I'm getting some zebras!!!!!!! Yeah!!!!!

hippyguy · Post by **hippyguy** » 23 Feb 2004, 19:39

Great news, after years of want and waiting, I have finally tracked down some zebras! Unfortunately they aren't quite full grown, at 1" long

But, I am getting six so at least I will have a pair, and.........they are F1 from a breeder so I am not presuring wild stocks, which makes me feel alot better after hearing about recent reports of their state in the wild! So after all that, I am setting up a 24"x8"x8" for these guys, sand base, sponge filter, slate caves, bits of bogwood, not much else! After a few months they will be moving into a 23"x18"x16", but unfortunately, that isn't even set up at the moment. Any tips from anybody who has bred and raised zebras would be greatly appreciated, and also what would be the best way to transport them for their 3 1/2-4 hour car trip? Any comments on setup also appreciated

Cheers,

p.s. I can't wait

RogerMcAllen · Post by **RogerMcAllen** » 23 Feb 2004, 21:49

DoctorZeb has a great site about them.
http://www.qems.biz/zebra.htm

Crazie.Eddie · Post by **Crazie.Eddie** » 24 Feb 2004, 10:09

6! WOW! I'm jealous. I'm hoping to get about 2 in a few months. Basically it's first come first serve. Good luck with the breeding!

Does anyone know the length of time it takes a 1"-1.5" zebra to get to the mature, length so it can breed? How about a 2"-2.5" zebra?

ronsterrc · Post by **ronsterrc** » 25 Feb 2004, 01:50

Hey Rob....i know you are viewing this...can we have some more photos please?

Ooooops soz Hippieguy, Congratulations

Ron

Wood · Post by **Wood** » 25 Feb 2004, 02:54

Congatultion Hippie guy. Awesome fish as you already know. Find aplace to get live blackworms,and hikari frozen bloodworms work well also. Good luck on the breeding let us know if they do someday. I find they are easy too keep,but I have never bred them.

polkadot · Post by **polkadot** » 25 Feb 2004, 05:49

Good luck on the breeding project, i've been trying on mine but no luck!

JohnnyOscar · Post by **JohnnyOscar** » 25 Feb 2004, 08:38

I picked up three 1.5" SL zebras a couple of weeks ago. They appear to be settling in. Although I have not seen any of them eat yet, I have seen stuff come out the other end. One of them, however, likes his hidey-hole so much I haven't seen him leave it in a week.

As for transporting them, I'd bag them up seperately with plenty of water and place them in some kind of insulted box (polystyrene?) with as many bags of plain tankwater it takes to fill up the rest of the box.

Good luck.

JohnnyOscar · Post by **JohnnyOscar** » 25 Feb 2004, 08:41

Polkadot: how many zebras do you have? how old are they? how long have you been attempting to breed zebras?

doctorzeb · Post by **doctorzeb** » 25 Feb 2004, 09:54

Hey HIppyguy

Congradulations, I'm sure you'll be delighted with them. On transporting them, I would suggest you doublebag them individually. If you can get hold of one of those big polystyrene boxes, that would help. Although, even better than those are the big beer coolers. DO you have the tank already cycled for them?

(Ronsterrc......I'll try and get a few more Photo's online today, (I'll also try and get a few of the male/ female in cave. They are currently in there spawning alongside 17 , 10 day old fry....

)

Good Luck

rob

JohnnyOscar · Post by **JohnnyOscar** » 25 Feb 2004, 10:05

Wow, what a great typo in my first post! I meant insulAted box rather than insulted box. But anyway, Rob's beer cooler idea sounds like a better plan.

Crazie.Eddie · Post by **Crazie.Eddie** » 25 Feb 2004, 10:14

meant insulAted box rather than insulted box.

I didn't know boxes had feelings. Anyway, it's best not to insult a box. Who knows, it may have a big brother box who might take revenge on you. LOL

I'm still jealous. It seems as though L-046s are abundant over there in the U.K. Here in the North America, it's hard to find them. And when you do, you have to pay a big amount for one...imagine the cost for getting a breeding set?

JohnnyOscar · Post by **JohnnyOscar** » 25 Feb 2004, 10:28

I don't think they are that abundant over here. None of the shops I know have any in stock at the moment, and when they do, they quickly disappear at Â£60 ($100) a pop. That's why I only have three in a tank that could happily house 8-10 of the cuties. I'm hoping to build up my stock over time, but I can't afford any more for a while unless I get really lucky at work, or win the lottery.

ronsterrc · Post by **ronsterrc** » 25 Feb 2004, 10:37

Crazie.Eddie wrote:

I'm still jealous. It seems as though L-046s are abundant over there in the U.K. Here in the North America, it's hard to find them. And when you do, you have to pay a big amount for one...imagine the cost for getting a breeding set?

Laff....abundant but not cheap i can tell you. Average price is Â£50 and above.

Ron

doctorzeb · Post by **doctorzeb** » 25 Feb 2004, 10:56

I think the prices will probably go up also. As far as I am aware, there are no imports of them at the moment. All the more reason for us all to get breeding them!!!

Hippy guy, at 1" they are probably just under a year old, (depending on how much they have been fed obviously). Have they been bred in the UK?

rob

hippyguy · Post by **hippyguy** » 26 Feb 2004, 19:05

Cheers guys, I hadn't quite anticipated so many replies after one question, but thanks all the same!

The LFS that I work at has said I can have a 'singapore' box, which is very good for insulation I have been told. Doctorzeb, thanks for the advice, I will bag them individually! I hadn't thought of that! I havn't yet set up the tank, I'm doing that on saturday! I do have a mature sponge filter I can use from one of my corydoras fry-raising tanks, do you think I should use this? I will not be getting them for six weeks so if I set up a new sponge filter do you think it would be mature enough in time? I can put some of the water from the old 'sponge' into the new tank also. I will also have a small box filter in the tank, as I find these are very good for bacterial colonisation also. I have had one in my pygmy cory tank that has never(1 year) been cleaned out, and still does a great job, water parameters are great! Oh, don't worry I also have a sponge filter and do reg. water changes!!! Anyway, when the zebras reach full grown size, which will take an age at from what I've heard then I am definately going to try an breed them! I will only have five as one is for a friend (if I am feeling really kind at the time of its departure)!

The temp will be 27c and the pH~7. Nitrates nitrites and ammonia as low as poss or not at all(hopefully)

Doczeb, the zebras were bred in the UK, yes, I will ask the guy for permission and then send you his e-mail if interested! When I said they were 1inch, he told me that they were 2-2.5cm so I will try and get the biggest! Does my setup sound OK? They will be fed Tetra tabimin (they already are), frozen bloodworm, and frozen BBS! This should get them up to breeding size in no time LOL!
Cheers,
Hippyguy

hippyguy · Post by **hippyguy** » 03 Mar 2004, 16:11

Hey all,
I set up the tank on sunday, but have made slight alterations. The box filter is the only filter in the tank so far, but I want to put a powerhead with a sponge on the bottom of it, in also. Does this sound Ok? So far in the tank there is one piece of bogwood, lots of small slate caves and a pile of slate in one corner that has lots of gaps between each layer. Temp. is 26-28c. I have heard of 'fishless' cycling. What do I need to add to the tank to get the necessary bacteria for ammonia and nitrite breakdown?

Cheers,

p.s. How do I prepare prawns to feed to my L066? Cooked/non-cooked etc...?

JohnnyOscar · Post by **JohnnyOscar** » 03 Mar 2004, 18:38

I have heard of 'fishless' cycling.

So have I. Never tried it though!

What do I need to add to the tank to get the necessary bacteria for ammonia and nitrite breakdown?

Half a dozen tiger barbs

They are indestructable. As you work at an LFS, perhaps you could borrow them for a month or so then bring them back once your tank has stabilised.

There is also some product you can add to your tank. I've never used it, but I think i recall Barbie talking about it somewhere.

TxFinFan · Post by **TxFinFan** » 03 Mar 2004, 23:52

Not sure if they sell it over there, but I think the product Johnny is referring to is 'BioSpira'. It's an overnight water conditioner packed with beneficial bacteria (that's about as technical as I get) that basically completes the cycling process overnight. I've used it many times when starting up new tanks or moving and have yet to lose a fish. Good luck!

Crazie.Eddie · Post by **Crazie.Eddie** » 04 Mar 2004, 00:21

I have read about fishless cycling also, which requires you to use pure 100% ammonia. I understand grocery stores sell them, but I have also heard that even though they are marked 100% ammonia, there maybe some other trace chemicals in there. The only thing I can't figure out is, great you have the ammonia, but you still need the bacteria. The bacteria can be obtained from fish and stuff from a well established tank (water, decore, substrate, used filter media, etc.)

Biospyra, Cycle, and other bacteria starters also I can't figure out. Bacteria need food and O2 to survive. Being in a little bottle, may contain some, but after weeks or months of storage, it should run out. I don't think bacteria are smart enough to ration food. Sorry, I'm no biologists, so I wouldn't understand.

The best thing is just to cycle slowly. I let one of my tanks cycle for a couple of months, before adding any fish. As I mentioned, you can use stuff from an established tank. I'm sure you're LFS would not mind letting you have some water from their tanks. Also, they would probably be happy to give you their used media, like carbon and filter sponges. Just make sure you keep them soaked in tank water when you bring it home.

One you place them in your tank, wait awhile before add fish. Let the bacteria multiply. I suggest using guppies, they are cheap and hardy.

If you plan to use other fish, like tiger barbs, make sure you can return them. You didn't hear it from me, but return them before the guarantee period.

You should have started the bacteria colony with them.

pleco_breeder · Post by **pleco_breeder** » 04 Mar 2004, 00:37

Common misconception. Bacteria have the ability to go into something similar to hibernation when nutrients are limited. The solutions sold on the market use a time released nutrient base in order to stabilize the amount of nutrients available. However, in a liquid solution, the life of the bacteria is still only about 6 months. I'm not sure about the mechanism used for biospira, but that is what is going on in that bottle of Cycle sitting on the LFS shelf. This product has gotten a lot of bad press because of bottles not being pulled from the shelf regularly enough to keep them fresh and the bacteria is already long gone by the time of purchase.

Larry Vires

Crazie.Eddie · Post by **Crazie.Eddie** » 04 Mar 2004, 20:26

This product has gotten a lot of bad press because of bottles not being pulled from the shelf regularly enough to keep them fresh and the bacteria is already long gone by the time of purchase.

This could explain why I've seen several debates saying they work like a charm and others say there's no difference or seemed to make it worse.

Maybe for those that it worked, they probably have a fresh bottle on hand. While others that didn't have an old stale bottle.

I still prefer the tried and true method of using material from an established tank. I always know way in advance when I will be setting up a new tank, so I can give it several months to cycle. The only time I really didn't wait was when I went from a 20 gallon tank to a 37 gallon tank. Everytime I did a water change on the 20 gallon, the water I removed I placed in the 37 gallon. I kept a powerhead with a prefilter sponge and heater running in the 37 gallon. When the 37 gallon was about 1/2 full, I temporarily housed the fish in small bags, then removed the everything (substrate, decor, water, filter, media, etc.) from the 20 gallon to the 37 gallon. I arranged everything the same, so the fish can easily find their favorite spots. Then I moved the fish over. They seemed to acclimate pretty quick. I saw about 15-20 minutes of rapid gill movement (probably due to being housed and moved), which later got back to normal. No problems at all.

EDITED: I just visited a couple of LFSs and examined their bottles of Stress Zyme and Cycle (couldn't find Bio Spyra) and noticed there are no freshness dates or expiration dates. Unless you find one with an expiration date, it's 50/50 chance it may work.