Gnatholebias zonatus

[RuevenM at aol_com]

Hi Joel,

      G. zonatus is most definitely a warm water fish. I keep the fish at 80F 
(as well as hoignei) and store the eggs at 80F. I believe this is one of the 
main keys with this species as I raised it back in the 70's when we did not 
know that they were warmth lovers and assumed all SA annuals needed lower 
temps to live longer. Another key with zonatus is a large tank. I use 30 
gallon tanks. Another trick is ALOT of peat as these guys DIVE. Fruit flies 
are especially relished and they can eat alot. Ed Warner felt that the flies 
were a secret to successful breeding of this fish and he raised a good number 
of zonatus for a number of years and they sure seem to have made mine fertile 
(as well as chopped blackworms). Store the eggs in damp fluffed peat moss in 
bags filled with regular air in an incubator. Check the peat for moisture 
often. I hatch zonatus at 5 to 5 and 1/2 months at 80F storage. Some will 
hatch at 4 and 1/2 months but I would sometimes get a bellyslider. I breed 
and hatch in soft acid water and then rasie the fish in slightly hard 
alkaline water. The fry grow FAST and sex out in 4 to 5 weeks. The females 
are usually fewer in number and smaller so make sure the males let them get 
enough food. They are not that aggressive but just greedy eaters.

Robert
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