster. Won't worry too much because at 1", they got a lot of growing to do. Missing some slates. I even bought a couple of Leopard Plecos,, about 3" to test the water, but I will remove them before the Z's come. Lucky me, I'm close to Benny's Tropicals ( he sells at Aquabid) & got my pick of the crop.

I hope it's a 20 gallon long. A 20 gallon (aka 20 gallon high) measures 24"L x 12"W x 16"H). A 20 gallon long measures 30"L x 12" W x 12"H. Plecos do not care about the extra 4" height in a regular 20 gallon, just surface area, which a 20 gallon long offers.