Does anyone do anything special to "rehab" their pleco caves if the spawn was fungused?
I have now lost two batches of L-240 eggs to fungus, and I am considering boiling, soaking in bleach, or even destroying the spawning cave, but I don't want to disrupt any future spawns and worry that replacing the old cave with a new one, especially since it is handmade and unique, may stall any future spawns.
Is it possible that fungal spores are still residing in the matrix of the cave?
I have added a UV sterilizer and an additional filter, but would welcome any ideas.
I have not had this problem in any other tanks.
Thanks,
Andy
Fungus/Egg Cave Rehab?
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Andrewjw
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Re: Fungus/Egg Cave Rehab?
Hi all,
I know it isn't a very commonly bred fish, but there are a couple of breeding reports (https://www.planetcatfish.com/leporacan ... xias(l240)) and there maybe other successful breeders who can pass comment.
The reason I don't think that it is the cave is that bacterial cells and fungal spores are absolutely everywhere. Even if you successfully sterilized the cave (which would depend on what it was made off) then with a very short time, of re-introduction to the tank, you would be right back to where you started.
I'd be tempted to look more at the tank and filter. I always wonder about oxygen levels with rheophilic fish. A few questions would be
Do you have plants?
What media is in your filter? Are you aiming for denitrification?
Does your tank have a substrate? If it does, what is it?
How hard is your water?
cheers Darrel
It isn't an issue I've ever had, or a fish I've ever kept, but I'd be very surprised if it is the cave.Andrewjw wrote: ↑14 Sep 2019, 20:38 .........I have now lost two batches of L-240 eggs to fungus, and I am considering boiling, soaking in bleach, or even destroying the spawning cave, but I don't want to disrupt any future spawns and worry that replacing the old cave with a new one, especially since it is handmade and unique, may stall any future spawns.
Is it possible that fungal spores are still residing in the matrix of the cave?
I have added a UV sterilizer and an additional filter, but would welcome any ideas.
I have not had this problem in any other tanks......
I know it isn't a very commonly bred fish, but there are a couple of breeding reports (https://www.planetcatfish.com/leporacan ... xias(l240)) and there maybe other successful breeders who can pass comment.
The reason I don't think that it is the cave is that bacterial cells and fungal spores are absolutely everywhere. Even if you successfully sterilized the cave (which would depend on what it was made off) then with a very short time, of re-introduction to the tank, you would be right back to where you started.
I'd be tempted to look more at the tank and filter. I always wonder about oxygen levels with rheophilic fish. A few questions would be
Do you have plants?
What media is in your filter? Are you aiming for denitrification?
Does your tank have a substrate? If it does, what is it?
How hard is your water?
cheers Darrel