# My zebras and Co2



## blossom112 (Mar 19, 2008)

Zebras are fine with my Co2 and ferts ....?


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## blossom112 (Mar 19, 2008)

Guess i best show some pics


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## blossom112 (Mar 19, 2008)

plecs are doing great and they even know feeding time now and are patiently awaiting their food today by the feeding spot .
But today food will come late as i have some powerheads to place and stuff to do in the tank today ....
and i will grab a few more pictures as they are not camera shy!!!!


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## blossom112 (Mar 19, 2008)

Sooo ... I have been thinking ....I WANT MORE!!!!!
So I think over the next couple month We will get pasports and check out the laws on bringing plecos across the border .


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## Darkblade48 (Jan 28, 2008)

I would be very careful with importing any kind of livestock across the border; the CBSA (Canadian Border Services Agency) and their US equivalent are usually really strict about these things. You will have to make sure you have the correct import licenses. I know for plants, this usually involves a phytosanitation certificate, but I am unaware of the procedure for livestock.


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## blossom112 (Mar 19, 2008)

yep gonna get hubby to check into it .. as long as we get the proper paperwork from the other end ... sometimes thats a pain!!

Thanks for pointing me in the right direction!

wow lots of reading to do ....we dont want to end up in jail lol


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## Katalyst (Jul 29, 2007)

All of a sudden I have this picture in my mind of zebra's with napkins tired around their necks with mini forks and knifes in either fin. 

I need to get out more.


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## blossom112 (Mar 19, 2008)

ROLMAO ........I can picture it too!!!
they would match my poodles lmao


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## blossom112 (Mar 19, 2008)

OK well i just finished my cleaning and waterchange.
I took the wood out as to not hurt them (they are so much smaller then im used to)
They were swimming around lil stressed i think but i did it as fast as possible and they were fine once i got the wood back in .
I will have to somehow figure that out so i dont need to move the wood.
Fed and lights out everything seems back to normal .
I did the smaller tanks too and moved the baby endlers temp till i change the substrate.


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## blossom112 (Mar 19, 2008)

OH ...Is RO water ok to use all the time ?
Im thinking on getting one in next weekend.
Thanks


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## Zebrapl3co (Mar 29, 2006)

Not sure, I have one set up too but never did hook it up. But supposely, the zebras's natural habitat (or where they catch it anyway) is around 6.8 pH. So an RO seems like a reasonable thing. Although I have to point out that they are perfectly fine at 7.6 pH.

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## Darkblade48 (Jan 28, 2008)

You shouldn't use RO water all the time, as you have to remember the RO unit strips the water of minerals, so you'll want to mix it in with some tap water when doing your water changes.


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## blossom112 (Mar 19, 2008)

thanks I knew the answer just wanted to be possitive .


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## blossom112 (Mar 19, 2008)

Well I have been told I can safely post now with no worrie   
Thank god !!!!!
The Questions i post I do know the answers but just need confirmation and personal experiances .
From more experianced keepers .
So it looks like I will be getting more very soon .....
So i shall go out and get a QT and get my other canister prepared will be overkill but better safe then sorry .
A bran new HOB dont want to take chances ...
And hope to go grab some new caves from Kat ...
I have a QT but its used .... Im thinking if i clean really well ,but im not sure yet on that !
Any tips are welcome thanks !!!!!!


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## Cory (May 2, 2008)

Few things, 

As far as importing fish goes. It can be a good way to get rare things but you have to be careful, especially with expensive fish about the arrive alive guarantees. A bunch of us ordered from Spencer Jack in Winterpeg  and were really screwed around when all but a few of the 100 cardinals he sent us were dead within a few days, not to mention the odd assortment of other fish that all of us lost from him. He blamed it on us and suggested we were bad fish keepers when that obviously wasn't the case. Ended up spending 50$ on fish medication when I'd never had any medications before to clear up the problems with my fish alone and then only managed to save about half of what I got from him. Luckily I had enough tanks to QT all of the different fish separately but not everyone has that space. 

As far as R/O goes, it's great for some things but it does create a sterile environment. That isn't necessarily a problem, but fish that become used to a sterile environment are like humans living in a bubble. It doesn't give them the chance to build up any immunity to mundane diseases or variations in water chemistry (air for humans). It can be a beneficial way to get very pure water but I'd recommend an R/O / tap water blend. My zebra plecs only ever got tap water which was matched to tank temperatures and conditioned and they thrived on it. Toronto water is some of the best out of the tap in the world because the source (Lake Ontario) is so darn bad. THe water purification here is outstanding and studies suggested Toronto tap water is BETTER than bottled water.. go figure. The only risk is if you have old pipes where you live in which case stuff can leach into your water in which case the r/o would be great for filtering out the particulates. If you use a good conditioner though, a mix would both give your fish the opportunity to be exposed to some of the "real world" while not overwhelming them with anything. 

Lastly, I'd suggest moving this thread to the general forum because we don't want anyone new to the forum and the hobby getting the idea that zebra plecos are beginner fish. They are an endangered or at least at risk species afaik and their conservation relies on proper care by hobbyists which beginners cannot normally provide.


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## blossom112 (Mar 19, 2008)

good info ... 
I need Kats night vision glasses ..... gonna go blind straining my eyes in the dark trying to see them lol
sounds good to me if cid could move it when she feels better 
awe heck just give me a special place of my own lol
Im silly tonight hubby and i just rented a movie from rogers on demand EagleEye 
was a good movie !!!
we neverspend time together but are only 10 feet away .lol doing our own things .


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## Ciddian (Mar 15, 2006)

> As far as importing fish goes. It can be a good way to get rare things but you have to be careful, especially with expensive fish about the arrive alive guarantees. A bunch of us ordered from Spencer Jack in Winterpeg  and were really screwed around when all but a few of the 100 cardinals he sent us were dead within a few days, not to mention the odd assortment of other fish that all of us lost from him. He blamed it on us and suggested we were bad fish keepers when that obviously wasn't the case. Ended up spending 50$ on fish medication when I'd never had any medications before to clear up the problems with my fish alone and then only managed to save about half of what I got from him. Luckily I had enough tanks to QT all of the different fish separately but not everyone has that space.


 Cory I am so sorry about that experience 

I agree with the moving of the thread idea


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## blossom112 (Mar 19, 2008)

wow your like the wind!!!!!!!!


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## blossom112 (Mar 19, 2008)

Earthworm sticks im not sure i like them ,they really mess up the water way too much .
There must be something better ?
What kind of foods do u use?
thanks


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## blossom112 (Mar 19, 2008)

OK after much thinking .....I am going to get a different tank for the zebrs , so now to just look for one the size I want ,or go see john which i think i may have to do either way ...
So now to start collecting brand new equipment , the tank will have no substrate, maybe i can stick in some fake plants lol
The hunt is on!


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## ameekplec. (May 1, 2008)

blossom112 said:


> Earthworm sticks im not sure i like them ,they really mess up the water way too much .
> There must be something better ?
> What kind of foods do u use?
> thanks


How much are you feeding????

I feed my little guys 5 or 6 sticks (for 4 1.5" fish) and there are 0 detectable nitrates in my tank with a total volume of around 12 gallons.


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## blossom112 (Mar 19, 2008)

only 3 or 4 sticks .I think they are messylol
Wow you have your in a 12 gl?


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## ameekplec. (May 1, 2008)

Yep, that's all the space they need right now, and I'm confident about keeping parameters stable and wastes low in my system. 

As for the mess, I really don't think 3 or 4 sticks in a40g makes a mess. When are you feeding? Try at night, when the plecs are most active. They are nocturnal so will feed best at night, even if they are "active" during the day.
I feed my little guys exclusively at night, I never see them eat, but I know they're very healthy - they display a silver-blue sheen in the white areas only seen in really healthy specimens


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## blossom112 (Mar 19, 2008)

So what do you think the lowest gl I can go ?
with a canister and some elite filters ?
Think Im gonna get a new tank and have bare bottom but that will take time to cycle and get stable .
I was thinking getting the biggest eclipse and putting the canister on that and still have the filter and bio-wheel.
What you think?
I was thinking that way if they spawn I will just leave them in instead of moving everything and stressing everyone out ..looking at long term!


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## ameekplec. (May 1, 2008)

blossom112 said:


> So what do you think the lowest gl I can go ?
> with a canister and some elite filters ?
> Think Im gonna get a new tank and have bare bottom but that will take time to cycle and get stable .
> I was thinking getting the biggest eclipse and putting the canister on that and still have the filter and bio-wheel.
> ...


All bad ideas. I'd keep them in a 40g. The biggest eclipse hood they make fits a 36 x 12 tank; the 40b has 1/3 more area than than tank size.

And in terms of tank sizes, you really shouldn't be thinking of going smaller, especially since they have some growing to do still.


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## blossom112 (Mar 19, 2008)

not smaller .....
If i buy the hood I can have a tank made the hood alone fits up to 37gl ...
So I think it is a good idea and I dont want them in the planted so its an option I will probaby do at this point!

http://www.bigalsonline.com/BigAlsUS/ctl3684/cp18527/si1382188/cl0/marinelandeclipse3

but I did read somewhere they take orders for costom hoods I could look into that too!


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## ameekplec. (May 1, 2008)

Volume isn't an issue with plecs, it's the floor space (area).

A 30 x 12 x 22 tank is a 37 gallon tank, but the area that is occupied by plecos is 30 x 12 (360 sq inches), since they really don't care how deep the tank is, because they don't swim in the water column much.
The 40b is 36 x 18 (648 sq in) and almost 2 times the area (1.8 to be exact).

There's more space for each plec which matters more than total volume, and unless you want aggression issues to come up (L046 males are notorious for killing or severely injuring other males) I'd stick with the 40br.


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## Zebrapl3co (Mar 29, 2006)

I agree, try to stay with 10G (standard tank size) per adult zebra and you can't possible go wrong. If you have lots of rocks and driftwood, then you can get away with a smaller tank. But anything smaller and you'd have issues during breeding time or when the alpha is challenged.

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## blossom112 (Mar 19, 2008)

Yes I was going to go 37gl and then provide levels with slate and lots wood for more surface area under water for them .
Im still in the thinking stages tho ,the input is great thanks!


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## blossom112 (Mar 19, 2008)

They will have a new tank as soon as I have the time to get around to it ,I have chosen 37 gl long and a very nice stand!
It will take the place in our bedroom as I dont wish to share with friends or family what I paid for them lmao.
I will be getting 10 caves and layer in as many as I can .
maybe more as I have 6 and I dont want fighting over caves.
If anyone has these and a recomendation on how many let me know please.
thanks!


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