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Just like everyone else I am in the process of rounding up a few zebras to grow out and hopefully breed. I actually have some coming as soon as the weather gets better...today it snowed about 2 inches in Tucson, Arizona...yes...snow...in Tucson, Arizona....no I am serious!!!

So once the new "kids" come I will have six zebras all about 1.5 inches give or take a quarter of an inch. They are going to be in a 10 gallon tank very temporally with a few nerite snails, 3-4 amano shrimp, 2-4 red cherry shrimp, and two otos. There is a bunch of slate, a few homemade caves, bog wood, and a few plats...java moss and hornwort. It's currently at a nice toasty 84.5 degrees and I use half tap/half RO water. I think it is a very comfortable temporary home!

For my wedding present my wife has agreed to get a new tank. Now the question is...what size tank should I get? I'd like something good for the long haul. I’m looking for the tank that, given the right number of caves and enough slate, bogwood, etc. would (keep fingers crossed now) house between 5-8 adult zebras and provide adequate space for everyone to have a safe-haven and overall be conducive to breeding.

So, any suggestions??? I'd love if I could get some of the big -wigs to respond...PlasticMac, Barbie, McEve. What do you think of my current style of care? What would you suggest for the "ideal" tank for a small herd??? Any good advice and suggestions from anyone would be greatly appreciated!!!

Not one of the sought after replies but here is what I'm planning......

Right now I am growing out 5 little ones in a 20g long which I plan to add at least another 5 to in hopes of a good ration later one. I tossed around the idea of getting a 55g which I think normally is a smaller 4' tank and hopefully just let them all live together and breed and rear their own fry but if I see aggression towards one another I might just split them up into 20g long tanks if the ratio allows. If all works out I will have 3-4 20g longs with pairs/trios or if it really works out then a big colony in a 55g.

I keep RCS, Amanos and O-cats too and think that all of them in one tank is a bit too much competition for food for the zebras. I have MTS and those little snails will get onto the food in no time so I couldnt imagine what would be left if I had a lot of shrimp with them too. In my tank now there is just the zebras, MTS to aerate the sand and one amano shrimp to keep things tidy in there and the zebras get a good helping of food to help them grown nice and healthy.


Snowing in the dessert? It got down to the low 30's here in south Tx.

I dont know how much help this will be, but...

I keep a breeding colony of 12-13 adult zebras in a 30 gal breeder- 36x18 footprint. It also normally holds another 30-50 fry at any given time. It has no other fish but the zebras. I also have fry of assorted size- 21 in a 10 gal and about 30 in a 15 gal.

The breeder tank is chocked full of wood and rock work and caves and is kept about 86 dg. It has 2 filters and a powerhead.