Date: Fri, 20 Dec 1996 11:27:39 -0800
From: esarchy@wsunix.wsu.edu
>
Hypancistrus zebra comes from the Rio Xingu in Brazil. Before it was described in 1991 it was assigned the Datz L number L 46. I have never seen any solid info on the water chemistry of the Rio Xingu, but it is not that important as H. zebra seems to do well in just about any water provided it is high in oxygen and temperature. A temp of 72F is way to low. The tank should be kept around 80F. Since at higher temps you have less oxygen, you need to compensate with increased aeration/circulation. The aquascape of the Xingu is well known. The water, where H. zebra is found, is fast flowing. The river is full of rocks of many sizes and some fine sand between them. The ideal H. zebra tank would be set up to resemble a Rift Lake tank more than what we think of as a "South American" biotope. The fish live and spawn in the caves and cracks of the rocks. Unlike many other loricariids, H. zebra is more of a carnivore than an algae eater. Provide mainly meaty foods. I would provide some driftwood, but many people claim that their H. zebras never touch the stuff. Better safe than sorry. pH and DH do not seem to matter since the fish has been spawned in all types of water (including a Rift Lake tank).

Check out these resources:
Hypancistrus zebra, a new genus and species of uniquely pigmented ancistrine loricariid fish from the Rio Xingu, Brazil (Pisces:
Siluriformes: Loricariidae) Isbrucker and Nijssen. Ichthyol. Explor. Freshwaters, Vol. 1 No. 4 pp.345-350, March 1991
Aqualog "Loricariidae all L-Numbers" Verlag ACS Gmbh (1995)
TFH Jan. 1996
Good Luck,
-Shane