Lophiobagrus brevispinis Breeding tank.

[Taratron]

So far so good with mine, but I never see them out and around lest it's feeding time. Would tossing in some dither fish or small shellies help?

[Barbie]

I loved my pair of these guys. They definitely were hell on the spares in the pairing process, but they seem to be safe to call a "pair" if they share a cave for even a day. I really hadn't planned to spawn them (they were still in quarantine) and I noticed the male fanning the eggs like a pleco so I was hooked. I didn't feed them anything special, literally sinking wafers and frozen foods and NLS grow pellets with no losses. I really don't understand why they aren't more popular! I never removed the fry from the parent tank. I had no predation. I also had driftwood in the tank and a few growing out L114, also, hehe.

Please let me know when you get some fry, I will happily buy or trade you out of some. I was devastated when a heater stuck on and roasted my tank full of them!

Barbie

[Taratron]

They are cool little cats but I never see them out and around. I wonder if some small tetras or shellies (I have some melagris fry) would bring them out more?

[CatWhat]

Mine to come out a bit when there isn't any food there but not much. Not sure if dithers will bring them out during the day, I know they will eat them during the night lol. I had fostered four Florida Flagfish for someone and after about 2 weeks all four were gone. I would find their chewed up bodies stuck to the filter intake and one particular one in one of the males caves.

[Taratron]

Still freaking nothing. I wonder if I have only one gender. Barely see but two every night, and if I take apart the caves, as I did a few weeks ago, a few dart out and hide again. They've been eating live black worms and NLS pellets, as well as cherry shrimp culls. What else do I need to do here?

[CatWhat]

If you are unsure of the sex ratios you have. Take out all the decor in the tank and either catch them and place them in a bowl to be viewed from above or perhaps you can get a good look at their heads through the glass. They are easy to sex, once you get a male and female next to each other.
I have had my best luck with breeding when I have the PVC pipes ( with end caps ) in the tank, they seem to prefer them to caves made from rocks and wood for breeding in.

[Taratron]

I'll do that and post pics here. What size PVC pipes, length and width of opening?

Even have coconut halves in there. I never see any of them together. Heck, I never see any of them at all! I see my zebra plecos and L250 more than these fish! I see the banjo cats more.

[pleco_breeder]

L250??? that's got to be a typo...

Larry

[Taratron]

Oops, yes it is. Nah, Larry, I been holding out on you!

L260. I seriously see them more than these brevis.

[Taratron]

Spotty pics but the best I can do.

http://imgur.com/a/2rSUC

[Barbie]

Honestly, I gave these guys an ancistrus cave or two to hide in. Totally wrong tank mates and decor and good food and clean water and they murdered their conspecifics and paired up and made tons of babies. They spawned and acted just like plecos. They really belonged here, hehe. Let me know if you get fry. I really do miss mine!

Barbie

[Taratron]

Mine care the tank with cull cherry shrimp and assassin snails. Sponge filter at one end and a powerhead at the other, and about 6 caves.

Barbie, are you suggesting I add some fish to start the bloodlust, and then perhaps the act of fish murder will get them all lusty for each other? Cause I will do that if I must! Not bristlenose, though. Perhaps some guppies or something.

[Barbie]

No, mine were still in quarantine (granted, it had been 6 months but a girl gets busy!) and they murdered each other and spawned within about a week. I thought there was something wrong with the tank and was doing big water changes. They just wanted a little privacy though, that's all. Sexing them the conventional method would be much more successful if you want survivors ;).

Barbie

[Taratron]

How big of water changes and how often? Usually mine get one or two 30% a week.

T

[CatWhat]

From the pics it does look like to have mostly males. One or two females from what I can see from the pics. The pipes have roughly a 2" opening and are cut 5-6" in length. Mine seem to breed every couple of months that I notice in the tank with 8 of them in there. The fry that I have growing out I got from separating a male and female into a 10g.

[Taratron]

Almost the same ratio as my zebras, sigh. Hey Barbie, if you ever get some in, I'd love to order some females!