Thoughts on Zebra Pleco Sexing Please

[RobHarrison]

Just caught my zebs to split the group up, the juvenille zebs will be seperated from the adults, just wondering if the adults are best left to the 5 or split up themselves, your thoughts on sexing would be apreciated is it 1M 4F?

Cheers
Rob

 

[Bigjohnnofish]

holy crap those females are fat!!! never seen any that big before.... hope they arent bloated or anything....

def 1 male..... 4 fat girlies.....

i'd be looking for another male or 2 to get a little competition happening over the girls... have they spawned before???

 

[RobHarrison]

Looks good for now then, i might try a extra male your not the first to of sugested that, thank you

 

[bigbird]

yup agree and good luck with those. They look stunning cheers jk :thumbup:

 

[Irene0100]

I agree, but get a smaller young male so less likely to fight. they seem to do better IMHO in large groups in good sized tanks than a few in a small tank. what is your tank size?

 

[Bigjohnnofish]

agree with you irene.... i have gotten rid of my big males... too bloody rough with the girls.... i have a couple smaller boys that are doing much better now... and no smashed up/dead females.....

 

[sky]

Agree def. 1 male 4 female good luck with breeding them

 

[RobHarrison]

I agree, but get a smaller young male so less likely to fight. they seem to do better IMHO in large groups in good sized tanks than a few in a small tank. what is your tank size?

hi irene the tank is a species only tank 24x15x12 filtered by a eheim classic 600lph and a eheim aquaball 600lph plus two twin sponges, just for the 5 zebs ... see photo

 

[Irene0100]

nice, should be Ok for 5 or 6 but no more.
If you cant get another male easily, or for a while, I think I would be tempted to just put the male and 2 females in it. -and perhaps a couple of your younger ones so they feel they are in a colony. they look ready to breed but maybe too many females make for competition.
good luck

 

[RobHarrison]

Thank you everyone for your opinions on this post, after moving the young to another tank, and keeping just the 5 adults there ovously much happier in the week it's been the male has trapped a female for 36 hours and today he is fanning eggs!

The male used the triangular clay cave to the right which is on top of the slate rock

 

[Irene0100]

brilliant, well done

 

[RobHarrison]

brilliant, well done

Thanks Irene, just hope he is a good dad an he takes care of them

 

[bigbird]

thats great news.
If you are after a male, check with Andy, he just lost his female and has 2. Look at the thread http://www.plecoplanet.com/forum/showthread.php?p=125040#post125040
could save a problem for both of you. cheers jk :thumbup:

 

[RobHarrison]

Ah just looked at the tanks this morning and he is out of the cave, took his cave out and there is one mangled egg and one good egg, it's now in a egg tumbler would be nice I it was to survive, it's all a good start and I hope he won't be too long in taking the next female in