My L66, first spawning!!

[jac]

Hi,

I would like to show you my L66. I've had them now for a month.
I'm making an attempt to breed with these guys The females are now showing some intrest in the males and are visiting the caves more often. Some males fight off the females, is this normal behavior? It is still early days and I'm still learning how to get them to breed

Here are some pictures from this morning:






This female is checking out a cave with the male inside


Like to hear you opinion
Greets Jacqueline

[jerry58]

Hi jac
The behavior of your fish is normal its been only a month they are establishing the pecking order between the group and who is going to be where as alpha male and so on.Just keep an eye on them and make sure they are not getting to much damage from the fights they have and they will be ok.

Hope this helps Jerry

[jac]

Thanks for your reply Jerry

[andywoolloo]

they look nice, are they out in the daytime much? Mine are very reclusive.

[jac]

they look nice, are they out in the daytime much? Mine are very reclusive.

They do rest a lot in the daytime in there caves but they will also come out. They are not shy like my other pleco's. Specialy when food is comming

[jac]

Hi,

I'm very exited to tell you that I have seen my very first eggs from my breeding group of L66
I've not seen the spawning, I never noticed a female in the cave. Maybe this happend in the night. Wile I was staring tired at my fish I noticed one of the males in the cave heavily fanning it's finn's and tale. I took the chanche to sneak a peak in the hole and yes!!!! I saw lots of eggs!! Woww they are big!! I only know cory and discus eggs, these are hugh!

I hope the eggs will hatch and to see my very first fry. This proces will take a week or two???

I would like to hear some tips on how to go about my first spawning. I will search PC also!

Bye!! Jacqueline

[apistomaster]

Congratulations!
From the time of spawning to time the fry leave the cave seems to be about 12-14 days. Male Hypancistrus sometimes over do their care and contain their fry in the caves a couple days longer than they really need to. I see a difference between the fry that come out early but on time being fatter and stronger than those kept extra days and show up looking thinner and less vigorous but it always works out.
I feed all my L134, 1260 and L333 fry just earth worm and Spirulina sticks. This has turned out to be the easiest way for me.

You peekers! I never try to peek. I can usually tell when they have spawned because a female is missing then see the male fanning the eggs. I like being surprised by discovering newly released fry scatter when I turn on the lights in the morning.
My way of finding the prize in a box of CrackerJacks. Hey, good luck to you.

[andywoolloo]

how exciting!! do you have any other fish in the tank with them?

[apistomaster]

how exciting!! do you have any other fish in the tank with them?

I would hope not. There shouldn't be any other fish in a Hypancistrus breeding tank although some Hatchetfish or any Pencilfish species except Nannostomus beckfordi would probably be fine. Beckford's Pencifish has many atypical and predatory habits unique to it that make them bad ditherfish for Apistogramma or even Hypancistrus spp.

[jac]

Thanks for the advice

No, there are no other fish in my breeding tank only the L66

[jerry58]

Hi
Nice one best of luck with the spawn

Jerry

[jac]

Update:

Today I noticed about 2 or 3 eggs unter the side fin. I managed to take a picture
I've not disturbed dad the past few days but seeing these 2 blobs unter his fin I could not resist a tiny peek with a light. And guess what.....they had hatched!!! I saw very tiny bodies and a hugh yoke(?) sack. He didn't seem to mind when I toke a picture so I also made a short movie.

Here is the movie:



And here is a picture:


Greets!!

[Mod edit: Use youtube tags --Mats]

[jerry58]

Hi jac
Thats great news good to hear it
Tried the video and its asking me to try it later so did not see it maybe me ?

Love the picks and best of luck with this next stage of your spawn

Jerry

[andywoolloo]

the video is working fine for me.

Beautiful shots!

[jerry58]

Hi worked bit later on for me.

Thanks Jerry.

[blueblue]

Great news and please keep us posted

[jac]

Update:

The fry are doing fine
I saw them this morning, still in dads care in the cave ofcourse. Tiny bodies with some dots of colour and yoke sacks were still there. Dad is doing a good job
Can't see how many there are so that is still a suprise

Greets!

[jac]

Photo update:

Today I took a picture of dad in his cave. The young can be seen just unter his fins



Greets

[andywoolloo]

what a good papa!!

[Martin S]

Photo update:

Today I took a picture of dad in his cave. The young can be seen just unter his fins



Greets

That's a great shot that displays just how 'hairy' the male can be!
Congratulations on the spawning, and hope you get a good survival rate from them.
Martin

[jac]

Thanks Martin,

I have noticed that he is the most hairy male and has a pretty shiny color. Maybe this develops when a male has eggs and young? Maybe it represents his good health to the female?
I think I read somewhere that the females chose the most hairy males, or was it that males grow more hairy when they become ready for fatherhood?

I hope to see them for the first time this week out of the cave. They will be 2 weeks on friday Or will it take longer for them to come out

[jac]

Update:

Took some more pictures today and a short film. It was a bit dark so quality is not very good I'm affraid
The fry are more active now and I regulary see them moving around in there cave, even coming right up to the entrance of the cave
They still have a tiny bit of yokesack, more color and are about 1cm in lenght. They are so cute
Dad went out of his cave yesterday wile I was feeding the others. Not far, he shot in with the slightest movement of me. How long will he stay with the fry before leaving them completely? I'm getting a bit nervous now. When I was doing small maint. yesterday I noticed one dead fry in my bucket. I'm scared that the young will be to small to survive among the adults, they are so rough wilest out feeding I wanted to put the fry in a seperate tank, also to feed them better and it is more peacefull and safer for them. But how and when can I do this?? Please give advise

But, here they are. Still save with good old dad





One very hairy dad


And a movie:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RuJ8Z-_Aa1s

Sorry mods, I can't get the film to show using the tags..... I tried

Hope you like the pictures and movie
Greets!

[jac]

Dad is still in the cave and won't come out
Only a few seconds during feeding time. He is hungry so he creeps out bit by bit and then with the slightist twitch shoots back in again The others are rapid eaters so everything is eaten in the shortest time. So dad has no time to eat but sertainly the fry won't
I worry the fry will die of starvation or is this not possible yet?? They are 14 days old now and I haven't seen them outside the cave yet.

How can I get dad out of his cave so I can put the fry in a separate tank to feed them better?

[MatsP]

I'm pretty confident that dad knows when the fry should be released. There are no humans to release the fry in the Amazon or Rio Xingu.

--
Mats

[jac]

I'm pretty confident that dad knows when the fry should be released. There are no humans to release the fry in the Amazon or Rio Xingu.

--
Mats

Ok, yes your right For a first time "mom" I'm worried for my first pleco fry
How long should I give him the time? A few more days?

[jerry58]

Hi
If they are anything like my l46s the male will let them out as soon as it is dark and safe to do so(I took pic to prove to myself ). Take it that you can not see them out in the day light dad is doing a good job I personally think he lets them out at night and he also gets time to feed so don't worry.Only start worrying if you start getting dead fry in the tank.If you are worried about him not eating do a small extra feed just before light goes out. You and he are doing a good job so far.
MPO is that I leave my l46 fry if in the cave with dad ( alpha male has had fry from 4 previous spawns in the cave with him to no ill effect)but if I find them out when cleaning the tank I put them in a grow on tank and works for me as to date probably the same for them.

Hope this helps Jerry

[andywoolloo]

I agree, i would not disturb what the father is doing.

[jac]

Just now during feeding my eye was caught by something shooting across the tank. And then.............yeah!!!! The first baby's had escaped dads care and were free swimming amongst the stone plates

They are so cute

Do I leave them in the breeding tank or should I still catch them and put them in a special growing tank to feed better?

[apistomaster]

This question of whether the brooding males are staying in their caves too much, too long and are they in danger of starving is not something we need to be worried about.
It all happens out of sight by nature's design and the fish may breed repetitively without any apparent restorative rest.
They must be feeding enough to keep on spawning and they are behaving in their instinctively correct fashion.
Try to be more relaxed and just patiently await the appearance of the fry.
I allow mine to spawn until I just have to remove the fry because there are too many to leave. Too many older fry can have an impact on the survival rates of the youngest fry.

[andywoolloo]

I allow mine to spawn until I just have to remove the fry because there are too many to leave. Too many older fry can have an impact on the survival rates of the youngest fry.

same here with my bristlenoses

I have'n't been lucky enough yet to see king tigers babies in my other tank. well done to you!