L104's not breeding.. why?

[jumon]

Hello, keep coming with my problems!!:hi:

I have one male and two female P.maccus they are more than a year now and the male is very often in the breeding cave but there is no fry nor eggs in it!

I've removed a lot of baby ancistrus from that 200Liters tank and changed the place of the caves many times, big water changes as well doesnt change anything...

Any idea?:wb:

 

[Lornek8]

L104 are in no way as easy to breed as bns. They often require a wet/dry season simulation in order to get them to breed. They also sometimes do better with wood caves rather than stone caves.

 

[jumon]

haaa this is exactly what I have, slate tile caves, what do you mean by wet and dry season? hot and cold?

Where can I bought a wood cave?

 

[Lornek8]

Dry season first. Warmer water, increased water mineral content often accomplished by lessened water changes. Then a wet season brought about by cooler water changes with purer water. Increased flow and aeration.

Wood caves often have to be made as there aren't many commercial sources.

 

[Brengun]

You could try adding something a little meatier like a couple of shrimp pellets every few days to mature the females eggs?

 

[jumon]

they actually have 4 types of pellets that I change from day to day, and sometimes cucmber, do you think that discus pellets, that I think they are more charged on protein that the other ones, can increase growth rate?

 

[jumon]

and how long does the hot season must be? weeks? months? thanks again for not letting me down!

 

[Irene0100]

a year old may not be mature enough. is the male very hairy?

 

[Lornek8]

they actually have 4 types of pellets that I change from day to day, and sometimes cucmber, do you think that discus pellets, that I think they are more charged on protein that the other ones, can increase growth rate?

Be careful with animal proteins. Increased growth rate is often the result of feeding animals more animal protiens but usually at a trade-off of overall health. Animals have evolved for a specific diet over the millenia and altering it can have consequences. For herbivores the result of too much animal proteins is premature renal failure as the animal's kidneys are not designed to process the amounts and types of nitrogenous waste produced by a high animal protein diet.

 

[Lornek8]

and how long does the hot season must be? weeks? months? thanks again for not letting me down!

Usually weeks can suffice if done right. It may be a trial-and-error type thing until you can work out what is required. Meaning that you may have to go through a few cycles of wet/dry cycles with different parameters until you can find out what is needed.

 

[jumon]

@ Irene, the male is quite hairy, as hairy as the pictures shows some male maccus on the web,
@Lornek I understand the evolution/digestive matter, I will wait with the same diet as I had since then, I'll try to do dry and wet seasons, here in New Caledonia, this is the beginning of winter, so my tanks are around 25°C without heating, I'll put a heater till 28°C for two weeks and try the wet season though.

 

[The Tech Den]

Not too hard to breed them. When I was breeding them - all they needed was temp normally at 27-28 degrees C and drop it to about 24 degrees and do a 20% water change 4 days in a row and up the temp and if they have not already dropped then the temp up should get them to and if not give it a couple of weeks and go again and just keep in mind if they are too young it does not matter what you do. Found the clay/ceramic caves were the ones they liked for me too.

 

[jumon]

Found the clay/ceramic caves were the ones they liked for me too.

Thank you fore thos helpfull informations!!

I use slate tile caves originally made from breamlegend, do you know where can I order those ceramic/clay caves? do you sold some?

Thanks again!

 

[Brengun]

The clay caves look like this and you should be able to get them from online store, ebay or forumites here who might make them.

I found they also love boiled and sunk bamboo caves but being a wood eater you do need to keep replacing them as they will eat a hole in the end.

 

[jumon]

hahah nice!! nice pics! I like to see them inside! I'm gonna look around a lil bit to find some and increasing my luck within the reproduction of those cute little fellas!