Tankmates of hypancistrus zebra

[Lied]

Hi everyone , I am planning to buy 2 of maybe 3 zebra plecs after the summer, and change the interior of my tank to an ideal zebra envoirement. My tank is a Juwel Rekord 70, so it is about 60 centimetres in length and 70 litres. When I buy the zebra's, they are about 3/4 cm very small, and in a few years when they grow bigger I wil put them in a bigger tank.

But as much as I like the zebra's, I like other fish too and I was looking on the Inet and reading everywhere and I was thinking about 7 otocinclus affinis and 10 groupfishes like the neontetra, for company of the zebra's. I have experience with these two fish, and I know they won't stand
the zebra's in their way. But one question, I don't know if the neontetra's like a strong current as much as the zebra's and otocinclus do, and if that's true, can ayone maybe give me a few names of groupfishes that do like a strong current and are from South Amerika and preferable Brazil? Ofcourse any comments and tips are welcome, too!

Thanks in advance!

[McEve]

Hi Lied

Sorry about not answering earlier. There's a rather long thread about this very issue, here

Gernerally speaking, no fish that competes for the food as Zebras aren't very good at competing for it, and no fish that moves very quickly as it will stress the Zebra. Clown loach and Zebra is supposed to be a particularily bad combination.

Hope you get some ideas as to suitable tankmates after reading the other thread

[Lied]

Allright thank you, in that case I think it is a good combination, neontetras don't eat from the ground and otocinclus affinis are little algae eaters.

[Rob]

Hi Lied

Also, I appologise for the late reply.

I currently have a few Australian rainbows wiht some of my younger zebras. They flourish in the high current an high turnover of water. The only problem being you need to be very dilligent with removing excess food. The Rainbows eat unti lthey burst, so you must make sure that there is enough to go around, then removing excess once everyone has had their fill.

The neons should be just fine, especially if you can create a few quiet spots where the current is dispersed. This can be achieved by using strategically placed tank furniture to break up the flow.

good luck

rob

[McEve]

I have 8 Otos in the terrace tank, and they don't stick to the algae.

They're pretty frantic and posessive whenever I throw a mussel or shrimp in the tank that's for sure!

I've seen quite a few tanks where Zebras and Neon or Cardinals are kept together though.

[Lied]

Please you two don't apologize!
Thank you for the reactions, btw I have also 3 corydoras paleatus and an ancistrus dolichopterus, a female. But...do you think they can get along well too with the zebra's, or does the bottom of the tank gets too full with them? And if so, then can I keep or the ancistrus or the corydoras or is that not possible too?

[Des]

Hi Lied,

I have Rams, Danios, L236? and Cories in with my Zebras.
The cories dont interfere with the zebras.

Regards,
Des.

[Lied]

Allright thank you, but how big is your tank? Mine is 60 centimetres. I don't want shy zebra's...

[Des]

Hi,

Mine is a 4ft.(100ltr).
Why do you think they will be shy?.

Des.

[Lied]

Because the corydoras are quick swimmers and I heard zebra's do not compete well for food, so I thought maybe with the corydoras the zebra's will hide themselves often? Anyway, I think I'm just gonna try this combination:

-1 ancistrus
-(now 3, maybe later on 5) corydoras paleatus
- 10 neontetra's
-2/3 zebra's

and see how it works

oh and I have one huge applesnail and a few schrimps, too

[McEve]

Sounds like the "floor" is going to be crowded to me I think I would have waited with the corys, and see how it goes

[Barbie]

Paleatus cories aren't going to be too terribly fond of temps over 82 degrees F, IME, and zebras aren't going to be happy under that either. Cardinals also might appreciate the higher temps more than the neons. The Ancistrus should be just fine, IME. Another fish that works well is M. praecox, the dwarf neon rainbows or even I. werneri, the threadfin rainbow. Both have tiny mouths and tend to stay midwater most of the time. Blue rams love the warm water and are easy to make happy in a section of the tank away from the zebras, just by providing some underbrush and a nice smooth rock to spawn on.

Good luck

Barbie

[Lied]

The M. praecox likes swimming and my tank is a bit too small for them. The I.werneri is from Australia, and I prefer only fish from South America and preferable Brazil. Also, blue rams have the same demands as the hypancistrus zebra when you are talking about water and decoration and plants, but they have a territory near the ground and zebra's have that too so I think (I'm not really sure) that they will get in conflicts then. I hope not, I really like the blue rams. btw I found another specie on the Inet, this one:

http://home.wanadoo.nl/n.hulleman/roodkopzalm_k.jpg

Unfortunately I don't know the English name of it, but the Latin name is Hemigrammus Bleheri.

And about the tempature thing, I always keep my tank on 26C and I never had any problems.

[Lied]

I forgot to say, blue rams don't like the strong current which the zebra's do really like

[Barbie]

Blue rams will do just fine with the current if you make an area with overhanging plants or obstructions of some kind like I'd said. The rams won't be directly ON the substrate like the cories will, but ok! Good luck I prefer my zebra tanks as species tanks or with a few little guppies personally. Maybe this is why .

Barbie