# zebra obliquidens aggression question



## Dewdrop

I recently saw some of these in a LFS and thought they were neat looking but thought I remembered reading posts in here about them being really bad agressive and mean so I didn't get any.

I came home and read about them in the profiles here and thought they didn't sound so bad. Well I was at that LSF again yesterday and picked some up (the only 2 males they had left and 2 females). I wasn't sure how the 2 males would get along together so I have them in 2 different tanks. Both females with the one male (in a mostly all mbuna tank) and the other in a tank with I think all male fish of different types (some haps some mbuna)but like water requirements (this tank is temporary until I get a bigger one).

My question is how aggressive are these fish really? They seem to be getting along fine in both tanks but it's only been a day. Long term should they all be put in the same tank? Better with haps (C. borleyi & N. venustus...these are still really small) or will they be ok with the mbuna?


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## samaki

Hi
H.latifasciatus aka zebra obliquidens is not so agressive so you can house it with haps, mbunas will be too agressive for it. Normally 2 males can live in the same tank but yu may find some that can't.
xris


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## Dewdrop

Thank you very much for the info.


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## redrider93

I just bought one to put with some peacocks that were twice it's size. I wanted to be sure it could hold its own. I picked out one that was feisty. The think is a terror. it has tried to claim 1/2 the tank.


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## Dewdrop

See that's what I mean. I'm sure I've read people say they are awful bad. So far mine are still doing great in both tanks. Even the one male in the 55g. with the mainly mbuna is doing fine. He doesn't bother anyone and they don't bother him either. His color is great.


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## redrider93

I bought one that I was going to put with fish at least twice it's size, so I picked the one that was aggressive. The thing is crazy. He swims at the top of the tank all day waiting for food. He will chase off any fish similar in size, and all but ignores the king of my tank, a Steveni Taiwan. And, I'm not sure but it could even be a female. The fish is getting to be breeding size and has no color at all.


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## Dewdrop

redrider93, What fish did you put it with and what size tank? Mine are only a little over 2 inches long and the males show color so you might have a female.

Well I had it backwards  . I had a male and 2 females in the tank that had small haps and odd ball fish to get rid of. Had the other male in the 55g. with mainly mbuna. I noticed that one of the females wasn't eating so I put them all in the 55g.. The one male in the 55g. was getting along good but what I think is a young female that's a C. borleyi is very bossy in the other tank and chases the female obliquidens a good bit. So moved them all to the 55g.

The male to just go in the 55g. lost color for a while but is getting it back though not as colorful as the one that had been in there longer. The female that wasn't eating, I've determined is holding so I moved her to a 10g. tank by herself last night.

I've read the females won't eat their fry but I didn't know about the males and certainly wouldn't trust the mbuna not to eat them.

I have a small yellow lab holding in another 10g. tank. Would it be ok to add her in with the holding zebra obliquidens? If I watch closely for fry and remove the lab when she spits? I'd really like to free up one of 10g. tanks.

I got a new camera but still don't take good pictures :lol: Here's a pic of one of the males though.


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## Dewdrop

Of the 2 two females I have...one looks silver or gray with the black stripes and the other looks gold or yellowish with black stripes. In pics here in the group of females, I've noticed both colorations too. Anyone know why this is? :-?


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## redrider93

The zebra started out in a 29G with two sub-dominant male peacocks @ 3 inches and 3 female peacocoks @ 2 inches. He (she?) was a total punk and ran off everything around him. It is now in a 46G bowfront w/ the Taiwan Reef, 3 very hearty male peacocks, a red tail sheller, a neolamp. tretocephalus, and an altolamp. calvus. all between 3-4 inches.


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## Dewdrop

Does it look more of a silver color or more golden color?


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## redrider93

I'm at work, but from what I recall, I'd say golden.


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## Dewdrop

hmmm I'm thinking you probably have a female then. Like I said I have 2 females and one looks silver while the other looks more golden. The one that looks more silver looks more like the male when it isn't showing it's colors. Makes it a little harder to tell which it is but if it looks pretty golden I think it's probably for sure female. I'm new to these fish too so this is just what I've experienced recently and still don't know why each female can be a different color.


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## redrider93

Another thing I noticed is that the fish isn't exactly streamlined. The abdomen is kind of roundish, and then it curves up as it moves towards the tail. To tell you the truth, it may be a poor quality fish. I recall reading that they are pretty much extinct in nature and I may have bought one that came from bad stock.


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## Dewdrop

Maybe you can post a pic when you get home. That's what I've read too. They are pretty extinct in nature and all captive bred that we get now. It's possible it is from bad stock. I recently saw a female in Walmart in the assorted african tank. Since it was the only one in there, it was probably a mistake but certainly came from the same breeder that keeps Walmart in fish sooooo :lol:


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## samaki

Hi Dewdrop
Yu may find color variants in latifasciatus some are golden wih black stripes, others may be silver and some very dark. it's totally normal
xris


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## Dewdrop

Thank you samaki. I was pretty sure I didn't have 2 different species as I'd noticed the color difference in profile pics too.


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