Loaches Online Forum

I have found 2 sets of fry in with my dozen adult Sewellia. At most I have seen 2 really small (1/2") and 3 fry the size in this video. No idea how many are really in the tank. Why this guy came out and showed off is beyond me. Normally as soon as I get the camera out they dive into the rocks and plants. This is fun! They are all long and skinny. They are not showing any signs of the adult finnage yet, but the Sewellia are the only fish in the tank.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n0x8Kgj3oSg

That is super cool. Thanks for sharing.

great vids and fish, i've only ever seen two small fry of my sewelia and out of them only one survived in that tank as i have some Schistura in it.
congrats on getting youngsters.

mick

Congratulations!!!
I have only seen one Sewellia fry that was almost as large as the one in your video, but it disappeared one day.
I have fairly regular spawnings, but I think the dithers eat most of the eggs.

Hi Jim Powers,
My growing loach addiction is all your fault. Not until you came and did your loach talk to the Atlanta club did I get infected. I now have 5 kinds of loaches and hopes that these Sewellia fry are just the beginning. Now I want spawnings from my sids, and my polka dots, and the redtails and.....
I need more tanks.

You have definately been assimilated into the collective.
I'm glad I could be a part of it.

I'm coming late to the party, but great video! Congrats again.

~Kirsten

This head butting/mouth pushing/fighting lasted almost 2 hours. First video is the beginning of the battles. A larger fry shows up on the back glass.
The second video is the end of the battle. In the middle of the video 2 fry can be seen under some anubias between 2 rocks, and the larger fry is still running around on the back glass.
Is it safe to assume that this is 2 males sparring for spawning rights? or territory? boredom?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4blLr3nqQTg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xHWtubbwWgw

Superb!!

for me David thats two females having a dig mate, great to see the fry.

mick

Great videos!!!
That does look like two females fighting to me.

I am pretty new to loaches, but with other fish it is nearly always the males that do the fighting/sparring. Why would females fight?

cos one likes that spot and the other fish wants it for herself, mine chase each other away be it male or female just for the dominance of it. haha

mick

hi
exellent videos. first time I see females fighting.
may be I can add some infos.
I noticed two different behaviours: one is the "domination"-fight. can last for hours. normally between two strong males on a rock or on sand. two females on the front-glass is new to me. seems the "repertoire" is simpler, but this can be due to the fighting-place.
once the hierarchy is established, they show the second behaviour I would call "chasing-away" just to show the ranking. I remarked also that the dominant male is going around every morning in order to "check-the-presence-and-confirm-the-ranking" chasing all others away (as it does when it's eating-time). seems natural, because there could have been changes during the night (predators, washing away).
my lineolata males did the big fight only once (as far I could see it), the strongest becoming more and more yellow and bigger spotted. females never and the young spotted just once with 2.5 cm! the spotted adult males are clearly different in size and no fight could be seen. the "breviventralis" do it as seen in a youtube-video. another shows that it works even between gastromyzon and continental species.
with gastromyzon I have seen even a very strong ocellatus-female with no problems to dominate without fighting. the same occured when an adult stellatus-female - about 5,5 cm! - was joined to smaller ones. gastromyzon like to play the "light-fighting" in groups but that's another story. a more gentle way, like dancing. cheni and myersi just attack in a power dive, but know the "dominance-fight" as well the sides becoming pale. farid has reported the same about ctenocephalus.

a video just taken by chance and freehanded.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1lx3X5am1CU

and these pictures of spotted and myersi.
cheers charles

a short update
i got again over 50 babies...most of them already 13mm big. their growth is much faster than the first fry i had 18months ago...i think it was because of the food. i nourish them no 2-3 times a day with powdered tabs...

farid