My spelling sucks this was supposed to be HELP.
My L316s have spawned about 8 (?) weeks ago, give or take a couple. I found out by accident that they had even spawned.
I removed the spawning cave to a fry tank where I let dad do his job, but after 3 weeks I was worried he would starve and stripped the fry and him from the cave, a long and not very pleasant experience for either the fish or me, but all 27 fry and dad (and me) survived and are doing well today.
The last 3 days, I have noticed strange behaviour in the main tank, a 75 gal with 4 L316s (2M/2F), 3 adult male BNs, 4 6+" "minnows", 2 platys, 4 skirt tetras and 2 SAEs.
The substrate has been moved in a certain area and the pepples all piled up against the back of the tank. A hole was dug out inside a decoration. The decoration is a large rock formation where I had put a breeding cave underneath. This is not the same cave the L316 had spawned in before, nor is it located anywhere near the other cave. Twice I just leveled the substrate out again and left things as they are. Today, however, I found a giant hole under the rock formation, almost all the substrate was moved out and a male L316 was sitting in the hole. No eggs but he was a bit mad when I moved the rock formation and leveled the substrate out again. I put everything back the way it is supposed to be but turned the breeding cave around. I have the feeling he would prefer that from the way the hole was dug.
Sorry for the long post but this needed some explanation to get you to see the picture.
There are a total of 4 breeding logs in the tank and 4 other caves for females. The BNs sometime use them but usually hang out under the giant driftwood piece.
Why is the L316 not going back to his original breeding cave since that has worked for him in the past? Is it because I moved him (saving his kids from the hungry mouths of the minnows, which I am sure he does not appreciate) or could this be the other male staking out his "digs", literally. I am reasonably sure this new activity is breeding related. But I am at a loss of what I should do. If I leave the recurring hole inside the rock formation they might spawn in there but I could not remove the eggs or the lucky surviving fry before the minnows got to them. I do not have another tank for the minnows. They were supposed to get only 3 inches and die in their 3rd year. They are 6 years+ old and large enough to make for a nice dinner, just kidding, lol. They cycled all my earlier tanks and have earned the right of passage. Any thoughts, anyone?
My L316s have spawned about 8 (?) weeks ago, give or take a couple. I found out by accident that they had even spawned.
I removed the spawning cave to a fry tank where I let dad do his job, but after 3 weeks I was worried he would starve and stripped the fry and him from the cave, a long and not very pleasant experience for either the fish or me, but all 27 fry and dad (and me) survived and are doing well today.
The last 3 days, I have noticed strange behaviour in the main tank, a 75 gal with 4 L316s (2M/2F), 3 adult male BNs, 4 6+" "minnows", 2 platys, 4 skirt tetras and 2 SAEs.
The substrate has been moved in a certain area and the pepples all piled up against the back of the tank. A hole was dug out inside a decoration. The decoration is a large rock formation where I had put a breeding cave underneath. This is not the same cave the L316 had spawned in before, nor is it located anywhere near the other cave. Twice I just leveled the substrate out again and left things as they are. Today, however, I found a giant hole under the rock formation, almost all the substrate was moved out and a male L316 was sitting in the hole. No eggs but he was a bit mad when I moved the rock formation and leveled the substrate out again. I put everything back the way it is supposed to be but turned the breeding cave around. I have the feeling he would prefer that from the way the hole was dug.
Sorry for the long post but this needed some explanation to get you to see the picture.
There are a total of 4 breeding logs in the tank and 4 other caves for females. The BNs sometime use them but usually hang out under the giant driftwood piece.
Why is the L316 not going back to his original breeding cave since that has worked for him in the past? Is it because I moved him (saving his kids from the hungry mouths of the minnows, which I am sure he does not appreciate) or could this be the other male staking out his "digs", literally. I am reasonably sure this new activity is breeding related. But I am at a loss of what I should do. If I leave the recurring hole inside the rock formation they might spawn in there but I could not remove the eggs or the lucky surviving fry before the minnows got to them. I do not have another tank for the minnows. They were supposed to get only 3 inches and die in their 3rd year. They are 6 years+ old and large enough to make for a nice dinner, just kidding, lol. They cycled all my earlier tanks and have earned the right of passage. Any thoughts, anyone?
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