Zebra Plec

[Matthew_gowland]

Is it true that zebra plecs are banned in the UK. I have been told that it is illegal to breed them in the uk so therefore are banned to keep.

Is this true?

p.s are they as expensive as the books say and are they easy to keep?

 

[xingumike]

Untrue

it is illegal to export wild caught specimens from Brazil, has been for a while i know at least one breeder in the uk and i can assure you its definately not illegal.

expect to pay anything from £80 (minimum) for a 1 inch fish (if you can find them) more if you shop on ebay, more still if they are adult and even more of they are proven breeders.

define 'easy to keep?'

 

[lilfishie]

pretty sure there not banned in the Uk although i think wild ones have been banned, they are pretty expensive and there are a few people on here that keep them so they should be along to help out with how easy they are to keep

 

[Darkstar]

Listen to Mike, he knows what he's talking about..ie, he's right.

p.s are they as expensive as the books say and are they easy to keep?

If you having to ask these questions then , imo, these fish aren't for you yet. but yes they are that expensive

 

[smithrc]

pretty sure there not banned in the Uk although i think wild ones have been banned, they are pretty expensive and there are a few people on here that keep them so they should be along to help out with how easy they are to keep

Ours are wilds - imported before the ban.

as above... they are not illegal to keep or breed - just illegal to export from Brazil.

and Yes, they are expensive/

 

[civicr]

defently expensive...!also if you decide to want to own these lovely plecs and you are lucky enough to find some for sale id recomend you have a minimum of 3 or 4

 

[Teelie]

And do a lot of research on keeping them. They are an easy enough fish to keep if properly cared for but there's the rub; giving them the right environment. All too often they get chucked into the wrong kind of aquarium.

 

[screamingdonkey]

p.s are they as expensive as the books say and are they easy to keep?

There's a guy on Aquarist-Classified selling sexually mature males & females - wild caught before the ban - but doesn't say how much though. If you go to the main classified page, you'll find the add listed on 14/06/07

 

[demonmagus]

pretty sure there not banned in the Uk although i think wild ones have been banned, they are pretty expensive and there are a few people on here that keep them so they should be along to help out with how easy they are to keep

Ours are wilds - imported before the ban.

as above... they are not illegal to keep or breed - just illegal to export from Brazil.

and Yes, they are expensive/

when were they banned? last I heard they weren't banned but collecting them was dangerous

 

[screamingdonkey]

when were they banned? last I heard they weren't banned but collecting them was dangerous

In 2004 they were removed from Brazil's 'Positive Exportation List'.
This ban was reviewed in February 2006 and was, at that time, expected to last for a further 12-18 months.

Strangely enough, at the same time, the Brazilian government were on about introducing several new dams along the Xingu river that they inhabit - which many experts believe may wipe out the wild population anyway.
NB: I can't find any concrete evidence on this last statement

 

[Teelie]

I do remember reading about the Xingu river being endangered by the dam but I don't know the specifics of the project or whether wild caught Zebras are legal to export. Given their current prices though, I'm going to say still illegal.

 

[Darkstar]

but I don't know the specifics of the project or whether wild caught Zebras are legal to export. Given their current prices though, I'm going to say still illegal.

Yes, exportation is still illegal

 

[rabbut]

Exportation is Illegal, for wild caught stock. Wild caught fish will need spot on water quality to stand any chance for surviving for any length of time. Domesticaly bred specimins should be a bit hardier. Prices are currently high, and they are hard to find. If you are new to fish keeping, I would advise you to avoid them for the time beeing, untill they are bred commecialy on a large scale, and we know more about them.

 

[Darkstar]

Wild caught fish will need spot on water quality to stand any chance for surviving for any length of time

No not really, they're quite hardy actually.

 

[xingumike]

and we know more about them.

Hypancistrus zebra has been scientifically described so there is more known about it than the vast majority of Loricariidae.