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Hi;
I am going to try to simulate the dry/rainy season in my plecos tank. but according to the procedure I must not feed them for 15 days !!! Can They tolerate that?. Did someone done it before ? I Dont want to risk my L46's .
Thanks.

Hi!

15 days without food is way to much for a Hypancistrus zebra, I would not even go with a week that way!
You can feed them but just a little bit every 2 days if you want to simultate a dry season, in the wild they will find food during that time, possibly less than usually.
Cheers
Yann

ok, im just curious here and want to understand. Why are you simulating the rainy/dry seasons? I just want to know your reasons so I understand

Armand,
15 days is nothing for a healthy fish. I routinely leave my tanks unattended for 2-3 weeks. A healthy loricariid should have no problems going three weeks without food.
-Shane

I agree, i don't feed my fish for a week or 2 at times when on vacation and they're just fine--just very hungry when I get back!

Fish don't need to eat all the time. 2 weeks is no problem. I wouldn't starve them for more than two weeks too often but on ocassion it shouldn't hurt.

Is good to heard from you guys. Thanks for your opinions. In my situation I have a bare bottom tank and no plants. only slate rocks. so I think even If you have plants and you don't feed them they will eat something. But in my case is more critical. So I will keep an eye on their bellies !. Why I want to simulate the Dry season? I want to take it as an experiment and see what can trigger my fish to spawn. If I have success I will let you know. Thanks.

Hi Armand

I haven't tried the feeding trick, but I did try the rainy season trick and finally got my zebra's to spawn after years of trying.

What temp are they sitting at now and what temp are you going to reduce to?

I had luck with sitting at around 82 dropping to about 72 with a 30% water change, (over time), and then rising back up to about 84. three days later the female was in the cave.

good luck

rob

Armand Ortega wrote:Is good to heard from you guys. Thanks for your opinions. In my situation I have a bare bottom tank and no plants. only slate rocks. so I think even If you have plants and you don't feed them they will eat something. But in my case is more critical. So I will keep an eye on their bellies !. Why I want to simulate the Dry season? I want to take it as an experiment and see what can trigger my fish to spawn. If I have success I will let you know. Thanks.

well that makes sense, I was just clueless as to why you would do this. now I know ope it works out for yah.