[brinkles]

Last night I was planning on taking the rocks out of my big tank to capture a holding zebra obliquidens and melanochromis exasperatus. I put the zebra obliquidens in a breeding compartment in my 10 and I moved 35 fry from her into another grow out tank to make room for these two. The exasperatus ate her eggs after a few days last time, she's been holding for a week this time and I put her loose in the 10. I'm going to let them both spit on their own. I want the exasperatus fry the most.

Before I touched the tanks, I saw my ob zebra female follow my red zebra male to a pit in the back of the tank, and start to spawn! They had to stop while the male fought off a syno cat, and chase away some other onlookers.

I've stripped fry but never eggs, but I built a couple egg tumblers and wanted to try them. I caught the OB female, got all the eggs (she's eating already) and put them in a tumbler. They're harder to get out than fry! Took me awhile.

Are the fry worth keeping? Are they considered hybrids? What will they look like? I want to try to hatch them and get them to eat, just for the experience, but I have no problem throwing them into the big tank if they're not worth keeping.

I should keep the females in the breeding tank separate, right?

 

[noki]

There are true Metriaclima estherae that are OB. They occur naturally in the lake. The females usually have a nice deep orange color with bigger blotches (as opposed to mostly "peppery" spots)

There are also other species of OB Zebra that are not Metriaclima estherae.

So it depends on what you have. If you have no idea if the female is really estherae, then you have no idea if the fry are pure.

 

[brinkles]

The face and color of the OB females looks like those, and the blotches are large and not peppery, but there aren't as many blotches. I'll try to get a pic.

 

[brinkles]

Here she is:
http://img339.imageshack.us/i/dsc04244f.jpg/

and the eggs:
http://img801.imageshack.us/i/dsc04233r.jpg/

 

[Fogelhund]

She will be an estherae OB, so you are fine, not hybrids.

 

[brinkles]

Good deal! I'll raise them up. Thanks!

 

[Jaffy]

off topic but, that cat looks hungry

 

[brinkles]

Fat Ringo the cat is always hungry, and a fairly skilled indoor hunter, too.