Sex my Zebra Plecos Please L046

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hdbikersbabe

Member
Jun 14, 2014
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1
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Ohio
I have 2 Zebra Plecos. I am wanting to try and sex them. I have researched and I think they are as follows. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

I think this is a female


here is a picture of both of them together


I think this is a male
 
Bigjohnnofish

Bigjohnnofish

Global Moderators
Staff member
Apr 15, 2010
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Perth, Western Australia
from your pics they are pretty poor quality fish....

one as said badly deformed head... unusual - never seen anything like it myself... it looks a little female with fatter U-shape body and it has shorter rear fanning fins also... but all the fins look a little damaged too...

are these wc or local bred - do you know?
 
H

hdbikersbabe

Member
Jun 14, 2014
7
1
1
Ohio
Wow I didn't expect these guys to be poor quality. Maybe it's the camera phone I will try to get different pictures.

The deformed head on the one the it told me was normal. Looking at all the pictures of others I can see they are not. He had a book with a picture of one in it with a similar nose but not as smashed.

I got them from a guy in Cincinnati I do not know their origin.
 
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hdbikersbabe

Member
Jun 14, 2014
7
1
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Ohio
Correction: I contacted the gentleman I got them from and this is what he had to say:

"I bought fry from Eric Bodrock (Pittsburgh) and Stephan Tanner (Columbus).

The book was Back to Nature by Ingo Seidel."

However I do not know from which they were from.
 
L

leisure_man

Member
Mar 24, 2014
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3rd Rock from the Sun
The snub nose deformity told me the fish was tank raised and that one looks more like a female. One should never buy or sell a deformed fish, of course he would say it is normal as most people would not buy a deformed fish, let alone paid full price for it. Buying deformed fish is a rookie mistake, next time make sure to get proper pictures of the fish before buying it.

I have a signed copy of Back to Nature book, I dont remember seeing a picture of deformed L46 in that book. On which page is it on?
 
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hdbikersbabe

Member
Jun 14, 2014
7
1
1
Ohio
Thanks everyone for the information.

Leisure_man as helpful as you were I didn't expect to be judged for my purchase. Enjoy your signed copy of Back to Nature.

Again, thanks everyone. Consider this post closed!
 
Bigjohnnofish

Bigjohnnofish

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Apr 15, 2010
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Perth, Western Australia
its not recommended to breed a deformed fish as it tends to breed more deformities...

but firstly one must assess if it is a birth defect or an injury healed wrong...
if its a birth defect one must make a decision whether its caused by breeding brother sister too many times in the line -> hence it will definitely throw more deformed fish..... or its a one off deformity and it still carries perfect genes to pass onto its siblings.... a man born with one arm doesnt reproduce kids with one arm... and using this basic theory it is possible the above fish will breed 100% good fry...

my very first original 333 male i got 10 years ago has a semi boof head -> looks like its ploughed the glass too many times... this male has bred 1000's of fry and not one deformity.... and a few people that bought fry bred brother sister and also had perfect fry...

so now your armed with some more knowledge and previous experience from 333's you can make a decision if you wish to breed the deformed fish...

my personal opinion is avoid it if at all possible but you may not be able to afford/find another fish to take its place....

end of the day its totally your call :thumbup:
 
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