Expectant zebra dad!!!!!

valhallan · Post by **valhallan** » Sun Apr 17, 2005 4:40 am

Very nice Adam

Makes all the hard work and worry worth it doesn't it? I can only relate with the way I felt when my discus spawned for the first time. Man... I think a scotch and cigar might definitely be in order

Val

Rob · Post by **Rob** » Sun Apr 17, 2005 3:49 pm

Whe-hey!!!!!!WHo's the daddy..who's the daddy!!!

My wife thinks I'm mad........at about 1am last night, we were just about to go to bed, when I had a quick look at the forum. I ran through going..."Adamas got some eggs", to which my wifes understandable reply was "EEEHHHHHHH?" Then the Penny dropped..(to which she exclaimed wow.......fantastic),,, (I still cannot figure out if this is genuine enthusiasm or humouring).

SO...fantastic news Adam.....if anyone deserved a spawn here it's you. I must say, it's about time..

.

Take it easy, have a beer, and stop shining that flashlight into the cave.......I'm watching you!!!

Finally, I notice you have managed to get a digital camera, that must mean you have the ability to take another photo,.....I think it's about time to visited another post that needs your attention "Who Is Everyone". Come on let's see that cheesy grin!

Nice on Adam.....You've made my weekend!!!! Life is good!

Rob

Adam · Post by **Adam** » Sun Apr 17, 2005 8:19 pm

Thanks Rob,

My Mrs thinks I've lost it because I keep on telling everyone in the house that my zebras have bred, even the 3 and 4 year olds

. I think I'll send everyone at work an email about it tomorrow, then again that's probably not a good idea

.

It still hasn't quite sunk in with me yet, I was fully prepared for a long wait of a couple of years. So I'm quite surprised that it only took seven months trying to get them to spawn.

I have given the flashlight to the Mrs to keep and told her not to give it to me no matter what

.

Ok Rob I shall visit the "Who Is Everyone" thread soon to post a picture, it's only fair I guess

.

I'm on such a high at the moment that even if the entire computer network crashed at work tomorrow I would just take it in my stride. Life certainly is good

.

Captain Caveman · Post by **Captain Caveman** » Sun Apr 17, 2005 8:26 pm

Hi Adam,

Is that one of my caves there?

Adam · Post by **Adam** » Sun Apr 17, 2005 8:33 pm

Hi Captain,

Yep that there is one of your caves

. In all the excitement I forgot to say thanks very much for the caves

.

Fishfinder · Post by **Fishfinder** » Sun Apr 17, 2005 11:21 pm

Good grief! - I just got back from a day out and everyone has babies! Congratulations Adam, what with you and Des producing there will be no stopping the London folk. Well done again.

Andrew

Jenny · Post by **Jenny** » Mon Apr 18, 2005 12:42 am

Wow, Adam, I don't know about you being excited, I can't wait to hear further news. - Congratulations

Captain Cavemans caves must have done the trick - how old approximately are your breeding pair - do they have to be eighteen months old before they have a go.

Adam · Post by **Adam** » Mon Apr 18, 2005 1:19 am

Thanks guys,

Andrew, about time London saw some action. Scotland still remains the zebra capital of the UK though.

Seahorse, looks like the captains caves may have done the trick as it is one of his caves that has the spawn in. The slightly smaller size may have been a factor. At a guess I would say that the male guarding the eggs is 2 years plus, hard to say really as he is wild caught. As for the female I have no idea as she spent no more than a day in the cave. All I saw was the occassional glimpse of her tail and then she left. I have a few zebras so I can't tell which female was responsible.

I would say that they would have to be upwards of 2 years old to be sexually mature.

Tariq · Post by **Tariq** » Mon Apr 18, 2005 9:01 am

adam well done my friend i hope you have lots of fertile eggs.
i would be freaked man haha.
congrats.
cheers

Adam · Post by **Adam** » Mon Apr 18, 2005 1:42 pm

Cheers Tariq, I'm still pretty freaked out by the whole thing but I'm slowly coming to terms with it.

A little update, you guys are going to get fed up with me if you are not already. Managed to find where the Mrs hid the flashlight today, I just couldn't help myself so I had a quick peak in the cave. The eggs are still there but they appear to be fewer in number. I guess the male has either been snacking on them or he has picked out the bad ones. I didn't realise that the eggs are all stuck together in one mass, I spotted the male rolling them around. He was quite rough actually and then he sat on them

. I noticed that there was a single red blood vessel in a few of the eggs that I could see, the developing embryo, so I guess it's safe to say that the eggs are fertile.

I first spotted the eggs on friday 15/04, I was wondering whether there should have been more developement by now. The tank temperature is a constant 29C and all water changes have been done with water of the same temperature.

Adam

Rob · Post by **Rob** » Mon Apr 18, 2005 2:18 pm

You're doing just Dandy Adam.

That single red blood vessel will probably by tomorrow be attached to two tin little black dots, then about a milimetre down from there a tiny little pulsating red dot(the heart), and finally a muscle fibre that is the tail and body!!!!

If there are less eggs he has either eaten the foosty ones or kicked them out. Have a quick look round the tank floor for stray eggs.

Here's one I made earlier...just to whet your appetite!!

rob

Adam · Post by **Adam** » Mon Apr 18, 2005 2:30 pm

Thanks for putting my mind at rest Rob

.

I haven't noticed any eggs that have been thrown out of the cave, I've had a good look so I guess he just ate them. I hope he can hold out as he must be getting pretty hungry in there. He has made no attempts to come out of the cave to feed, infact at meal times any food that drifts into his cave is quickly flicked away with his tail.

Cheers

.

Adam

Des · Post by **Des** » Mon Apr 18, 2005 8:46 pm

Hi Adam,

Hopefully by this time tomorrow they should have hatched.

If I were you I would resist using a torch light or camera flash in the cave as this spooks the male. I think McEve lost an entire spawn due to the same.
You can then decide whether you want to keep the babies with dad for a full 10 days before they leave the cave or take them out a lot earlier which I think ,Rob does into a fry trap/container. Having a cave that the back can be removed ,as Barbie has mentioned before, is a great help in removing the fry, as it is very awkward doing this only from the front opening

Regards,
Des.

McEve · Post by **McEve** » Mon Apr 18, 2005 9:07 pm

Des wrote: If I were you I would resist using a torch light or camera flash in the cave as this spooks the male. I think McEve lost an entire spawn due to the same.

I don't think this is quite true. The eggs were not fertilized, the male was looking after the eggs way after they were obiously bad. The last picture I took was when the male left the cave, obiously confused, knowing something was wrong.

I feel quite hurt that it is now suggested it was my fault that this spawn went bad

Adam · Post by **Adam** » Tue Apr 19, 2005 3:57 pm

Hi Des,

Point taken, your absolutely right about jeopodising the eggs/fry through the excessive use of either a flashlight or flash photography. I would hate for the male to eat the eggs/fry on account of my curiosity/excitement so I will refrain from using the flashlight and camera. Hopefully the eggs should have hatched today

.

McEve I think that Des may have been referring to the time when you were trialing an Infra red night vision camera. I feel partly responsible for the male getting spooked and eating the eggs. I gave you the links of various cameras and encouraged you. With hindsight a lot more research should have gone into the project. I should have realised the increased possibility that a nocturnal fish such as the zebra would be capable of seeing infra red light even at lumens of less than 1

. I know it's many months after the event but I would like to say sorry for my lack of foresight. I would say that the spawn you just lost was on account of the males inexperience and not anything that you may have done.

Peace out guys

.

Adam.