# zebra pleco?



## otter (Aug 10, 2012)

I do not know much about plecostomus, but while browsing I came across a zebra pleco and fell in love with it

I was looking through a guide and it says that they get about 3 inches long (did I read wrong?) but need at least a 30 gallon tank.
I thought that was odd--
I would think that a 10 gallon would be fine, though I do now know much about their habits.

I have a 20 gallon tank that I am re-doing
I was going to get a plakat male betta and 6 cory catfish for it, but now I am considering a zebra pleco as well

I was also going to get driftwood for the tank because of the tannis and because pelcos like it right?

There would also be fake plants, pea gravel-y substrate and aeration that should make a nice current for it, though not bother the betta. . 
I would also make hiding places in rockwork.

Would this be a suitable habitat for a zebra pleco? I noticed that my bristle-nosed pleco would chase my peppered cory cats around in my 55 gallon, so would a zebra pleco bother the cory cats? Would a school of khuli loach be more suitable?

Thanks guys~


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## otter (Aug 10, 2012)

Addition:
I read a bit more on them and they need super fast moving waters so they would not be mixed with a betta.
They're also said to be extremely rare?
$200 each?

Yikes!
Does anyone know more about these guys?


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## Chard56 (Jan 22, 2011)

I don't think they are that small. There are several videos of them on youtube.


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## BWG (Oct 11, 2011)

These might help you.

Planet Catfish: Zebra pleco and zebrapleco.com

They need super high oxygen and very high temperature. Those don't often go together so the aquarium turnover needs to be extremely high. That's why they won't mix with _any_ of the fish you listed. Ten gallons is probably way too small for these reasons. 

They are rare in the wild, and I know Brazil had halted their export. Unsure if that has changed since I read about it. That's another reason for a bigger tank. If you buy these guys you should be breeding them. The $200 for one that you saw? Yeah that's cheap. I've never seen them that low. Captive bred ones that I've seen for sale have always been $500.


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## Byron (Mar 7, 2009)

This species is in our profiles, click the shaded name: Hypancistrus zebra or Zebra Plecostomus. I had one for several years.


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## ladayen (Jun 21, 2011)

Actual Zebra plecos as you have seen are very rare and expensive. There are a few similar ones for much cheaper though.

Just yesterday we picked up a Colombian zebra (L129). Color is off a bit but otherwise identical in size and care.


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## mikey1 (Dec 19, 2012)

200 is about average....although price depends on location and certain times of the year....i had one many years ago and i think i got it for under 100 bucks


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## ladayen (Jun 21, 2011)

What is many years ago? Before their export was banned it wasn't that hard to get one. Someone linked an old add from the 70's - 2 zebra plecos for $5. Even a little over a year ago it wasn't hard to find them for around $100


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## mikey1 (Dec 19, 2012)

most zebras these days are being locally bred (here anyway)

but that doesn't mean they sell them any cheaper


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## ladayen (Jun 21, 2011)

mikey1 said:


> most zebras these days are being locally bred (here anyway)
> 
> but that doesn't mean they sell them any cheaper



Yeah, all of them now are captive bred and generally theres not enough supply in any local spot so no reason to ship further. Not the easiest fish to breed unfortunately.


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## mikey1 (Dec 19, 2012)

ladayen said:


> Not the easiest fish to breed unfortunately.


no, thats for sure.....which i guess is one of the reasons why they are expensive

i have thought about trying it myself a few times :-D


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