zebra plecos

[Amy]

I am thinking about buying zebra plecos, they are not cheap but are so neat looking. I would like to know if I should buy one or two?

Two is the max as they are expensive, they are young F1 from wild stock from a very reputable person.

All suggestions greatly appreciated.

I am looking for that black and white patter of the zebra but would consider any other kinds recommended.

[racoll]

Hi.

Tank raised

Hypancistrus zebra

should be quite hardy, but give the cost, I would make sure the tank is set up with them in mind.

They need warm (>27C), really well oxygenated and clean water. They will not appreciate a brightly lit tank with few hiding places. They will also not like a deep bed of gravel, full of rotting food and detritus.

Post a picture of your tank, and we can help you design it for them.

Either one or two is fine. They don't appear to "need" their own company, but you may see more interesting interactions with two. Make sure you provide enough hiding spaces, as they could fight.

Hope this helps.

[Amy]

Thanks for the reply. I just love the look of these plecos and probably getting a pair is 1 in a million??

The other plecos I can choose from are as follows, if you think there is something else I should be looking at instead please feel free to let me know.

L134
L340
L66
L240
L15
L239

[Matt30]

Hi as racoll says (clean water) you need big filtration.
I have a turn over rate of 12 times an hour and thats nothing compared to some people I have heard of people with a turn over of 20 an hour!
I also clean the tank daily removing uneaten food etc and do water changes 30% every four days and vacuum the sand I am very careful not to upset them though and leave them hiding in there caves while I do this.
I also would use sand as this is nice and soft for them and not risk keeping any fish that might have a go as Zebras are very peaceful fish personally I keep my tank a species only tank.
Also as racoll has said (really well oxygenated water) due to the temperature Zebars are keep at you need a big air pump.
Also they love a strong current.
A healthy Zebar will deplay a blue tint on tail and caudal fins.
I keep mine at (Temp 27-27.5) (T.D.S 130-160) (PH 7.0-7.5) Half R/O half treated tap water.
Take your time choosing and do your home work on signs of infection ect I have bought six one of which sadly died with no signs of any problems and at a minimum of £100 each it is a lot to loose.

Just to note the above is personally what works for me im sure others will do things differently

Good luck

[Amy]

Thanks, I have decided to just treat myself to one. They are dear in price and I have always wanted one. I have no desire to breed but to enjoy the beauty of these fish instead.My birthday is tomorrow so this will be a present to me, hubby does not know:-)

I also have a few Long Fin Albino Pleco BN, these are in my Discus tank and that is where this zebra will be going.

Tank has a sand bottom, mopani, anubias and some caves. I will add more when this little one arrives but will place it so I can see the little rascal. This tank has been running for over 5 years so it is well established.

I am running a Fluval filter on my tank which is 46 gal bowfront, I also have a HOB filter running as well. My water temp is 80 and I can bump that up a tad once I find out what temp this pleco was kept at. I don't like to have water above 81 as I found my discus did not like it but 80 was perfect.

Will let you all know how I fair with this, its a gamble as its being shipped to me but I feel good about it and trust the fellow I am buying it from.

[racoll]

Good advice from Matt30 there.

and probably getting a pair is 1 in a million??

Not sure what you mean here. Do you mean a pair, as in a male and a female? If so, your chances are significantly better than a million to one - roughly 50/50, assuming a balanced sex ratio in the stock.

The probability of me affording a pair, however, is roughly that of winning the lottery!

Your tank sounds good though, but my only concern would be keeping it well oxygenated. Maybe adding an air pump would be a good idea?

[Matt30]

Hi Amy

You might want to move all you caves and driftwood etc around your tank the day you get your Zebar as you existing plecos will have established there territorys already and this will not be good for your little Zebra and could lead to him wonding in the wrong cave.

Temperature should be between 26.0c -30.0c but personally I would not keep them at the lower end of this.

[vanillarum]

Like stated above, zebras like their water very warm, 84 - 86° and have been kept at higher temps. I keep mine at 85° and they do fine. Yes, zebras are beautiful fish, but they will not be happy if there are no places for them to hide. I would not plan on seeing them that often if you want them to be happy. I have had mine going on 4 years and am just starting to see more than tails wagging in caves. I keep no lights on in the tank unless I am working on the tank, and the room they are in is relatively dark. The only light they get is from the other tanks around them. They are very reclusive by nature, and they do not forage well for food. These are things you need to keep in mind when thinking of purchasing them, along with what others above have told you. Good luck.

[Amy]

Yikes those are some hot temps. I am waiting to see what temp these babies are being kept at and what they are being fed. I am just getting the one as hubby does no know about it and if there were two in there he might notice is sooner plus the cost my lord he would hit the fan if he only knew....

Hey its my birthday today and a present to me from me....

What do you all feed your zebras?

I currently am feeding my plecos a variety of frozen foods, cucumbers, they will not touch zucchini, pellets, pleco logs (they don't like these for some reason)etc.

Now since you all have these plecos, would you say they are more carnivore or omnivore?? I have been reading they lean towards more carnivore.

I can move stuff around in the aquarium plus add a few new things as well when this new pleco comes so stuff is new in there and territories are not claimed.

I will see how I fare with one and who knows I could get more later on.

[vanillarum]

They are mainly carnivores. I feed mine earthworm stix (Kens), mussel pellets (from Jo's zebs), catfish chips (Sera), froz bloodworms, froz brine shrimp, froz spirulina shrimp, krill, and once in a while I will give them some veggie stix (again, from Ken's). Mine will usually not touch zucchini, although they will munch on some de-shelled peas occasionally. They do not compete well with other fish for food, so you need to make sure if they are not in a species only tank, they are getting enough food. Good luck and Happy Birthday !

[Matt30]

Hi Amy
I feed mine-
Brine Shrimp Tetra Prima
Hikari Algae Wafers
Cucumber
Hikari Sinking Carnivore Pellets
Potato
I do over feed and make more work for myself cleaning
the tank but this is done to ensure all my Zebars eat.
I have never seen my Zebars eat ever in person And probley never will
I only know the above food is eaten as I set a vido recorder up over
night and even the Cucumber was nibbled at but there favorite food is Tetra Prima
and Brine Shrimp.
Also I'm very lucky that my Zebars are visible day and night and hang
nearly all the way out of there caves and also lay on the slate that is in my tank if you get
the flow of current right so it flows past the cave your putting in for your Zebar it should
position it self in the flow.
As for lighting I use a Blue 1 watt spot light in my tank in the day and have a moderately
lit room that my tanks are situated in and this works great for me but I know many people who have Zebars that never see them out and about.
I can't remember who posted it now but someone had some great advice for me and this was (a happy Zebar is a hiding Zebar) and they were more than right about this.
So before you get one you might want to think about that.
Have a good one and hope to see some pics of you birthday present soon

[Amy]

I am not sure now if I should attempt this or not. I have to have this fish shipped into me, there i no guarantee of live arrival as it will be shipped by Greyhound Express.The cost is 120.00 plus 12.50 shipping and then about 20.00 for the bus all for one fish.

Then I read that I will not see it very much. Hmmm is it worth it do you think??

I do have other plecos in the tank it would be in but if its going to hide all the time I have to think about this.

If you had to choose another small pleco that would be just as nice as a zebra what would it be?

[Matt30]

Hi Amy

It's got to be the Peckoltia Compta L134 Leopard Frog for me a stunning little cat
And not too shy mine is always out and about in the day time.

[vanillarum]

L134 would get my vote also. Good luck.

[Amy]

Oh gosh I just don't know what to do. I know that if I don't get a zebra I may never have the chance again. On the flip side I could pay 120.00 for this fish and loose it too.....HELP

The other plecos that were recommended to me were the L340 mega clown, L201 Gold Spot, L240 Vampire, L239 Blue Panaque

Vampire is neat but gets way to big, I want something small.

Doe anyone have the L201 or have any info about them?

[vanillarum]

201s are nice, but a little reclusive, and stay small. You are correct, L240s get 9" or so (I have a colony of 4 adults). My L340s are small, but also spend most of the day shacked up in a cave. They do come out occasionally. How about a nice fire red ancistrus ? They stay small, and my 3 are out constantly, scrounging around for food.

[Amy]

The plecos I mentioned to you are the ones he has right now, living in Canada does have some draw backs for fish selection.

My heart is really set on the L46 but oh gosh to loose this fish would kill me and so would hubby. I guess that is why this fellow mentioned the L201.

Do you find the L201 to be a nice looking fish or nothing special?

We don't have any fancy plecos here we only get the normal kind.

Remember I do have some LF Albino BN and some Silvertip BN as well.

Should I just put this to rest and be happy with what I have?

There would be no live arrival guarantee with these fish either as they would be traveling by bus. Flying them is very costly and is not an option for me.

[2wheelsx2]

I have L201, L340, L129, and will be getting the L134 this week (again). I think you'll be very happy with the L340's. The L201's are a bit larger, so you may have a chance at seeing them. Not sure where you are from Amy (in Canada that is), but there are several great sources in Canada. Canadian Aquatics on the west coast (where I'm at), Spencer Jack's in Winnipeg and Canadapleco in Ontario. Are you trying to get your L46 from one of these folks?

[Amy]

I see you have L46 zebra plecos. What is your opinion about these plecos?

How many of these do you have at the moment?

I am wanting one to add to my tank for just sheer beauty, its to expensive to get enought in hopes you get a pair.

[Amy]

I should also mention that I am looking for something really striking. L201 look neat what are your thoughts?

That is why I just love the look of the L46

[Taratron]

I'll toss in a vote for L204; I see mine a good deal. The L201s never. The L333, about the same, but they are damn pretty and could be seen as a 'poor man's zebra.'

[Firestorming]

I think that rather than buying a fish because it is pretty, you should hold off and do some serious research on the various species that have caught your eye, and find one that will match your current fish's requirements.

Spare a thought for us down here where an adult L046 can set you back $2500+

[Amy]

HOlly smokes are you serious? That is insane for a fish. I thought that $120.00 for a youngster was bad but your price for an adult is crazy. I honestly don't think there is any need for the prices to be what they are for these fish. I realize the whole story about them but they are being bred now by hobbyists and yes they have fewer babies but wow.

I am going to think about it more, I am just really leary on how I would get it here safely and then it die on me would kill me too.

I was at our local LFS today they have 2 for 1 on sale and I have never seen the long fin cory cats. Had to have one of these little guys so I bought one. More my price range $3.00, they are neat little ones. I already have 5 serbae cats so I don't want to buy a whole bunch more but had to have one of these little guys, just to cute.

[bunnyrabbit]

I would start with something a little less pricey. The L134 is nice but will probably be around $50-$60 a fish not including shipping. I think it is nicer to get a group as you will see more natural behaviour. F1 are suppose to be hardier but plecos are reclusive and its a shame to spend that money and never/rarely see it.

[Amy]

Hello, thanks for all the replies. I am still thinking on it but I just found a fellow that lives 1 hour away from me that has a group of 7 he is trying to breed. I have just lucked out. I am waiting his reply. He quite a few different kinds of plecos too.

[Line]

Hi Amy

If you go eat a nice dinner, what are you going to pay for this?

So the seller once said to me. I ended up buying two Zebra plecos. Clever guy.
Carrying them home as precious diamonds.
I've never regret it.
If you really badly want this pleco - go for it.
If you think, you are ready to take good care of it.

Best regards
Line

[Amy]

Thanks Line for the reply. I think I will wait to see what this fellow whom lives closer to me than the other guy does replies back to me about his first.

Having a fish shipped in with all the extra costs is chancing it as he does not guarantee live arrival at all.

I will get them oneday, I just have to be patient and the right person to buy from will come along.

Will keep you all updated......

[Amy]

These are the other plecos this guy close to me has but I did not ask if he has any young from them. He is at work right now.

L046
L066
L081
L114
L128
L144
L200
L201
L204
L260
Long Fin Bushynose

[TwoTankAmin]

Amy I can understand your desire to have a zebra. I love em and have had some for years. That said, as vanillarum pointed out, zebras are real hiders, the old saying is that a happy zebra is a hiding zebra. One of the things that makes it such a neat fish is the striking nature of true black and white coloring.

I would suggest you look at all of the various Hypancistrus and see how many there are with black and white coloration and consider one of them as an alternative before taking the plunge. http://www.planetcatfish.com/catelog/ge ... s_id=7#168 I know a couple of reputable pleco people in Canada so I am sure one can get some nice stuff up there. And there are a few that will cost a tad more than zebras, too

[Amy]

Okay, have a fellow here 30 min away from me that is willing to sell me these two varieties. Since I have never had anything like this and many of you have would you be so kind to give me your picks and why??

I have looked both kinds up and while photos are great I know some are photo shopped too which makes them look even better. I have read about both kinds too.

L168
L134

Both of these I can get just let me know what your thoughts are.

And yes I am going to pass on the zebras, maybe oneday I will come across one in my area where there is not shipping etc.