ZebraPleco.com • The complete Hypancistrus zebra resource

Shell,

Zebras will breed in most water. Like Tom said, good water and good food goes a long way to success. The cave size as mention is also important. My first few spawns occurred without using RO water but my city water is moderately hard, 300-400ppm. I think you will be able to breed them without a RO unit. The problem will be getting enough females. Once you getting them to spawn then you may think about getting a RO unit. In the mean time I don't think it is necessary, unless your water is extremely hard.

My RO unit is attached to the main water from the faucet head. there are adapters you can buy at the hardware/plumbing stores for this. When I need RO water I plugged it up and when I don't I disconnect it. I have a 30 gallon container with a float switch that I fill with RO weekly. The float switch is very important to shut off the unit when the container is full.

Hope this helps.


Here are some baby pics.

Superb pics there Ken!! Healthy looking young zebs as well.

What make is your RO and what adaptor do you use for your tap? I have always been led to believe in the UK you must connect to the mains so if I can get hold of a unit and or adaptor like yours then I would be very keen to.

Cheers

Tom,

instead of trying to describe it, here is a picture of the adapter. The red tubing is the input to the RO unit. This allows me to connect the RO unit to the faucet/spigot in the bathroom or restroom sink. The brand of RO unit is probably not important but here is a picture of the RO unit under the sink.

The company is in the USA and is the one barbie had recommended. Here is their site http://www.filterdirect-water.com/index.html





Ken

I have a KH of 90ppm and a GH of 160ppm is this soft water?

Hi Ken

Many thanks for the picture. Sadly it looks like the adaptor is a screw fitting which I assume screws onto the tap? If this is the case I do not have taps that would allow this. If this is not correct please correct me.

Shell,

Your GH of 160 indicates hard water. The KH of 90 indicates the buffering of your water. The lower the KH the more chance of pH crashing. Ideal soft water would be 6-8GH with a KH of around 5.

To be honest though, I would forget all about the soft/hardness of your water as zebs will breed in most conditions. You really must know what you are doing when altering your normal water conditions or disaster can and often does follow.

Regards

Tom Your correct it is a screw on adapter. My faucets have aerators at the end of the faucet that I screw in. The adapter replaces that when I run the RO unit.

Ken

Too be honest i was only thinking adding peat to my filter and then leaving it, as you say they pretty much breed in most conditions ( i dont i am too hard anyway ) thanks for the advise

Tom,

In an earlier post Shell said that she had a kh of 6d and gh of 10d , which I believe is half way between soft and hard water. Later She states figures of gh 160 ppm and kh 90ppm ????????????.

You state that this is hard water. Are you sure? I dont think so.

Regards,
Des.

Hi Des,

Maybe I have got confused but I have always understood 9-12dH to be medium hard with anything above this hard to very hard water.

Regards

Tom

ppm figure need dividing by 17.9 to get degrees

1 dH = 17.9 ppm

so 90ppm = about 5ºKH

Ok did i mess up my readings the first post was tested unaccuratly with them 5 in 1 strips and the second was by the droplet tester!