anything that can go with them?

[cocoa_pleco]

So far, the 29g has 2 red zebras, and im thinking of 2 more. I want to try some bigger snails like mystery snails and maybe large shrimp like marble shrimp, but would the zebras just eat them? would loaches be able to go with them? any suggestions appreciated

[Drumachine09]

Try a synodontis. Or other "less agressive" ciclids like labs and socos.



What happened to the severum?

[cocoa_pleco]

Mr. severum is in the 33g. No other tankmates. He gets way to crabby with anything else so hes alone in it.

A synodontis is a good idea

[Fishguy2727]

The red zebras will do best in Lake Malawi water parameters. That means a pH of 8.2 and the proper lake salts. This restricts tankmates to other mbunas and some Synodontis spp. As far as I know the Synodontis petricola is doing fine in the 150 ( I have only seen him once). Other options include S. eupterus, S. multipunctatus, and S. njassae.

[cocoa_pleco]

I heard they do fine with other melanchromis, which my auratus is, but i think the auratus is a bit too cranky for them.

How many red zebras would fit in the tank? Its mediumly planted with the biowheel 350

[Fishguy2727]

They aren't eating the plants?

I have 14 mbunas in my 55. Try and get 2-3 females per male.

[Drumachine09]

Also, lots of hiding spots are a must. PVC, rock structures, clay pots, and the like are a must to keep the agression at bay.

[cocoa_pleco]

They dont touch the plants at all. They just swim around them.

I have lots of rocks and driftwood as hiding spaces.

How can you sex red zebras?

[cocoa_pleco]

actually, 2 questions-

A) how can you sex them
and
B) are they supposed to eat the plants?

[Fishguy2727]

You have red zebra mbunas, right? Mbunas are highly herbivorous (actually algivorous) so plants usually don't last long. If they are young, happen to be nasty tasting plants, or are fed well enough they may not go for them.

Females smaller and more brightly colored. Males will be a mild orange with an even paler underside, females will be the brighter orange to orange-red. Males will have more egg spots on the anal fin. Males will have 4-7 egg spots whereas the females will have 0-3. This is from a website found by google. It seems right. There are lots of variations with mbunas and different people will give you different info, as well as different color morphs may vary from these trends.

[cocoa_pleco]

Ive got females then. One has 3 eggspots and one has 1.

The plants have lasted so far. They only dug one up, none are eaten

[Fishguy2727]

How big are they? If they are not mature yet the males will look like females.

[cocoa_pleco]

Theyre fairly small, about 3.5-4"

[Jasonizal]

You could put a Chinese Algae eater in or maybe a yoyo loach, the fish WOULD eat the shrimp + attack snails if they are large.:hmm3grin2orange: