Took a bit of effort to get them going this time, but Hypancistrus zebra season is officially underway! :D
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Took a bit of effort to get them going this time, but Hypancistrus zebra season is officially underway! :D
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Very cool Adam :D So how do you get these guys to breed? I understand it is not easy!
Pat
Congrats!
I didn't know that their eggs are so big!
Please, keep us posted on the evolution of this batch ;)
Cool Adam. They look amazing mate. Have you had fry from them before? :thumbsup:
Thanks, Pat! This group spawns mostly during the winter months and only occasionally outside of that time frame. They were already well conditioned, and the females were hanging out on top of or near the entrance of his cave ("Hey, you free this weekend?"). I ran them through several weeks of dry season stimulation with small water changes only to siphon the tank bottom. To stimulate the wet season, I did two 50% water changes with pure RO on back to back days, bringing the TDS from 130 ppm to 40 ppm. The water was unheated and dropped the temperature by 5 degrees, though I don't think this matters as much as it does with cories. The male trapped a female 2 days later, and they spawned after 48 hours. Supposedly, the long trapping time is the female's way of testing if the male is strong enough to protect the eggs.Quote:
Originally Posted by Second Hand Pat
Thanks, Thomas. The fry look even weirder when born; like a grain of rice on top of the egg. If all goes according to plan, they'll hatch 4 days from now and start eating in about 10-11 days.Quote:
Originally Posted by thomaswal
The eggs were pulled immediately after the first photo, as I don't trust this male anymore.
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Thanks, Daniel. Yes, this group has been very easy to work with. Here's a shot from last year (when he was still a reliable dad):Quote:
Originally Posted by danotaylor
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I just happened on this post. Any updates on these guys? Just out of curiosity, how much do you get for these? I’m sure you can get a pretty penny for them. I love the stripes and it’s not something you see everyday. I’m sure they are highly sought after. So cool! Congrats!
Patty
The eggs fungused pretty quickly. 99% sure they weren't fertilized to begin with, as they all turned opaque the next day.
The going rate is basically $100 per inch, but I haven't sold any. Just can't bring myself to do it yet.
How many do you have mate?
I love this fish! I knew they would fetch a good price as they are stunning. Hope he hits his target next time. Those babies are so cute!
Patty
About 20. Lost the first few batches to gill parasites, but things have been fine since identifying the cause.Quote:
Originally Posted by danotaylor
Me too. Silly thing can't decide between caves at the moment. Never was an issue until a month ago.Quote:
Originally Posted by Pices