Zebra Tilapia or Tilapia buttikoferi are members of the Cichlidae family more commonly known as cichlids. They inhabit the rivers and streams of Liberia in West Africa.
Zebra tilapia have a pale yellow or whitish body with vertical black stripes from the region to the eyes and the base of the tail. They are also known by the names of other striped animals such as the hornet or tiger tilapia. Your stripes will actually change shade depending on your mood. They vary from very light to almost black. The vertical markings tend to fade as the fish ages.
Zebra tilapia is a larger species of cichlid. They commonly grow up to 16 inches long. A similar size aquarium will be necessary if you intend to breed them. A 75 gallon tank is the minimum recommendation. These fish are medium level swimmers.
Zebras are one of the most vicious members of the cichlid family. They are best suited for a single species tank. They are so territorial that attempting to breed them in a group is not recommended. These fish should be kept as a single fish or just in pairs. Despite their innate aggressive behavior, they are still reasonably popular with aquarium owners. This is because they are highly intelligent creatures.
They are very aware of their surroundings. They react to movement outside of their aquatic environment. They often feel that their territory is being invaded by a person in the same room who will try to attack the intruder through the glass. They have also been known to wreak havoc on the aquarium substrate. These breed on substrate and tend to dig up gravel even when not in the spawning cycle. They will suck up a mouthful of gravel and spit it out elsewhere creating small hills and valleys in the aquarium floor.
These fish are also very long-lived. They will live an average of 10 years and have been known to live up to 15.
The water temperature should be between 74 and 78°F with a slightly alkaline pH.
They are omnivorous, so feed them meaty, plant-based foods.
Young tilapia can be fed tropical fish flakes, cichlid pellets, frozen or freeze-dried food. They will also prepare brine shrimp, tubifex and blood worms. When they grow up, you can feed them small shrimp, crickets, and worms. Tilapia are not picky eaters. They will eat their vegetables. In fact, they have an affinity for blanched vegetables like lettuce, zucchini, and even broccoli. Simply throw the vegetable of your choice into a pot of boiling water for 15-20 seconds, remove the vegetables and allow to cool. Don’t expect to keep live plants with a talpiia. If they have tasted the plant, they will eat it. If they don’t, they are likely to dig it up. Due to their size they also produce a lot of waste. Frequent water changes are needed to keep them healthy.
Males and females are virtually identical. So you may not be able to tell them apart until they breed.
Tilapia breeding
As mentioned above, zebras are substrate breeders. They tend to mate in private, so you’ll want to provide them with upside-down pots or some other form of artificial cave. A slight increase in water temperature indicates spawning season and may induce them to spawn.
They will usually dig a hole in the substrate to lay their eggs. However, they have been known to lay their eggs on the roof of the mating chamber. Both parents usually care for the young. Although spawning can trigger aggressiveness in the male. If this occurs, remove the male and allow the female to care for her eggs.
Fingerlings usually hatch in 4-5 days and will become free swimming in another 5-6. Fingerlings can be fed newborn brine shrimp, liquid or powdered fingerling food formulated for egg layers.
