Hypancistrus zebra LO46, more commonly known as the zebra pleco, is from Rio Xingu in Brazil. In June 2001, I purchased 8 wild caught fish from an importer in California. There were 4 males and 4 females in the group. The males have a broader head. They were supposed to be adults, but I don’t believe they were. At the time of purchase, their size was 2.5 inches. Since then, they have grown to 3 inches.

I set them up in a 20 gallon long tank with a breeding bell and a sponge filter. The water temperature was 80 degrees and the pH was 7.0. After 2 months, I found 2 of the males dead. I assumed that the other 2 males killed them, since none of the females died.

When I went online, I found only a few articles on breeding these fish. I decided to add a lot of rocks and a second bell (so that each male would have a bell). I lowered the water level and added a powerhead. The current of the powerhead was pointed at the rocks and breeding bells. One article suggested that the tank should resemble a rocky riffle area in a stream with good water movement. I changed 35% of the water twice a week and raised the temperature t ...

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