# Other Aquarium Forums > Freshwater Fauna > Catfishes >  jerome's first Hypancistrus zebra (L046) Tank Setup

## jerome

hi guys, i already setup a 2ft tank for L46, now in cycling process,

want to ask, anyone try using black crystal quartz gravel for base?
was given to me by my friend by somehow when i ran my hand *through* them, they feel quite sharp. the grain size are 1-2mm. my friend told me these are dennerle black quartz. i feel it by be a bit too sharp for L46 though the dennerle web say this are suitable for bottom dweller
if *you* need a pic of the quartz, i try post them tomorrow

like to have some expert opinion about this, whether it is ok to add this as a base.



thanks 

Jerome

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## johannes

the normal quartz crystal is indeed sharp, i use dennerle black gravel, which has rounded edge, suitable for bottom dwellers like cory, pleco, loaches, etc.

alternatively you can use fine river sand.

johannes

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## jerome

thanks for your input, i decided to buy a pack of ADA - Forest Sand Xingu which is their natural habitat. anyone try using this and any complain on them? :Grin: 

this is the tank i be using to house them. 
mizu 2feet tank with 2217 for filter 
using the black long stone for air bubble 

got a question is there a need to use *sponge* to cover the inlet?



my 5 'coffin' i bought from a bro here  :Grin:  :Grin: 



cheer 
Jerome

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## Cup

It won't be a problem, imo. But, if you have any doubts, don't do it. It's too much of a capital investment to keep something in a substandard environment.

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## johannes

> thanks for your input, i decided to buy a pack of ADA - Forest Sand Xingu which is their natural habitat. anyone try using this and any complain on them?
> cheer 
> Jerome


that is both nice and suitable sand, but too expensive for me... :Smile:

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## jerome

thanks for all your inputs, will be heading down to c328 to ask for the sand later  :Grin: 

btw does any of you guys have problem will heater?
got a 100w heater from rena, i set it to 29C but the temp shown on thermometer always 32C.
tried putting thermometer in my crs tank and i comfirm the thermometer is working fine.
lower my heater setting to 28 but stilll the temp stays at 32.
is there any other things to set for a heater?
there no calibration button or anything

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## cheetf

Take the heater out and check the temperature. Are you sure that is not your ambient temperature? Try another thermometer first as most of them are not properly calibrated.

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## yat6661

> thanks for all your inputs, will be heading down to c328 to ask for the sand later 
> 
> btw does any of you guys have problem will heater?
> got a 100w heater from rena, i set it to 29C but the temp shown on thermometer always 32C.
> tried putting thermometer in my crs tank and i comfirm the thermometer is working fine.
> lower my heater setting to 28 but stilll the temp stays at 32.
> is there any other things to set for a heater?
> there no calibration button or anything


I thought heater is to heat not to bring down temp? Use a chiller. But Amazon creatures can cope with 30C and above.

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## seanskye

> thanks for all your inputs, will be heading down to c328 to ask for the sand later 
> 
> btw does any of you guys have problem will heater?
> got a 100w heater from rena, i set it to 29C but the temp shown on thermometer always 32C.
> tried putting thermometer in my crs tank and i comfirm the thermometer is working fine.
> lower my heater setting to 28 but stilll the temp stays at 32.
> is there any other things to set for a heater?
> there no calibration button or anything


Erm... your water temperature may already be 32C, higher than your heater... you probably need a chiller if that's really the case?

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## johannes

you should try to set it to 28 degrees, then 27, 26, etc. until it reaches your desired temperature to compensate the discrepancies.

This is the reason why all my heaters are Jager brand, which can be calibrated easily.

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## cheetf

Please forgive my ignorance, what do you mean?, how do you lower water temp with a heater?

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## Luc Tango

i think what bro johannes means is that the heater when set at 28 degrees, is actually 32 degrees.

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## johannes

> i think what bro johannes means is that the heater when set at 28 degrees, is actually 32 degrees.


yup, this is what i was trying to say for bro Jerome's case.

in his case, when he set it at 28, the temp heats up to 32,

so i was suggesting to him to set to 27, 26 etc until it stops heating, at say, 29 degrees (in which he need to set the heater at 25?).

this way he as to set it at 25 in order to attain 29 degrees and so on... *something* like that...

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## jerome

thanks for input, i'll do that tomorrow, just came back from c328. both shop don't sell ADA xingu  :Sad:  :Sad: 
so i bought a nameless sand which caught my eyes.they are cheap too  :Grin:  :Grin: 
wash them a few time and be transferring them in tomorrow into the tank with slate cave.
now left with the job of searching for flat slats :Razz:  :Razz: 
will try a update photo tomorrow

cheers

Jerome

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## johannes

biotope has the ADA river sand, not sure it is the 'xingu' one though...

cant wait to see your set up... :Smile:

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## zpleco

Yup, Biotope has the Xingu sand. Saw it there few days back.

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## jerome

a little update of tank.
bought a nameless sand, result wasn't as bad as i thought

will be heading to NA later to find some flat slate for the tank  :Grin:  :Grin:  :Grin: 
somehow the slate cave make the tank look smalll  :Opps:

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## genes

Actually, SUDO have this fine black quartz gravel. Much finner then those brand-less or ocean free black quartz.
Here it is. http://www.mizuworld.com/product/detail/1411

The best gravel is still dennerle imo.

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## jerome

Hi guys, finally my tank is already well cycled.

went NA, someone snatched up all the flate slate few days *before* i went  :Sad:   :Sad: 
no choice dun wan waste my trip so got some stone and a extra aquaball filter

planning to get my L46 from forum bro but i'm totally clueless on the price of them base of their length

anyone can pm me how the pricing of the L46?

had a budget around 1k+ intend to keep 3 or 4 of them


updated pic

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## khtee

bro, is it necessary to have the heater on? Your incoming L46 will have sauna everyday. :Grin:  . Normal room temperature will do if not you will have a hard time breeding L46. $1.2K can get you 3 pieces of wild L46 with current market rate. Home breed will be slightly cheaper.

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## jerome

hi bro what are the size for that price? still reasonable and within budget. though a bit tight :Exasperated:

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## johannes

> hi bro what are the size for that price? still reasonable and within budget. though a bit tight


2.4 to 3 inch

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## johannes

> bro, is it necessary to have the heater on? Your incoming L46 will have sauna everyday. . Normal room temperature will do if not you will have a hard time breeding L46. $1.2K can get you 3 pieces of wild L46 with current market rate. Home breed will be slightly cheaper.


homebred is cheaper becos they are juvenile fish (smaller) so it's actually the same.

as far as i know, no one in sg has ever sold a 3 inch adult F1 zebra which they bred themselves one

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## jerome

hi went to C328 just now i gotten myself 2 pcs zebra. 
the rest in the tank was smaller,so i didnt take, probably the larger one all snatched already.

did the dripping method, now they are hiding at the back of the tank and not much movement from them.

was thinking about the feeding part of them.
bought hikari and sera sinking tablet for them.
do i put the food in front of them. 
and do i need to remove the unfinished food? how much amount?
do you guys feed once or twice a day?

i only kept crs b4 so i not sure about the feeding of pleco

helps is really appreciated. :Roll Eyes: 

now just sitting in front of the tank admiring  :Grin:  :Grin:  :Grin: 


cheers

Jerome

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## johannes

how big is your zebra, if yours is around 2.75 to 3 inch, those are the bigger ones. 
max size for zebra is around 4 inch, which is hard to come by.

feed them hikari sinking carnivore pellets. 
try to feed 2 pellets per day and you observe whether the food is finished or not. 
if not finished, siphon out the uneaten food and feed some more.

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## jerome

nope not that big i took the 2 biggest and most active pcs in the tank.
took me very long to catch them. 
caught one but give up on the other piece ask uncle help  :Embarassed: 

it been in my tank for a few hours already and they are acting like plastic pleco hiding between crevice, its like motionless plastic toy
i tried placing a pallet in front of them but they *don't* seem to respond and the pallet just get blown away by the current. 
what should i do? 
need advice. 
they are just 2inches

Jerome

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## johannes

there are almost 3 inchers available there also ma...

anyway... you cannot expect them to come out and eat in front of you like guppies... :Grin: 

you see them motionless when the lights are on, then feed when the light is off, and observe the next day whether the food is eaten. (for new pleco la..)

some plecos do come out and eat in front of you after a while, some would still remain shy no matter what...

that's pleco keeping.. :Opps:

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## khtee

> homebred is cheaper becos they are juvenile fish (smaller) so it's actually the same.
> 
> as far as i know, no one in sg has ever sold a 3 inch adult F1 zebra which they bred themselves one


I agree with you. Home breed usually sold when they are 1inch++. 
Not sure why, could be due to difficulty in raising them up?

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## khtee

> it been in my tank for a few hours already and they are acting like plastic pleco hiding between crevice, its like motionless plastic toy
> i tried placing a pallet in front of them but they dun seem to respond and the pallet just get blown away by the current. what should i do? need advice. they are just 2inches
> 
> Jerome


Usually I will put them in a breeder box that hang on to the glass. 
It is easier to observe any sunken belly for the first few days. 
If after a week, I will just release them to the tank provided they have started eating. 
Of course you need to provide some hiding area for them in the breeder box.

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## johannes

> I agree with you. Home breed usually sold when they are 1inch++. Not sure why, could be due to difficulty in raising them up?


difficult is one thing, the time taken to reach 2 inch is approximately 1.25 to 1.5 yrs... depending on your water change, feeding regime, etc... :Crying: 

imagine if *you* wait till 2.5 or 3 inch.. :Shocked:

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## johannes

> Usually I will put them in a breeder box that hang on to the glass. It is easier to observe any sunken belly for the first few days. If after a week, I will just release them to the tank provided they have started eating. Of course you need to provide some hiding area for them in the breeder box.


for me i have no problem in dumping the fish into the tank straight, by the *second* day i can observe him liao and see if it eats or not. :Smile:

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## jerome

hi guys,
i thrown 2 pallet into the tank last night,
today morning when i woke up the pallet are still intact, not eaten at all  :Crying:  :Crying: 
maybe i should head back 328 and buy a breeder box

one thing i notice when looking from the top, it seem the zebras have a big stomach,
i try to take a photo later after i get my hand on the larger bigger box


cheers

thanks guy for your advice
really appreciate it 

Jerome

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## johannes

what pellet did you feed?

they are more attracted to hikari sinking *carnivore* pellets, this is good to kickstart their appetite.

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## jerome

yup, bought hikari sinking pallet.used the tweezer to put food infront of them
but they not eating  :Sad: 
now one hiding in slate cave one between crevice
just siphon the pallet out of water. also bought sera plankton tab but yet try it out

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## celticfish

These are quite "capital intensive" fish to buy without doing your homework...

I'm a little concerned about your tank being "cycled".
You started the tank on 13th August and the fish are in 20th August.
Unless you have done some "extras" in the tank setup/cycling I'm of the opinion your tank is not yet fully cycled.
The only thing you got going is the bio-load is only worth two fish....  :Opps: 

The tank setup also looks "naked".
If I were your zebra, I'd just stay in the cave and not come out! 
Try to add some DW, plants or decorations to have shadowed areas.
Then they may come out and hang out under the shade.  :Grin: 
Remember this - A zebra that feels safe is a brave zebra!



On Heaters:
Having bought quite a few heaters of various brands I've settled on Jaeger as the brand to use for my tanks.
Its because its the only heater in our local market that allows you to adjust the calibration of the heater.
If anyone knows of other makes that has the "re-calibration" feature, do tell me please.
In most heaters, you will occassionally get one that isn't calibrated well.
The heater setting and the thermometer reading is different.
Simply check your heater setting and read your thermometer.
You will know what I mean after.
The last straw that broke the camel's back for me was a branded heater which had a reading difference of +4 celcius, deadly.
If you are fine with the above then most heater brands will do the job for you.
But if you like precise readings, like me, then Jaeger is the way to go IMHO.


On Fish Observation:
You should have already examined your fish before buying... let alone, "before you release them in your tank"!
I have bought two pieces from C328 with very sunken bellies from the current shipment.
So sunken the sides of the adominal area are wrinkled!
I bought them because I've "saved" such fish before.
And I know they were starved during their shipment and quarantine.
Sure, there's still a risk but I'm willing to take it for female fish!  :Laughing: 

The breeder box method is good to use if your tank is large and the fish small.
Once you are sure they are acclimatized to your tank and eating well you can release them into the main tank.
Howevere, if the setup of the breeder trap is "not right" you might stress the fish more than help the fish. 
Though I use this method at times I prefer to use the "right size" tank in the first place.

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## celticfish

> also bought sera plankton tab but yet try it out


Don't use the plankton tab till you know they are eating.
Its a "breakdown" (literal translation) tablet and you will have bits of food flying all over your tank and going in the filter inlet.

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## jerome

hi celticfish, 
thanks for the advice, appreciate it very much.

tanks has been cycling for 2weeks before this thread was posted, and i have a crs tank beside which i i had the sponge taken and 'wash' in my zebra tank a few time.and a few other steps taken.
test kit was also used before the zebra are introduced into the tank.

As for the heater, i think i can skip that part as my tank temp have been keeping constant at 30C. but i will a better heater just to be on the safe side.
i will try to get more dw or slate to decorate the tank as soon as possible

As for the zebra condition, i did examined them before i get them.
not sure if the photo is clear enough, i try again once i get a breeder tank.




thansk for the many advice

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## johannes

> yup, bought hikari sinking pallet.used the tweezer to put food infront of them
> but they not eating 
> now one hiding in slate cave one between crevice
> just siphon the pallet out of water. also bought sera plankton tab but yet try it out


hikari sinking pellets and hikari sinking carnivore pellets are two different food altogether

the fish look filled though

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## jerome

hi sorry didnt make myself clear, yes its the hikari sinking carnivore pellets that i bought

both fishes look the same. this 2 are the only pcs i saw with a big tummy and strongest white black contrast before i decided to get them.
they have yet to eat anything since i got them.

i try get a top view snap after i get my breeder tank tonight

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## celticfish

> tanks has been cycling for 2weeks before this thread was posted, and i have a crs tank beside which i i had the sponge taken and 'wash' in my zebra tank a few time.and a few other steps taken.
> test kit was also used before the zebra are introduced into the tank.


Thats a relief to hear!  :Smile: 





> As for the heater, i think i can skip that part as my tank temp have been keeping constant at 30C. but i will a better heater just to be on the safe side.
> i will try to get more dw or slate to decorate the tank as soon as possible


Yes, keep the heater in the tank, just in case.
You may want to consider upping the temperature to 32C for two weeks.
Do use the reading on your thermometer to check!
Use Hikari Canivore tabs as johannes suggest.
The idea is to use the higher temperature to get them eating well at the start.





> As for the zebra condition, i did examined them before i get them.
> not sure if the photo is clear enough, i try again once i get a breeder tank.


If the fish has a slight bent dorsal fin its a handsome one and has good alpha characteristics.
I noticed that one in the tank in C328.
Mrs. Toh has been feeding them well at my prompting. 
Anyways the fish pictured is in good shape.

No worries about not eating for sometime before it becomes a real problem.
Its not uncommon for fish new to a tank to not eat the first few days.
But do add cover for shade soon.

You're on track trying to feed them daily and removing waste daily.
At this time only try to feed at night and check the consumption in the morning.
One tablet a fish for now.


Reply to post #39:
You don't need to take more pictures.
It can be seen from your posted picture your fish are fine.
Chances are both of them are male though.
The larger fish in the group are males.

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## jerome

Thanks Thanks  :Grin:  :Grin: 

both pcs just above 2inch only and dun see any odontodes (spines) on the pectoral fins growing yet. let me pray for some miracle both short short  :Angel:  :Angel: 

i already have a large used dw that have been soaking for almost 1week. will be using that sometime soon.

will be getting some smaller dw and slate also.
probably getting a Jaeger heater too on the next trip, for a peace of mind. :Angel: 

thanks for all advice,now feeling more relaxed abit.

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## jerome

Updates

went C328 *yesterday* and gotten a breeder tank and bought a few more cave that just arrived.

one good news i got is *one* of the zebra started eating already :Wink: . but not the other *piece*  :Sad: 

just put both *pieces* into the breeder tank.thrown *one* pellet into the tank to try out. 
after a *minute* or *two*, one of the *pieces* started eating!!  :Roll Eyes:  :Roll Eyes: , finished half of it.yay!

but the other fish still not giving up on it hunger strike  :Evil: 
will continue to monitor both of them

have a question, how much you feed your zebra a day? for a size such as 2.5" ??

some photo to share  :Grin:  :Grin: 

only managed to took photo of one of them, the other hidden in the slate.
both fish the same size, larger than i expected

this fish look wierd, the odontodes (spines) on the pectoral fins of the left and right are *different*. anyone can sex this piece?

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## Jordi

looks good.

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## drakeho

looks male to me ....

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## jerome

hi, just a little update, the zebra had started to start eating.
just *want* to know how much should i feed hem?
thrown 3 pallet and they had it finished. *don't know* which one.
should i limit the amount they should eat or allow them to eat till max and siphon up the rest over?

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## jerome

can someone help me ID the sex of this piece
i cant ID whether this is a female or male, 2.5"

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## drakeho

Male again ?

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## jerome

ahh male? sad  :Crying:  :Crying: 
someone bag almost all the pieces at C328 this evening, was looking at auntie pack it , didn't even get a chance to grab one.. :Laughing:  :Laughing:

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