Lush Posted June 11, 2008 Report Share Posted June 11, 2008 Finally i have my 1st african tank sorted. I would post pics but i cant be bothered doin links etc, would find it much easier to be able to upload straight from comp. oh well thats a bit off topic anywho lol Can anyone tell me how to sex cobalt blue zebras pls, my ones are about 6-7cm+. also how do i tell on the yellows? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Afrikan Posted June 11, 2008 Report Share Posted June 11, 2008 Most Electric Yellows males with exhibit black ventral fins and broader black dorsal stripe. Males being somewhat larger and more aggressive, showing dominance, behaviour normally gives you a few hints. I wouldn't go by egg dummys like some literature suggests as I have had yellows holding a brood that have exhibited egg dummys. Usually behaviour suggests what is what... I go with size and behaviour. Venting them will give you more of an idea if you wanted to venture there. With the Cobalts, females are not as rich in colour as the male, a dominant male being more of a vibrant blue and females a bit more drab. Yet some females can also have egg dummys present on the anal fin, yet the males egg dummys are usually more vibrant and defined more so, alot sex them this way. The males also end up larger and more dominant in behaviour. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lush Posted June 11, 2008 Author Report Share Posted June 11, 2008 thanks african, looks like there 2 males for def outta the yellows then, and sorta thort they may be males as they are always going round and round in circles with eachother so that may explain it. as for cobalt hmm well 2 of them have prominant egg dummys and the others only have what sorta looks like them, eg not prominant, so maybe 2 males, 2 females, well heres hoping anyway, dam not being able to sex them til they grown a bit, i want 1 m to at least 3 f outta the yellows and cobalts, may have to buy more cobalts Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Afrikan Posted June 11, 2008 Report Share Posted June 11, 2008 Yeap you can never have too many females :lol: Each female needs a well deserved break at times, and while one is copping it, it means the other can recline in peace for 5 mins :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lush Posted June 11, 2008 Author Report Share Posted June 11, 2008 i might have to get another tank, just so i can get the females i need, aw man i already have to many, looks like some of the tropicals will be losing there tanks soon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkLB Posted June 11, 2008 Report Share Posted June 11, 2008 I've found that the colour difference in Cobalts is more noticable when looking at them from above. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smidey Posted June 11, 2008 Report Share Posted June 11, 2008 i had three cobalts, 2 males & a female. The dominant male was dark & other two (1m/1F) had same colouring. Got rid of dominant darker male & the subdominant did not get any darker, just got more agro. Venting them is the only true way to tell. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Afrikan Posted June 11, 2008 Report Share Posted June 11, 2008 Venting fish is definately something that is well worth doing if unsure, as smidey says his female was just as dark as males, however our females we had were somewhat a bit more drab in colour (as states on many sites on net)... the males being dominant and bright... Same goes with alot of other species if you are unsure, definately vent if you want to be 100% 8) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lush Posted June 11, 2008 Author Report Share Posted June 11, 2008 ok well this is prolly a dum question but was is venting?? well i have four of them, started off with only three and they were happy as but since i added the other one, i've noticed a change in behaviour and they are not out as much as they were, think the new one is male, also in the morn the new one goes quite dark, he is always chasing the others out of there wee spots and has basically claimed the whole bottom rock formations, any ideas on what i should do? maybe get rid of him? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Afrikan Posted June 11, 2008 Report Share Posted June 11, 2008 If he has upset the apple cart in your tank and continues to do so, then you might have to part with him, nothing worse than having a nice harmonious african tank only to then have some pain in the butt newbie not settle in, no matter what measures you go to, to try and settle him. Have you tried shifting rock work around, rearrange tank... Venting is checking fishes boy and girl bits 8) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lush Posted June 11, 2008 Author Report Share Posted June 11, 2008 thanks for clearing up the venting part african, yes i have changed rockwork around quite a few times now but he seems to have taken over the whole bottom of tank, even chases the yellows, my other cobalts are always hiding now cept for food time, whereas before they were always out and a real joy to watch. they were all really happy and lively before, now they dont even come up to greet me when i go near the tank. looks like the best thing to do is for him to go Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Afrikan Posted June 11, 2008 Report Share Posted June 11, 2008 Yeap out he goes... Too much heartache trying to settle him in if you have gone to desperate measures and now nothing wants to show itself... surely someone out there might have another african tank that might accomodate him, something that he may feel less dominant in.. could always hit someone up.. and they could try and give him a whirl 8) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lush Posted June 11, 2008 Author Report Share Posted June 11, 2008 awesome thanks african, yeah hopefully someone will want him Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ryanjury Posted June 12, 2008 Report Share Posted June 12, 2008 Just another consideration how big is your tank and how big are the fish? Maybe he's just chasing everyone around because the tank is too small for them to all have their own space, zebra's can be nasty and claim alot of space at times.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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