The Pleco caves from bone.

[AleGer]

I hope this thread will be associated with cooking and not with some cruel action:)

For spawning small Hypancistrus species I use bone caves.
Here I want to show how I make such caves from cow bones.
Such cave could be done from any tubular bone, but the best of all for spawning I think is back shinbone (tibia) (Not sure with translation).
First of all the bone should be bought. I usually buy such bones at the meat market. It usually quite cheap.
Then you should cut of the unneeded parts of the bone.



It could be done as before boiling the bones as after. I advice to do it before. The

The boiling process:

The bones should be boiled to long, because they won't work for long time. I advice simply to make the water boiling and tun off. It will be more difficult to remove parts of meat, but in this case the bone will be better quality.

Cutting of the unneeded part after boiling:




The bone cleared of unneeded parts:


Then clear the internal meat bone web like structure and meat parts with a knife.








After that the bones should be cleared from rest of meat totally. I put the bone to the tank with common ancistrus (the best of all if fry). The will make the bones clear fast. I think in a week the bones could be used as a caves. But be careful with water conditions in the tank where the uncleared bones placed. I change water more often as usual in such tanks.



And the final stage: make the cave from bone.
I usually use a piece of foam rubber (not sure with translation) or a piece of sponge.











And in the result:

Hypancistrus sp. L174 fry


Hypancistrus sp. L411 eggs.


Hypancistrus zebra Male with fry.

etc.

[Lloydy]

I love this idea!

I wonder what animal bones I will have to use for full sized L14's... Anyone fancy a Sunday roast with an Elephant or Rhino leg so I can have the bone afterwards? ;)

[sidguppy]

it's odd

but it'll also wreack havoc on the waterparameters

bone, especially from large animals, contains loads of amino acids, proteins and fat; even in the bone structure

that'll soup up the water fairly quick unless you do a lot of waterchanges

even well cooked bone does this

also: the calcium in the bone boosts the hardiness.

so it might look cool; it's not recommended unless you only breed tough species and/or change water a lot.

[apistomaster]

I doubt that well prepared bone caves would cause any water quality issues as long as one is changing the amount of water most pleco breeders do. I would probably incorporate a soaking in a strong bleach and water solution after the first cooking. May not be necessary. Most plecos would eat any remaining material they can reach.
One would have to break dried bones down to many smaller particles before there would be enough exposed bone surface area for significant dissolution of calcium.

At first thought, using bones seems a little morbid but I think any "port in a storm" assures that these bone caves make fine breeding caves. Once they grow some algae on them they probably fit in as well as any other types of caves.
I say more power to you. Your bone caves obviously work.

[Jools]

The calcium buffering capability would be an advantage to aquarists (like me) in soft water areas who need to add seashells or similar to their tanks. Seems like a resourceful idea to me, especially given the results.

Thanks for sharing.

Jools

[AleGer]

Thanks everybody for replies:)

but it'll also wreack havoc on the waterparameters

so it might look cool; it's not recommended unless you only breed tough species and/or change water a lot.

I was waiting for such reaction:)

First of all I would like to divide the influence at the water parameters in to two periods (parts):
1. When the bone still contains some rests of meat, fat and etc.
2. When there is almost no rest of meat, fat, etc. Mostly salt of calcium.

At the first period, it is really dangerous to make a havoc with water, pH could be increased, also increase the lever of ammonia, then nitrites and so on.
That's why I wrote

I put the bone to the tank with common ancistrus (the best of all if fry). The will make the bones clear fast. I think in a week the bones could be used as a caves. But be careful with water conditions in the tank where the uncleared bones placed. I change water more often as usual in such tanks.

Of course it could take more then a week the bones to be cleared. It depends on the quantity of the bones, quantity of the fish or snails that will eat the rest of flesh.
So on this stage it is quite important to control water quality.

The second period begans when the bone is cleared. Yes it still present some organic compounds. And also the dissolving of calcium will increase dGH. But all these will influence the water parameters so slovly that could be ignored. dGH increases faster simply due to tank water evaporation.

And water changes always put the dGH level back.

unless you only breed tough species and/or change water a lot

If you a pleco keeper you will change water a lot:)

And one more thing. From my experience it is better to boil the bones as less as possible. Yes from one point of view it will influence water parameters more for the first time, but in such way the bone will work longer.

[AleGer]

And about caves in general:

I use terracotta, driftwood, stone (but done badly, I need to try better), clay and bone caves.

From my experience, the bone caves works with small Hypancistrus species such as:
Hypancistrus sp. L174
Hypancistrus zebra
Hypancistrus sp. L287
Hypancistrus sp. L340
Hypancistrus sp. L411
etc.

I think it should work with Hypancistrus sp. L201, but my L201 always spawn only in terracotta caves.

For Ancistrus or Panaque the bone caves seems not to work. My Ancistrus spawn best of all in driftwood caves, and Panaque (Panaqolus) spawn best of all in clay caves (it is strange, because I thought driftwood should work better for them, but not)

[AleGer]

Today I"ve found eggs of Hypancistrus sp. L340 in the bone cave: