L-075 Pre-spawn activity???

fishnut2 · Post by **fishnut2** » 11 Aug 2005, 04:05

I have a colony of 8 Para plecos I aquired about 6 months ago. They were originally 5" to 7" (TL) when I got them. Thier home was a 55. They looked fine, but they obviously weren't happy. After about 3 months, I opened up a 150 for them. It's a bare bottom tank, with bogwood and driftwood, as well as a large Amazon sword plant (about 50 runners). Filtration is one of my home-made pot filters ($3). It's heated with 2 Ebo-Jager 250 watt submersable heaters. Caves are several different sized clay pots.
They seemed happier in the 150, but remained shy...only coming out of thier caves during feeding time. I was frustrated! Cool looking fish, that hide all the time.
Well, kind of by accident...I bought some Altum angels from my buddy Pete (on AB). I had gotten bored with angels years ago, after spawning them for many years. But Altums!
I figured - Here's a challenge. So I added 16 dime to quarter sized Altums into the 150. They came in a bit skinny, so my next project was to fatten them up. Water parameters became a concern, as they arrived in fairly hard water (376 ppm). Due to my new Altums, the feeding program was stepped up, and I slowly started dropping the hardness.
Surprisingly, this picked up the activity for the Paras. They had grown to 6" to 10" (TL) over the last 6 months, and now they were out more often! A few of the younger ones chase each other around a lot. The largest (I assume male) started something similar to a corie's T position. It was more like an O though. He kept circling around with what I hope is a female. They did about 10 complete circles, along the side of a piece of bogwood. Minutes later...the biggest one entered the cave, of the one it was circling with. I got pretty excited...LOL. However; the smaller pleco left the cave immediately. I'm hoping for more activity...and some good video!
Two questions. Have they been bred in captivity before? And does anybody know how to sex them? Thanks for taking a look!

Yann · Post by **Yann** » 11 Aug 2005, 12:04

Hi!

A topic in a German forum dedicated on catfish is about the successful spawn of L75... I shall read it up and sum it up for you...

Cheers
Yann

fishnut2 · Post by **fishnut2** » 11 Aug 2005, 14:59

Thanks Yann,
I appreciate it! I might be able to sex them now. I noticed a difference in the mouth area. The males have an O shaped mouth, while the females have a D shaped mouth...with the flat part of the D, at the front of the mouth. It's fairly easy to see, when looking up from underneath the tank. (Another advantage of a bare bottom tank). I set up for pics last night, and the zoom lens on my camera is broke - (again)! I might pick up another camera today.

Yann · Post by **Yann** » 12 Aug 2005, 00:20

Hi Rich!

The guy had place a group of 6 (4 males and 2 females in a 1000l tank. individuals were around 15cm long.
the parameters were ph7 conductivity 400 ms tÂ°27.5c
Furniture: sand and driftwood.
population Heros, Geophagus, 2 adonis and 30 Cory sterbai.

He never saw the nesting site, but assume it is in a hole on a driftwood, he also assume the male guarded the spawn.

Sorry not much information regarding the possible triggers if he ever used one... no information and how he is dealing with waterchange in such volume...

cheers
Yann

fishnut2 · Post by **fishnut2** » 12 Aug 2005, 20:21

Hi Yann,
That's a lot more information then I currently had!!! Thanks a lot.

gizulon · Post by **gizulon** » 11 Mar 2017, 13:44

Fishnut2 any luck from 2005?

L-075 Pre-spawn activity???

L-075 Pre-spawn activity???

Re: L-075 Pre-spawn activity???