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 off-white 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 hue depending on your mood. They range from very light to almost black. 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 sized aquarium will be necessary if you intend to breed them. A 75 gallon tank is the minimum recommendation. These fish are mid-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 trying to breed them in a group is not recommended. These fish should be kept as a single fish or only in pairs. Despite their innate aggressive behavior they are still reasonably popular with aquarium owners. This is because they are very intelligent creatures.
They are very aware of their surroundings. They react to movement outside 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 glass. They are also known to wreak havoc on aquarium substrate. These breed on substrate and tend to dig up gravel even when they are not in the spawning cycle. They will suck up a mouth full of gravel and spit it out somewhere else creating little hills and valleys on the floor of the aquarium.
These fish are also very long-lived. They will live an average of 10 years and have been known to live up to 15.
Water temperature should be between 74-78°F with a slightly alkaline pH.
They are omnivores, so feed them meaty, plant-based foods.
Young tilapias can be fed tropical fish flakes, cichlid pellets, frozen or freeze-dried feed. They will also prepare brine shrimp, tubifex and blood worms. When they grow up, you can feed them small shrimp, crickets, and earthworms. Tilapias are not picky eaters. They will eat your 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 let cool. Don’t expect to keep plants alive 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 practically identical. Therefore, you may not be able to tell them apart until they breed.
Tilapia farming
As mentioned above, zebras are substrate breeders. They tend to mate in private, so you’ll want to provide pots upside down or some other form of artificial cave. A slight increase in water temperature indicates spawning season and can 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 ceiling 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 swimmers in another 5 to 6. Fingerlings can be fed newborn brine shrimp, a liquid or powdered fingerling feed formulated for egg layers.