L397 Females, bickering over rights to caves next to males. Some advice needed.

[Teresa Leigh-Healy.]

I could really do with some advice here, i have a group of L397 plecos, today I've noticed two of my L397 females bickering over cave rights for the cave next door to one of my adult males, the larger of the two of the females that is an adult has already taken up the cave. The slightly smaller one has been challenging her for it. The male has only moved to this cave in the last few days, however, there are more than enough caves provided for all of them. It is an option to provide one next to his cave on the other side, But this may only be a temporary solution. I think its spawning related behaviour, this is a new thing, but the prespawning behaviours have been occurring within the group for some time. Male/female cave sharing, Males fanning to attract females, along with other behaviours. This particular female, now challenging for the cave, i guess has now just crossed into adulthood/sexual maturity. I have two definate very hairy tail males. 4 definate females. 2 that are still a bit young to definitively tell im hoping one a male as I'm a bit thin on the ground with males. I lost one of these precious fish in the last couple of days:cry:, It needed to be moved to an isolation tank after i discovered it had a wound, I done everything i possibly could to save it, despite all my best efforts, unfortunately it deteriorated and didn't make it. This is the reason for my concerns and why I'm now asking for advice, as I'm certainly not wanting another one injured. Particularly as the injured fish I lost may have picked up pathogens from the main tank. I've consequently as a result also upped the filtration and water changes in the main tank because of the loss of the injured fish, and just in case there is pathogens in the system. I'm considering also a broad spectrum preventative course of treatment, and waiting to hear from the guy that breeds these, what may be suitable.

 

[Brengun]

Try putting some slate cover on a slant from the top of the cave on one side to the floor so the female can sit in there under cover and she can just back out of there and pop in the males cave at will. At the same time you want other males and female not to see the entrance to that cave staring at them so put a bit of rock or wood in the way so their line of sight isn't looking at that tempting spot.
Then for those ones set up a nice new cave spot further along so they can fiddle over that cave instead of the first one.
Sometimes just adding a whole lot of wood and stuff which looks like a mess is a good thing as the fish just aren't quite sure then if they are in a small tank or a big one or how many other fish are in there. They can't see them.

 

[Teresa Leigh-Healy.]

Thanks Brengun, whatever the differences were, they seem to have resolved it, I have an older sub adult group of slightly different sized ones, 2 males and 4 females then 2 unknown younger ones, I think what happened with these two was one had already crossed into maturity, she's been visiting the males, I've caught her cave sharing with them both, then the other female crossed into maturity and wants to be around the males, two more to go, and then the youngsters will also be adults soon. But with so many females I wont know what to do with all the babies.:lol:

 

[Teresa Leigh-Healy.]

Since your advice Brengun, I tilted one of the pieces of slate above one of the two males caves, there's certainly been more activity at this end of the tank the last few days i saw four females congegating nearby. Since then one of the females, chased them off, although she is not over aggressive now, and then last night one she made it very obvious to the male, by trying to go in his cave, he didn't seem to mind.I have kept a group of these for quite some time and most males usually wont tolerate another one too near his cave. Anyway this female after this went from one side of the cave to the other then flipped upside down under the slate and stayed there brushing the tips of her tail against his. This morning she's still showing interest in him.