I have a large beautiful female long fin zebra that is a real bully. Anytime one of the other 4 zebras gets near her and the top where they like to hang out
she chases them into hiding. Even the largest male avoids her like the plague. She is obsessed with chasing them. I really like it when zebras all hang out
and swim together but since I got her everybody else just hides except for feeding. She and two others have been out of QT and in the tank for about 2.5 to 3
weeks. What to do?
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Big bully
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 pegzee |
Big bully |
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Posts: 620 (02/01/09 21:27:37) True-Blue LFS Extraordinaire |
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mikev |
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Posts: 2025 (02/01/09 22:11:51) Lord of the Loaches |
I'd try adding a couple more if the tank allows it; 5 is the lower bound for a zebra shoal. A large shoal makes it more difficult to harass anyone in
particular. More plants may help too.
hth (I never had this before but noticed this problem in one of the fry tanks today...one grew larger then the rest, and is constantly in an attack mode. I think it is a male, and I cannot just dump him...he seems to have genetics different from the rest....we'll have to figure out which tank he'll do least damage.) |
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ShellyB518 |
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Posts: 7042 (02/02/09 00:57:32) Administrator
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Adding more to the shoal would help. Until then I would provide tons of tall plants to break up the line of sight. If the harassment is stressing the others
then I would keep the tank lights off, it seems to lower the need to harass as well as encourage the other to come out of hiding.
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tetralina3 |
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Posts: 13215 (02/02/09 03:56:36) Mad Scientist |
I have a jewel cichlid female that is very, very aggressive and seems to train her suitors to also do her bidding. Funny thing: She is tiny - way smaller
than any of the other females - maybe a third their size. (You can see her in the calendar.) She just forced a female out of her house and took it over
yesterday - despite being so much smaller. So, aggression can vary.
t |
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pegzee |
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Posts: 629 (02/02/09 05:28:31) True-Blue LFS Extraordinaire |
Thanks guys. I will try your suggestions.
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ShellyB518 |
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Posts: 7048 (02/03/09 00:17:16) Administrator
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Let us know how it goes and what works and doesn't work, k?
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pegzee |
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Posts: 704 (02/09/09 11:33:08) True-Blue LFS Extraordinaire |
I have 5 new Zebras in QT and am thinking that I may put her in with them for the QT period. She seems to be getting worse. I put more plants in but no help
except to give the others more places to hide. She is still chasing everybody as soon as they even peep out from their hiding places. I was watching and she
has the whole tank on edge. Even though she only chases the Zebras she has everybody else avoiding the top area of the tank. She seems almost psychotic!!!
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mikev |
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Posts: 2039 (02/09/09 12:06:40) Lord of the Loaches |
Are you absolutely sure it is a "she"?
IME, the danios that chase others tend to be the males...I even tried to predict sex of the fry based on their behavior and it seems that one can do it before they shape up..... My aggressive guy got totally cured when placed with a few larger danios... 
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pegzee |
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Posts: 707 (02/09/09 12:12:27) True-Blue LFS Extraordinaire |
Hey Mike. I am thinking "she" because she is full and round and curvy whereas what I think are males are lean and thin with less depth of body. I
could be wrong though. Whether boy or girl, it's days are numbered if it doesn't calm down. I will bring it back to Petsmart and let them deal with it.
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mikev |
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Posts: 2040 (02/09/09 12:26:15) Lord of the Loaches |
If you have a photo could you post it perhaps? I'm curious.... and I can ask a friend who is a danio freak and sexes reliably.
(TBH, a consistently aggressive female danio makes me think of a mental illness... ) |
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pegzee |
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Posts: 712 (02/09/09 20:54:26) True-Blue LFS Extraordinaire |
There is no way Mike. She streaks around the tank like her fins are on fire! Just how much mental illness can a brain the size of a pin head have
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mikev |
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Posts: 2042 (02/09/09 23:03:04) Lord of the Loaches |
If you have a camera, you can net it and simply hold the net to the glass (don't remove the fish from the water)...this keeps the fish still and allows to
photo them. Easier to do if you have someone else holding the camera, but I've done this with one hand.
as for pin head brains...their programs are simply but still all a little different and bug-prone...it might think it is a male...or it may be an overfed male. Real weird things happen...for example, I have some fish that seems to be changing its sex right now. |
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Crayon |
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Posts: 273 (02/10/09 01:56:57) Craven's Crafty Companion |
"There is no way Mike. She streaks around the tank like her fins are on fire!"
Hahaha. That is so funny. I have a bunch of danios so I know what ya mean. I can photo them by putting a very bright light to the side of the tank. Like a compact flourescent daylight bulb. Then focus the camera on a plant or something and click when the fish is swimming by it. I realize that my camera is good at pics this way and it may not be helpfull to others! But I just thought I would throw it out there for ya. I like MikeVs advice too. I never have done that. I think putting her in with the QT danios is a fabulous idea. It may put her in a different role amonst those ones. Also it may change her attitude towards the old danios when she is re-introduced as part of the "new guys". |
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pegzee |
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Posts: 722 (02/10/09 10:07:34) True-Blue LFS Extraordinaire |
Good suggestions both of you! I will get hubby to help me and hopefully I will get a picture.
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tetralina3 |
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Posts: 13299 (02/11/09 03:23:29) Mad Scientist |
Great idea Crayon. I will try it.
mike, maybe it is not changing sexes but rather you are seeing it differently? What I mean is I have a jewel cichlid called "Pretty Tail"
which we were 100% certain was a female, well you guessed it, because "her" tail had such pretty markings . . . uh huh. We figured out one day that
Pretty Tail is actually a male as "she" started the mating dance with a female and was daddy to"her" first set of fry. Now I don't
even try to guess sexes for most of the jewels until they show obvious signs . . . makes the naming a little less wierd in the long run. Yes, his name is
still "Pretty Tail".
I have several jewels right now that could go either way . . . they are awaiting names as a result.
t |
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mikev |
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Posts: 2047 (02/11/09 12:28:45) Lord of the Loaches |
tetralina,
I know what you are talking about. Nay, I have something more substantive happening. Several animals have changed, all f->m, and one of them is the mother of a bunch of fry living in the next tank...now she looks more like a male. She is full grown. And she has no reasons for doing it, it shares the tank with two males and no other females (sometimes fish can change sex if one of the sexes is in short supply). I can show it, if anyone is interested; this has been discussed a bit on another forum already, so I have a few shots on hand. |
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tetralina3 |
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Posts: 13316 (02/12/09 02:53:14) Mad Scientist |
I would be interested in seeing the pictures.
t |
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Crayon |
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Posts: 282 (02/12/09 13:29:42) Craven's Crafty Companion |
hey pegzee, how is your bully girl doing? Did you put her in the qt or leave her? When will the qt fish be ready to go in?
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mikev |
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Posts: 2052 (02/14/09 00:16:52) Lord of the Loaches |
t,
sorry for delay, been really bz. hopefully before the end of this weekend. |
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tetralina3 |
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Posts: 13345 (02/14/09 02:28:24) Mad Scientist |
Don't worry! I love pictures and can wait weeks as long as I know they are on their way . . .
t |
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pegzee |
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Posts: 743 (02/16/09 01:02:51) True-Blue LFS Extraordinaire |
Hey Crayon. I started a new semester for college and have been very busy. All the zebras are together now. I did far too short a QT I know but such as it is.
She seems to have decided that there are just too many to chase. Everybody is much calmer. Thanks for asking!
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- Welcome!
- F'n'F Shop
- Emergency Room
- The Waiting Room
- African Dwarf Frogs
- African Clawed Frogs
- Freshwater
- Brackish & Oddities
- Saltwater Lovers
- Underwater Garden
- Bettas
- Catfish
- Cichlids
- Goldfish
- The Delivery Room
- In Memoriam
- The Water Cooler
- The Adventures of Smoochy
- Library
- Do-It-Yourself Workshop
- The Garage Sale
- General Information & Registration Help
