I am basically lazy. I want to do the least work I have to in order to get a result. So, when I began spawning zebras I did almost nothing except how I laid out the tank. I also started with a proven breeding group. They pawned 2 weeks after going into the tank. Easy peezy.
However, almost all the rest of the plecos with which I worked cane in as smaller size and I had to grow them for some time. The oen exception were the WC L173 which were very close yo breeding size. It took me about a year for the first spawn.
Here are my techniques for spawning them.
1. Fish naturally want to spawn.
2. Therefore out job is not to do things which will discourage or prevent them from doing so.
3. Really wrong parameters need to be avoided.
4. Feeding a proper diet is the single most important factor we control. Live is best and the frozen and Repashy are the next best options IMO.
5. I do nothing special beyond the above initially.
6. If this fails then I will do a mini conditioning, withhold some water changes and then do a big one when a storm id rolling in.
7. If this fails then I will do a full blown dry rainy season, The dry season should take about 3 months if raising water temps and hardness. It tops out at a temp in the low 90F and TDS about double what they will be during the onset of the rainy season.
8. The rainy season is put into place in 24-36 hours doing 2 big water changes that drop the temp by 10-12F in that time. I let is settle at about 80-82 F and gradually raise to 84-86F after wards.
9. I have found, as have others, that the offspring seem to grow faster when left in the breeder tank than when moved to a grow tank.
10. I believe zebras need to obtain some needed gut bacteria from more mature fish and do so by consuming a bit of the poop from such older fish. I cannot prove this but I always move poop along with fry when starting a new grown tank. Once this pattern is put into place in a grow tank the older fish make the needed poop for the next fry going in.
There are basically 3 ways one can approach spawning depending on one's goals. My personal preference to to work with breeding groups. i am not smart enough to choose the best male and female to spawn, mother nature does that. So iwant to offer choices to the fish.
One can spawn using a reverse trio. The females need about 2 weeks to make eggs but the males need about 4 weeks from soawning to being ready to go again.
Finally, if maximum fry production is the goal then the bet way to achieve this is what Leandro Sousa does at his facility along side the Xingu. He works with pairs. Once he gets a spawn he will remove the offspring to a grow tank within two weeks. This leaves the dad withno offspring to tend. This means he is ready to go again as soon as the female is ready.
The downside to picking pairs is one may not pick the two strongest individuals the way mother nature wants it be . I am not smart enought to do this so I do not try. However, In a group setting both the malkes and the females have apecking order and it is the top of eahc that spawns with the other.
The result of the above is ghat the the number 2 or 3 female who might be able to spawn but is not given the chance may try to get into a cave if the male slips out for a bite to eat and she then eats the wigglers leaving him free to spawn abd having the higher ranked female not yet having produce more eggs.
I believe that the female pecking order insures that the more mature (larger) female should be able to make more eggs than her smaller counterparts and should be the most likely to spawn. The "alpha female wants to spawn with the strongest male. This is how nature insures the odds are highest for producing the strongest and most offspring.
One more unusual thing some have noticed is that the alpha male is often the second biggest. It may be somewhat smaller, but he is also tougher. I normally do not name my fish. But I did name the number 2 male in my colony Fatty because it was a bit bulkier than the actual alpha.
Of course the above are my opinions and that doesn't make them automatically either the best nor the only way to do things. In the end any of us who are successful are so because we have discovered what works well for us. The proof in in the spawning success. I used to assume that most spawns were 12-15 eggs and that at least 10 or more survived every spawn.
If you do not know this site, you are in for a pleasant surprise:
https://www.youtube.com/@LeandroSousa_IctioXingu
I was fortunate to have met Leandro at CatCon 2022. I have also been able to talk with Hans-Georg Evers and Ingo Seidel at other CatCons and other events.
