Today I lifted up the breeding tube to have a look in it.
And yes... They've done it again...
Little wrigglers at the end of the tube!
They are still very small with a big yolk sac.
Do you guys know how much time it takes for them to absorb the yolk sac?
I want to seperate them from dad as soon as the yolk sac is absorbed.
On the issue of seperating them from the father I developed the following theory:
It seems logical to leave them with their father as this happens also in nature.
Only I think that in nature they breed in some hole or crevice that is not completely closed, so that micro organisms can enter which serves as food for the fry.
In the tank situation the breeding caves are closed and quite sterile, and also there are not so many micro organisms in the tank that could wander in.
What do you think?
Still I find it strange that when I was breeding the ordinary Bristlenose, it wasn't a problem to leave them with their dad. When their yolk sac was absorbed and they got hungry they escaped from their dad to find food for themselves. But after all this might explain why the Bristlenose is so common and the Zebra is endangered.
new wrigglers!!! third breeding!!!
Many congratulations!
On the issue of leaving with the parent or removing them. You are playing the lottery. I risked it will be golden ancistrus male and I lost all the young. This time (they just spawned again) I'm removing them form their dad. Most fish get better the more times they try to raise young. But when it comes to Zebras can you risk it?...I wouldn't personally.
I think you make a valid point regarding micro-organisms but in a tank we can never hope to match the breeding/growing environments found in the wild. That is why it is so difficult to raise fish from the egg.
With plecs we have an advantage in the fact that they produce less young but invest far more energy in each by giving them a huge yolk sac.
If you leave your fry with the dad and the tank is very mature and species only your fry have the best chance. However, with zebras I would try to rear them artificially.
Good luck
Tom
On the issue of leaving with the parent or removing them. You are playing the lottery. I risked it will be golden ancistrus male and I lost all the young. This time (they just spawned again) I'm removing them form their dad. Most fish get better the more times they try to raise young. But when it comes to Zebras can you risk it?...I wouldn't personally.
I think you make a valid point regarding micro-organisms but in a tank we can never hope to match the breeding/growing environments found in the wild. That is why it is so difficult to raise fish from the egg.
With plecs we have an advantage in the fact that they produce less young but invest far more energy in each by giving them a huge yolk sac.
If you leave your fry with the dad and the tank is very mature and species only your fry have the best chance. However, with zebras I would try to rear them artificially.
Good luck
Tom
I was going to remove the fry from their dad.
The first time I made a mesh of it, because the fry escaped when I tried to seperate them from their dad. Some of the fry returned to their dad and some stayed at loose. I distributed babyfood through the tank, hoping that the fry would eat it. But only one survived.
In fact I don't have a clue if the fry would have been alright if I had left them with their dad or that they would starve anyway. If they stay with their dad I really don't know what is feeding them.
I only know that I have succes with the second breeding (even if it is only one fry), so I want to seperate them again.
The first time I made a mesh of it, because the fry escaped when I tried to seperate them from their dad. Some of the fry returned to their dad and some stayed at loose. I distributed babyfood through the tank, hoping that the fry would eat it. But only one survived.
In fact I don't have a clue if the fry would have been alright if I had left them with their dad or that they would starve anyway. If they stay with their dad I really don't know what is feeding them.
I only know that I have succes with the second breeding (even if it is only one fry), so I want to seperate them again.
While the fry have a yolk sac, they don't eat. They are taking all of their nutrition from the yolk, as they grow to a size where they have a chance of surviving. I always leave the fry with the male until their yolk is at least most of the way absorbed, so they are a bit less delicate. Once I can look in the cave and see the yolk mostly gone, I take them out and put them in a specimen container hanging on the tank, that has a sponge in one side to let water flow out, and then run a sponge filter output into the other side. I can then concentrate food in front of them, without worrying about water quality. It works great. I've lost very few fry this way, once I actually take them from the male.
I do think the males have trouble getting it figured out about helping the fry hatch, as I've had two times when I saw more wigglers at the hatching point than I later took from the cave. I may try swiping them with full yolk sacs next time, just to see if I get higher counts. I've never personally had good luck hatching ancistrus eggs without a male to help "chew" them out of their shells, and I'd lose about 30%. It will be interesting to see if anyone has better luck with zebras. I don't think I'll be trying it that way though!
Barbie
I do think the males have trouble getting it figured out about helping the fry hatch, as I've had two times when I saw more wigglers at the hatching point than I later took from the cave. I may try swiping them with full yolk sacs next time, just to see if I get higher counts. I've never personally had good luck hatching ancistrus eggs without a male to help "chew" them out of their shells, and I'd lose about 30%. It will be interesting to see if anyone has better luck with zebras. I don't think I'll be trying it that way though!
Barbie
[url=http://www.plecos.com][img]http://plecos.com/plecosbanner.gif[/img][/url]
About 11-15 days, depending on the temperature
http://www.zebrapleco.com/breeding.htm
http://www.zebrapleco.com/breeding.htm
I always left the fry with the Dad, it never seemed to be a problem. The fry stay with him for about 2 weeks and come out at a size of almost 3/4 of inch. I was amazed at the size when I first saw them. I figured they had to be months old but this was not the case. The apir spawned again within a month and the fry that came out were pratically the same size.
My problem is that the fry don't come out after two weeks. They stay in! And who is going to feed them? I don't think that the father does, he only fans fresh water into the cave.
I also experimented that fry that stayed at loose starved to death. Appearantly I need to concentrate food in front of them like barbie mentioned.
I also experimented that fry that stayed at loose starved to death. Appearantly I need to concentrate food in front of them like barbie mentioned.
