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Sorry if I am asking an already covered question. I recall having read here that one breeder used wooden caves. I want to make some for my Panaqolus. My questions are as follows. Should I use freshly cut lemon, apricot, or pomegranate wood? If so, is any type of wood more desirable? Should I shun freshly cut for older dry wood? Should the size approximate the width of the fish... or 1.5X, or 2X? Should the cave be the length of the fish or deeper? Thanks in advance! -Barry

Barry, width should be width of the male plus the length of the pectoral fin, so he can fit in there with one pectoral fully extended against the wall. Length is usually 1-2x the fish length. Panaqolus are supposed to prefer the deeper caves.

I use wood that has been dried for at least 6 months, and my preferred wood is Oak.
In my experience the panaqolus do like deep caves with one end closed.
For adults 1.5” diameter and 6” deep is probably about right.
Cheers,
Paul

I agree with everything said above. For my L397 and during failed spawning attempts by my albmomaculatus, 1" to 1.5" inner diameter (not outer diameter) caves are fine. They'll squeeze into the 1" opening and seem to like it. They are fine with 1.5" I.D. caves as they grow bigger, but I found them to be disinterested in 2" caves.

When I make caves from bamboo or drilled wood, I try to make cave depth at least 4x - 5x cave diameter. So a 1.5" diameter cave should be at least 6" deep. I've bought a few extended length caves from plecocaves.com and they are very popular with my L397 and albomaculatus.

Cheers, Eric

Thanks to all for info. Does anyone have experience with caves from green (new) wood?

I'm with Paul. I set my green branches outside and let them dry/age a while. The few times I tried green wood, it was softer to drill, but because of its moisture and resins it was stickier to the drill bit. And then I still aged it after drilling.

"I still aged it after drilling."- Eric
But what happened if you used it green....2-3 weeks after cutting?

Hi all,

b.reder wrote: 26 Feb 2018, 17:56Should I use freshly cut lemon, apricot, or pomegranate wood?

I think you can only use Pomegranate (Punica granatum) out of those, and I agree with the others I wouldn't use green wood at all.

Lemon wood (Citrus limon) wood contains a limonene, a terpine that is toxic to aquatic life (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Limonene) and Almond (Prunus dulcis) wood contains hydrogen cyanide (HCN) (https://abouquetfrommendel.wordpress.co ... d-cyanide/).

cheers Darrel

one wood that I found to be pretty save to use when green are Salix spp. like Salix Alba.

Panaqolus love to peel of the green bark. But it is a hell of a mess afterwards.

It grows so fast that cutting down some bigger branches won't hurt the tree at all. It might even start growing roots and new leaves in your tank.

b.reder wrote: 27 Feb 2018, 09:52But what happened if you used it green....2-3 weeks after cutting?

I don't think I ever have. I think I used a green branch once with a drilled-out privet branch (and no negative consequence), but that is my only experience.

dw1305 wrote: 27 Feb 2018, 10:13I think you can only use Pomegranate (Punica granatum) out of those, and I agree with the others I wouldn't use green wood at all.

Dang. I have a Pomegranate tree in my front yard, but I keep it pruned from year to year so the branches are never thick enough to drill out for caves.

Eric-
Bring a u-haul down to San Diego....I'll fill it for you with pomegranate branches. -Barry

That may be more wood than I need... but can a guy ever have too much wood? (*for their aquaria)