# bullying red zebra help!



## jfly (Feb 17, 2009)

okay yesterday i did a 50% waterchange and moved/changed layout and decoration of my tank. now all of a sudden my red zebra was just being a bullying biting weenie. he wasnt that way until the tank movement. it took me almost an hour to catch him and now he is in a breeder net. should i?/and for how long? should i put him in my hospital tank ? i know seperating and releasing back last will lessen aggression, but is it any different than leaving him in breeder net in my main tank??


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## morningsky (Apr 22, 2008)

I have kept aggresive fish in a breeder net before. It might help. I think you might have messed up his territory when you changed the decor.

I have not had much luck with aggressive fish changing their aggression level. The breeder net in the past for me went like this:

1) caught naughty fish

2) isolated him

3)naughty fish was sorry :lol:

4) wait a week or longer (during this time the fish in the breeder net looked pitiful) 

5) Put him back wait 10 minutes to 2 days and they were crabby again. :x

Good luck I hope it works out better for you. What type of fish do you keep with the red zebra?
If you have females maybe is trying to impress the ladies.


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## jfly (Feb 17, 2009)

thanks for the imput.. yea i think i really got him when i messed up his lil hidey holes... really i just rearranged.. he didnt like it apparently.

dont fuss. heres my fish
2xs krib.. 1m,1f
2xs clown loach
1x yellow lab
2xs blood red parrot
1x red zebra

(here it comes, i know i know.. but it IS working out)
1x beautiful cyhpotilapia
oh and 2 plecos


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## Fogelhund (Dec 3, 2002)

Apparently it isn't working out... you have aggression issues.

A poor mix, with not enough compatible fish, in a rather smallish tank. It is to be expected, and no matter how long the timeout, things won't change when he is back.


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## morningsky (Apr 22, 2008)

I wouldn't fuss at anyone  over their stocklist. I posted on your Frontosa thread too, sorta same situation.

just hang in there 8)

The fish are really the ones that make the decisions about who stays or goes anyway, they will show you what works and what doesn't. 

I wish I would have read this forum for about 6 months before I originally bought my first fish. A year and 1/2 later I only have 4 original fish. 2 synos, 1 venustus and acei.


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## webgirl74 (Jan 30, 2009)

I know zebras are notoriously aggressive. A question for Fogelhund on this situation...would adding female zebras help with getitng the male to concentrate his aggression elsewhere?


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## jfly (Feb 17, 2009)

i know my stock is bad.. a few like the frontosa are rescues, it was me take em in or they get the flush!!! couldnt let that happen.. my zebra has always been sooo chill until i changed the landscape .. would a female lessen the situation?


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## jfly (Feb 17, 2009)

it seems often that newbies are often talked down to or having fingers shaken at them.. just a reminder.. everyone at some point was ignorant about these wonderful fishies... and some consideration should be taken and HEY at least we are trying to learn, , , we are IN this room with a thirst for knowledge.. perhaps oneday i will be so learned about these fish that maybe i could be more callous and not take in rescues


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## jfly (Feb 17, 2009)

i dont know if this helps, but i found that my red zebra is female, she is EXTREMELY orange, no blue hue.. very very vibrant. . . any ideas on calming her down since the change


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## Fogelhund (Dec 3, 2002)

jfly said:


> it seems often that newbies are often talked down to or having fingers shaken at them.. just a reminder.. everyone at some point was ignorant about these wonderful fishies... and some consideration should be taken and HEY at least we are trying to learn, , , we are IN this room with a thirst for knowledge.. perhaps oneday i will be so learned about these fish that maybe i could be more callous and not take in rescues


I am prone to being blunt. I am particularly blunt when people have been told that there will be issues, and they fail to listen, only to bring up the predictable problems later. We will gladly help you, but at some point there must be a realization that many here know what they speak.

My recommendation is to decide what you want out of this tank. It would be best to think which fish you want long-term, get rid of the ones that don't fit in those plans, and stock properly from there. You are highly likely to save yourself many headaches, and the fish from abuse of their tankmates. You can put the unwanted fish on Craiglist, a local fish club auction, or give them to a pet store if necessary.

The colour of the zebra is not necessarily an indicator of gender, particularly depending on size. It's behaviour suggests male to me. Perhaps you could post a picture of it, and we could help you.

For now though, it is best for you to think about what you really want, for you, and the health of the fish.


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## CJB (Aug 18, 2008)

I'm having the same issue with my red zebra as well...

Getting rid of him to a cichlid guy off craigslist on friday.


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## jfly (Feb 17, 2009)

i DO appreciate all the imput, and DO realize you guys are cichlid gurus.. i got my tank used so alot of the stock was already in it (including the red zebra) i have taken in an angel and the frontosa. i will try craigslist, but the only thing is, where i live, there are never any fish posts or clubs. i thank you guys so much for the information i have obtained here and the patience most of you show. it is a pleasure.. btw the red zebra , until landscape change, was so chill and it is ELECTRIC orange, no hue of blue.. i think 3 egg spots. male or female.. i would upload , but the flippin NEW digicam i just got already the lens went out. i am shipping back for new one and will post pics asap thanks again :thumb:


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## Scorpy (Mar 25, 2009)

I had the same problem...i feel your pain..lol

I had an albino zebra and he was so agressive! he killed off most of my larger cichlids like my yellow, rivilatus, peacocks (that were 3x his size mind you) all in about 2 days. i ended up selling him to my LFS after trying all avenues to settle him down, which i didnt want to do as i really loved him.....i called him Lucifer in the end...fitting i thought. the only one of my fish that could stand up to him was Jewel (red jewel..duh lol)

i really miss him tho


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## BRANT13 (Feb 18, 2009)

it could verywell be a female....the electric orange would indicate this as if u have a orange male it would be a duller orange....my female zebra is one of the most aggressive fish in my tanks


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## srook23 (Feb 21, 2009)

My male red zebra is a dull orange with a bluish tint to it. I hear it's not uncommon to find bright orange males at the LFS though.

My cobalt zebra is a mean one. He likes beating up on fish from time to time. I had two rescue fish he's killed off already. Doesn't mess with anything that was in the tank with him from the get go too bad, but you add anything it will meet it's demise by Cobalt Zebra.

I would have figured being I have silver dollars they would have been killed by now. They are quite aggressive in my tank at least...when I throw in algae wafers they will gang up on my bumble bee and kick his butt and take the wafers from him. Kinda odd to see a 5" male bumble bee getting his butt whooped by some wimpy ole silver dollars, but I guess anything is possible.


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## jfly (Feb 17, 2009)

the red zebra has now been moved into a 35 gallon hex tank ... i am using the zebra for cycling and it seems to be fine.. i used a filter from another tank and boom.. almost an instant cycle within one week and 1 75% water change


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