Sharing a cave...
Sharing a cave...
I noticed that two of my zebras have started to share a cave... they are current 2.5 to 3inches unsexed....
I have reasons to believe that one of them is the dominant fish that is always in the cave (same cave) and hope for a pair... now how long to wait before I know if anything will happen?
Can I still do WCs at this point?
I have reasons to believe that one of them is the dominant fish that is always in the cave (same cave) and hope for a pair... now how long to wait before I know if anything will happen?
Can I still do WCs at this point?
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The "mating" in the cave can take anything upto 5 days, just keep an eye on them, and if after 5 or 6 days I would step in and separate them "if" the need arises.
If they are 2 males they will just be arguing over whose boss, fingers crossed though, its a girl and a boy and weee eggs are on the way.
If they are 2 males they will just be arguing over whose boss, fingers crossed though, its a girl and a boy and weee eggs are on the way.
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Well. It does look like a spawn to me though. The inside looks like facing out. My females all facing out when they lay eggs. The outside looks like a male to me. I hope they will spawn very soon, or it might be a trial for them. I do agree that the cave is a little too big for them. You might wanna find them a smaller one. Males sometime kick out their eggs more offen with bigger cave because they don't feel secured.
L46 x 24 adults + 60 fries
Update... after 1 and a half day in the cave (Cave A), both occupants left... Cave A was later reoccupied (I assume by the same dominant zebra who has been living there for a while) but no eggs
There are now 2 zebras in an adjacent cave deeper in the tank (Cave B). I had the opportunity to observe them closer... the zebra deeper in the cave has its head orientated towards the exit of the cave, whereas the fish nearer to the exit is tilted at an angle such that its entire body blocks the cave... its head is angled inwards with the tail sticking out...
There isnt much movement in the cave as far as I can observe. When I shine a light to look deeper, they shift about nervously. As such I am trying not to rely on a torch to see them.
I
There are now 2 zebras in an adjacent cave deeper in the tank (Cave B). I had the opportunity to observe them closer... the zebra deeper in the cave has its head orientated towards the exit of the cave, whereas the fish nearer to the exit is tilted at an angle such that its entire body blocks the cave... its head is angled inwards with the tail sticking out...
There isnt much movement in the cave as far as I can observe. When I shine a light to look deeper, they shift about nervously. As such I am trying not to rely on a torch to see them.
I
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Sounds A OK to meWIS wrote:the zebra deeper in the cave has its head orientated towards the exit of the cave, whereas the fish nearer to the exit is tilted at an angle such that its entire body blocks the cave... its head is angled inwards with the tail sticking out...
There isnt much movement in the cave as far as I can observe.
Greetings,
John
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John
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Guess I can only try to do so over the weekend...
My zebras seem to be playing musical caves for the time being tho... There are now 2 zebras(not sure if its the same pair) in a third cave.. the second cave has been vacated (although there was one zebra hanging nearby)....
First cave remains occupied by its regular zebra...
My guess is : -
(1) they are learning how to pair up and experimenting with different partners;
(2) I spooked them into thinking that the cave they were previously in was unsafe, so they switched locations; and
(3) the caves are too big, so they are trying out others in the hope of finding one of a suitable size...
(4) they are just juveniles huddling together and its just that i never had the opportunity to observe them do this previously, thus leading to the fales alarm...
My zebras seem to be playing musical caves for the time being tho... There are now 2 zebras(not sure if its the same pair) in a third cave.. the second cave has been vacated (although there was one zebra hanging nearby)....
First cave remains occupied by its regular zebra...
My guess is : -
(1) they are learning how to pair up and experimenting with different partners;
(2) I spooked them into thinking that the cave they were previously in was unsafe, so they switched locations; and
(3) the caves are too big, so they are trying out others in the hope of finding one of a suitable size...
(4) they are just juveniles huddling together and its just that i never had the opportunity to observe them do this previously, thus leading to the fales alarm...
The fact that a female is so ready that she's going into multiple caves is a good sign. Build a few more caves and add them into the tank. Once the fish have spawned, set something under the front of the cave to make any eggs that get rolled around tend to slide back up under dad's nose. That has worked great for me in the past. I have one Ancistrus that thinks he has to fan like mad and I tilt his cave at a more than 45 degree angle to keep the fry in with him. He always has a good survival rate though .
Just keep doing what you're doing. The fish take a bit to figure this out sometimes. I've had a pair that took more than a month of cohabiting to figure out what it was all about. Hopefully yours will be a little swifter on the uptake .
Barbie
Just keep doing what you're doing. The fish take a bit to figure this out sometimes. I've had a pair that took more than a month of cohabiting to figure out what it was all about. Hopefully yours will be a little swifter on the uptake .
Barbie
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white spots on the cave?
I noticed there are some white spots on both the cave and the rocks. What are they? type of bacteria? any harm?
L46 x 24 adults + 60 fries