Fun BN Observation

[starsplitter7]

A couple days ago I found that my albino BN hatched in their cave with their dad. They were popping out of the cave, and the tank isn't suitable for fry, so I picked up the cave, fry and dad and moved them to the BN nursery as a unit. The dad rode in the cave with his fry. All I did was turn the cave over with a little water, and walked them to the nursery. Dad and fry stayed in the cave as I lowered them into the tank.

This morning, the male had left his cave and all the fry are on the glass, so I figure it is time to put the cave and BN dad back to his tank with his lady friends. I put my hand in the tank, the male swam into his cave. I turned the cave over with dad, and moved him and the cave back to his tank. He just sat there in his cave and waited patiently for me to put him back in his tank. Once in the water, he swim out of the cave, and back in. Now he's prepping his cave for the next visitor. I think he's getting into a routine with me. This is the second time we have done this.

[Diana]

That's pretty neat!

[starsplitter7]

I thought it was pretty cool. Could be he is just territorial about his cave, but I like to think he is cooperating in the movement of his fry. He does seem to trust me.

[ahmandi2]

That is pretty cool!!!

[NancyD]

That's funny! I tried to move a "scribble" plec by letting him stay on his driftwood. I held a net under him just in case he let go. Got to the new tank, inches from the water & he flipped way up & over onto the floor. Then he sucked onto the wood floor hard enough I couldn't just pick him up easily. Goofy fish

[starsplitter7]

That was his pacifier. "Mom, what are you doing to me and my driftwood?" I do the same thing. I walk around with a net underneath (I also worry fry will pop out), but everyone just hangs tight into the waterof the new tank. I have some fish, I have handled for so long, I jus tpick them up and move them, and then sit patiently until I get them to where they are going Less stressful than using a net.

[ahmandi2]

It's great when an animal trusts you *that* much. Kudos!

[starsplitter7]

Most of the fish that I handle like that were gravely injured, and I handled them over a period of months during their recovery. One includes my blonde croaking catfish, who was stuck in a decoration. Once I cut her out, she was missing all the flesh on her back including most of the dorsal fin. She is now perfect -- fully recovered for more than a year. But I handled her almost every day for 3 months, so she really doesn't care if I handle her.

[starsplitter7]

He's sitting on another clutch of eggs. He is one busy fish. The girls line up outside his cave.

[ahmandi2]

LoL You have the magic mating touch with those BN's, Starsplitter. And apparently, so does the big fella himself~! Lining up outside his cave indeed . That makes me look forward to the day I can bring home a girl (or five) for Mr. Plecostomoose !!! Perhaps he'll be less grumpy once that happens...

[starsplitter7]

I need to find another male, so my guy can have a break. I don't know when he gets a chance to eat. It wasn't even 3 days since he was sitting on his fry. Time for him, the eggs and his cave to make the trip back to the BN nursery tank.

In my other tank, there's one female and 4 males, so it works out a bit better. She lays eggs about every two months.

[SgtMajWiggles]

Starsplitter, what are you using for your caves? My BNs have only ever used the small round cichlid stones to breed in and my males are outgrowing them.

Last week I tried giving them these glass candle holders that are about the right size... 'thought it would be fun to have something transparent. So far no dice, but maybe the boys will come around.

[starsplitter7]

I offer a bunch of caves for my BNs, so the males can choose which caves they like. I found that the BN prefer caves that have nooks where the BN can easy guard the eggs. The eggs are in the tight nook, and the BN lays his body near the eggs.

I need to upgrade the cave for my albino BN. The females are having difficulties entering and exiting the cave, because they are so big, especially when they are full of eggs. I need to find another male to help the albino male. He has been sitting on eggs and fry for months, because the girls line up outside his cave. I don't know when he eats. He's a good dad, but I think it is running him ragged.

[SgtMajWiggles]

Your females are bigger than your males? Mine are the opposite - and one of the females is so short I call her Mini - she's a couple years old and under 2.5". My boys are all about 4".

I was hoping for specific recommendations on caves because I need to find new things to try... my boys have outgrown the only caves they've accepted so far. I've tried cichlid stones (they loved the small round ones) and various found objects, and was just wondering what ohers were using.

[starsplitter7]

In most cases the males are larger, however, this is a very young male, and older females. The female he grew up with is smaller than he is, but the other girls are at least 6 months older.

With my regular BN my males are 4" (if you go to the link below, the first picture is my alpha male of the regular BN) and my female is 3". When she isn't full of eggs, she is tiny. I sometimes get her mixed up with her older fry.

I use decorations I bought at PetSmart. One is an octopus, one has a snail and one had a snake wrapped around a stump (that's the one pictured in the link below). All are small, resin decorations, and I need to get larger pieces. My large regular BN is thinking about abandoning his "snail cave" (not a shell -- lost too many fish jammed in snail shells -- just a decoration with a snail on it) and thinking about using a bit of driftwood, but I think he feels exposed. The preferred deorations are hollow in the center with holes large enough for the fish to enter and exit, but not large enough for another fish to enter. At the top of the decorations is a hollowed out place where the fish keeps the eggs. When I bought these decorations, I didn't have BN, and so it is lucky accident that they really like these decorations. WHen I have some time, I will try to take a couple pictures.

Here's a question I posted on Planetcatfish, and in the second picture, when you scroll down, you can see the the albino male's tail hanging out of the "snake" cave. You can see where I point out where his eggs are in the cave. As you can see I had some major problems in the beginning, but I am doing okay now.
http://www.planetcatfish.com/forum/view ... =5&t=31278