Can someone please describe a "rainy season"

Mindy · Post by **Mindy** » Tue Aug 02, 2005 2:03 pm

OK... I know essentially the process. The sudden influx of fresh water which dilutes the tank water simulates the rush of water during the rainy season in the wild, thus sparking off the breeding season in many species. That much I understand.

But I have a few questions...

1. Is it possible to do a "rainy season" without a conductivity meter, or would that be too risky?

2. Would anybody care to detail what they do, for those of us who only catch snippets of this process from various threads, so that we can know pretty much what to do with our own tanks?

My water change regime is mainly to keep the tank fresh and top up evaporation and water removed from tank cleaning. There's no real method to any of it, and I would say I change, at the most, 15% at a time.

I have the standard range of tests, plus Oxygen, KH, GH and Phosphate.

Though I have had one trapping, I now believe it was more to do with territory than spawning as I had JUST introduced an adult male to the tank and he trapped someone that very night (it lasted two days, there were no eggs at the end of it, and it hasn't happened since). After all this time, and with at least two females capable of spawning, I have had no luck at all. I feel it's time to change something. Time to make a little more effort.

So... back to my original questions... Can you attempt a rainy season without a conductivity meter (I do have an RO system) and if so, please tell me what to do.

smithrc · Post by **smithrc** » Tue Aug 02, 2005 3:36 pm

I wouldnt do it without a meter - go too low and the system can become unstable (eg PH fluctuations)

a TDS meter is ony a few quid - I ended up buying 2 (long story)
If you want one - let me know - its brand new and yours for £20 inc P&P

Mindy · Post by **Mindy** » Tue Aug 02, 2005 3:54 pm

Um... sure, why not! I've had RO for about a year now without a meter, so I suppose I've been "lucky" long enough...

PM me with details about what you'd like me to do.

Now... I just need the instructions for a rainy season! Anybody?

smithrc · Post by **smithrc** » Tue Aug 02, 2005 4:45 pm

I'm in the throws of doing one at the moment (see the thread called lowering conductivity)
My measurements are in uS (micro Seimens) whish is approx half the TDS reading.

I'll PM details in a sec

Mindy · Post by **Mindy** » Tue Aug 02, 2005 4:51 pm

It was your Lowering Conductivity post that got me thinking actually!!

What I want is a quick step by step... if you see what I mean. It might be helpful for a few others too.

I have read a method for breeding corys which is really quite interesting, involving littering the tank something chronic (with leaves, etc), and though I would have no problem in doing this with cories, I would prefer a tried and true rainiy season for Zebras method.

And before anyone says it, yes I know you can do rainy seasons for months and nothing happens, but as soon as you stop... they spawn. And that's OK too. Anything to get these little guys going is fine by me!

jerms55555 · Post by **jerms55555** » Tue Aug 02, 2005 7:54 pm

HI mindy.
i found this a couple of weeks ago and it has a step by step process!! Very neat!!!! I did something similar and now I have eggs!!!
http://www.aquarticles.com/articles/bre ... asons.html
OK this is how mine went.....
1 month = alot of food, dry carnivore pellets, dry food from kkorotev, frozen bloodworms, mysis shrimp, etc...I think you have to get them conditioned first...I feed them 2 times day when lights were off...they come on at 9am-9pm ...I feed them at 6am and 10pm.....Temp in 88=90 deg...high filteration but I have a spray bar but i keep in submerged so it has a mild turbulence.
2 month I start to drop my TDS...from like 800 (my tap) to 170...I think this is what did it!!!!! durning this time I dropped the temp down to 85-86 and used only RO water at about 72-75 deg ( i left it outside).....Also I turned off the lights by the third week of the last water changes to drop from 250 to 170/150.....that was on a friday.....Saturday I turned the lights on its regular basis and presto!! the female was in the cave on Sunday!!!....Oh yea when I started that last week to drop the TDS I only feed live bloodworms, once a day...... Now I have really hard water and I never knew my water was 800 so thats why it took a month to bring it down....but now its at 170 I will only rise it til maybe 300-350 and then a week of rainy season down to 150-120, lights out, live foods and then lights on again once it reaches 150/120...Oh yea i forgot to mention that i lowered the water level as well to cause a very turbulent water exchange with the spray bar coming from my Rena filter..
hope this helps out!

Mindy · Post by **Mindy** » Wed Aug 03, 2005 8:13 am

Oooh... that looks interesting! I'll have to print that off and have a thorough read of it. It's time to get this party started!

Thanks for your help guys!

Shell231 · Post by **Shell231** » Wed Aug 03, 2005 3:31 pm

Can u mamke rainy seasons when ever u want or do you have to go with the actually rainy season of the Xingu?

Mindy · Post by **Mindy** » Wed Aug 03, 2005 3:53 pm

Whenever you want...

smithrc · Post by **smithrc** » Wed Aug 03, 2005 4:16 pm

If you have a barometer - time it with a drop in air pressure

Shell231 · Post by **Shell231** » Wed Aug 03, 2005 4:26 pm

I see! thank u!