anyone good at sexing a zeb?
- Thread starter Irene0100
- Start date
ok im going completely by the pointers in this article http://www.zebrapleco.com/article2.php
and I reckon its a male
and I reckon its a male
no, just confirming my fears. I think my zebs are not breeding cos too many males - or all males!
I have 10 of them and noticed the other day some had been fighting as they had rubbed off some of the side stripes (dont think it was females scratched from mating as they looked like males.). so I decided to tidy the tank and catch some. I caught 4, 2 quite scratched and 2 slightly smaller and not scatched (one of which is above) but they all look the same shape!. I can still see another scratched male guarding an empty cave (I think he is alpha). anyway I put the 4 males in another tank.
I will try and catch some more from the main tank today and see if I can find any females or possible ones.
I have 10 of them and noticed the other day some had been fighting as they had rubbed off some of the side stripes (dont think it was females scratched from mating as they looked like males.). so I decided to tidy the tank and catch some. I caught 4, 2 quite scratched and 2 slightly smaller and not scatched (one of which is above) but they all look the same shape!. I can still see another scratched male guarding an empty cave (I think he is alpha). anyway I put the 4 males in another tank.
I will try and catch some more from the main tank today and see if I can find any females or possible ones.
well caught 3 more this moring (all look the same to me!)
what do you think?
sorry they are pink from being caught! thats why I hate catching them!
what do you think?
sorry they are pink from being caught! thats why I hate catching them!
sometimes I dispair at my ability to sex plecs!
there is a 'pair' offered for sale here that look like two males to me!
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Zebra-Pleco-Wild-Caught-Adults-1-x-L46-Male-Female-Pair_W0QQitemZ320498686366QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Pet_Supplies_Fish?hash=item4a9f35d99e
there is a 'pair' offered for sale here that look like two males to me!
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Zebra-Pleco-Wild-Caught-Adults-1-x-L46-Male-Female-Pair_W0QQitemZ320498686366QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Pet_Supplies_Fish?hash=item4a9f35d99e
I have some from the chap who is selling them on Ebay, he is quite well known for selling L046 and he's pretty clued up on sexing & breeding them, although the one's i bought from him were juveniles. (in my opinion its the top one in the Ebay photo thats the female!)
how old are the Zebs in the photo Irene?
how old are the Zebs in the photo Irene?
I bought 8 in 2007, so are about 3 now, plus a got 3 that were a year older,
I have lost 2.
so have 9 now. so those in pic are 3 years old.
I have one larger one which is a sure male and probable the remaining 4 year old.
do you think they are not old enough to sex properly yet?
I have lost 2.
so have 9 now. so those in pic are 3 years old.
I have one larger one which is a sure male and probable the remaining 4 year old.
do you think they are not old enough to sex properly yet?
here are the last two I found in the tank
which I think is the 4 year old alpha male and another 3 year old.
they are somewhat tatty cos have been fighting (or mating- I should be so lucky!)
but have split the group int 3 tanks now as I need to stop the fights and let them heal.
thanks Paul - they look a bit female from the side and male (pointed nose) from above -
here is another pic of the trio I caught in the pink bucket
which I think is the 4 year old alpha male and another 3 year old.
they are somewhat tatty cos have been fighting (or mating- I should be so lucky!)
but have split the group int 3 tanks now as I need to stop the fights and let them heal.
thanks Paul - they look a bit female from the side and male (pointed nose) from above -
here is another pic of the trio I caught in the pink bucket
Top picture top left fish Male right fish female, your very first picture imo is female there is no chew, no bristles female head just needs a little more fattening to push for conditioning, the males have "shovel" triangle heads and straight body line (sides) if this helps.here are the last two I found in the tank
which I think is the 4 year old alpha male and another 3 year old.
they are somewhat tatty cos have been fighting (or mating- I should be so lucky!)
but have split the group int 3 tanks now as I need to stop the fights and let them heal.
thanks Paul - they look a bit female from the side and male (pointed nose) from above -
here is another pic of the trio I caught in the pink bucket
here are the last two I found in the tank
which I think is the 4 year old alpha male and another 3 year old.
they are somewhat tatty cos have been fighting (or mating- I should be so lucky!)
but have split the group int 3 tanks now as I need to stop the fights and let them heal.
thanks Paul - they look a bit female from the side and male (pointed nose) from above -
here is another pic of the trio I caught in the pink bucket
I agree with Jo, the photo of the two above seem to be a pair, the reason i asked about age was they seemed a little peculiar head wise but everything else such as ordontal growth and the thickness of the pectorals looked adult like , as Jo mentioned conditioning is probably the reason, good food, a rest from squabbling and good water will remedy this. Im sure they'll be spawning in no time! :yes:
thanks, maybe I have some of each sex then! interetsing how people view of what is what sex differs. I look on the web and books and it looks so easy but when I look at my fish I can only sex very obvious hairy males!
I have been doing small w/c nearly every day and they get plenty of food. has the 9 fish in a 3ft x 2ft base by 1ft high tanks with a few baby plecs and some endlers.
this tank only has the two zebs in now the obvious male and the other! (plus a few fry and baby cory)
have taken 5 out and put in tank with L134s (cos about right temp and reduced the L134 group to 3, having moved 5 out to community tanks) and also put another two zebs in my other plec fry tank (l270 and LDA01)with two spotted medusa and lots of baby cories.
will keep on the w/c and lots of food and keep hoping...
I have been doing small w/c nearly every day and they get plenty of food. has the 9 fish in a 3ft x 2ft base by 1ft high tanks with a few baby plecs and some endlers.
this tank only has the two zebs in now the obvious male and the other! (plus a few fry and baby cory)
have taken 5 out and put in tank with L134s (cos about right temp and reduced the L134 group to 3, having moved 5 out to community tanks) and also put another two zebs in my other plec fry tank (l270 and LDA01)with two spotted medusa and lots of baby cories.
will keep on the w/c and lots of food and keep hoping...
Irene
I agree with Jo as well, and i also think the first fish was female.
To take pictures for sexing, i do not resize the picture, but leave it the original big size and when you post it on the forum, the forum will resize it to fit on the forum, but you can click the picture, to then get the original big sized picture, which you can then zoom in on the parts of the fish you want to check.
It's a while since i've done it, but thats what i try to do for pictures to sex a fish.
I agree with Jo as well, and i also think the first fish was female.
To take pictures for sexing, i do not resize the picture, but leave it the original big size and when you post it on the forum, the forum will resize it to fit on the forum, but you can click the picture, to then get the original big sized picture, which you can then zoom in on the parts of the fish you want to check.
It's a while since i've done it, but thats what i try to do for pictures to sex a fish.
thanks andrew, but the originals are too big to download, there is a size limit, so I resize.
I guess I will just have to be more patient with these. maybe they will do better being split up, well there were some badly scratched ones so something had to change.
whether I have split them the best way I have no idea.
perhaps I will catch them all again in a few months and take more pics and re-group with some help from you lot on sexing!
I guess I will just have to be more patient with these. maybe they will do better being split up, well there were some badly scratched ones so something had to change.
whether I have split them the best way I have no idea.
perhaps I will catch them all again in a few months and take more pics and re-group with some help from you lot on sexing!
In all seriousness Irene just give up on trying to breeding them then one day not to long away looking at your pics they WILL shock you I promise 
its far more enjoyable this way, one thing I have notice every time I have altered my big group they have gone on a breeding break for up to 6 months out of protest lol
its far more enjoyable this way, one thing I have notice every time I have altered my big group they have gone on a breeding break for up to 6 months out of protest lol
thanks Jo, I have left them for 3 years...but I needed to be sure there were some of each sex, plus I could not leave them to kill each other...
so i will now watch and wait.
so i will now watch and wait.