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Just wondered what you guys thought would be the best cave dimensions for three inch zebra plecs? Thinking of getting some of those recktangle slate caves but unsure as to exact height/width/length dimensions, or does it not matter too much? Any general estimate would be good though.

I use the clay caves

Hi gtp

Don't know if will help but look at my avatar and my posts in spawning the one you can see is the one that works for my alpha male if experimenting try to build slightly bigger and smaller caves and see which they like the best.
The actual cave inside dimensions are..... depth in is 90mm x 35mm wide 25mm high and the top is not fixed you can remove it.
The bits sticking out at the back are not important they allow me to take it apart and make the depth deeper but was not needed in my case.
The back of the cave is slightly tilted forward at the top to also make a place for the fry to hide.
I used a slate tile that was not flat to produce places for the fry to hide and slightly tapered to the front to allow room at the back of the cave for fry to move but smaller at the front to help the male trap the female as I think this helps IMO.

Here is a pic all made of 10mm thick gray slate.

Hope this helps.


Jerry

I have different sizes in my tank so they can choose, like Jerry says.
I have had most success with the tighter fitting slate caves, these are 38 mm wide, 25 mm high & 150 mm long, this includes a 25 mm long doorstep.
I also have clay caves, which some males prefer but I have had only a couple of spawns in these.
Hope this helps.

Spawns over the years have been in an assortment of caves which include (in order of most to fewest total spawns):
slate
clay
terra cotta
bamboo

My personal feeling is that in the wild they most likely use caves naturally formed by smoother, rounder river rocks and then wood. Slate would seem to have a "feel" most similar to river rocks. However, in the end if they really want to spawn, they will use whatever cave they find that works. More important, imo, is to have some flow blowing across the mouth of the caves.

These crude slate caves and the fish in the them produced spawns for 3 years before things changed.

Thanks for all the responses guys.

good luck with your endeavors