Panaque maccus - Preparing to spawn??

[krazyGeoff]

Hi,
I have 5 of these little guys:

Panaque maccus

I think there are 3 males and 2 females, which is just my luck as I returned a batch of 4 females and 2 males, because they were not the fish I thought I was getting....
They are in my community tank.
Also I am not used to such a small plec, not that I have large fish anyway, really.

I found the smallest caves I could get, and stuck a few into the tank. Really, because I thought that if the little fellas move in, then at least I will be able to see them.

Anyway...... About a week or so ago one of the males moved into one of the caves that is right by my chair. A couple of days ago there was another one that seemed to be hanging around, and now she just won't go away. Not even with the torch, to check out whether she was a female or not!

Do you think they might be getting ready to make even smaller fish? I have not done anything to encourage them, other than clean living, and nice accomidation.

What do you think.

Thanks
Geoff

[MatsP]

They have been known to argue over caves, but it could certainly be mating behaviour. I have had eggs a few times, but no fry.

--
Mats

[krazyGeoff]

I'll keep my eye on them, and let you know if anything exciting happens.

Thanks
Geoff

[Carp37]

I have had eggs a few times, but no fry.

Hi Mats- your aquarium pictures show a couple of photos of P. maccus fry- were these from other fishkeepers, then? I've seen you post before that you hadn't succeeded in breeding these, but I'd assumed that meant the fry didn't survive, rather than the eggs didn't hatch.

[MatsP]

I have had eggs a few times, but no fry.

Hi Mats- your aquarium pictures show a couple of photos of P. maccus fry- were these from other fishkeepers, then? I've seen you post before that you hadn't succeeded in breeding these, but I'd assumed that meant the fry didn't survive, rather than the eggs didn't hatch.

Actually, that's a few pictures of a single fry that I thought at the time was a P. maccus (and I'm still not convinced it wasn't). It may or may not have been - it either turned out to be a regular bristlenose - I put it in the only baby net I had available - or "disappeared" some other way. It clearly didn't look the same, but that's not to say that it wasn't just a odd-coloured bristlenose.

--
Mats

[Griparn]

It seems to be typical spawning behaviour for P. Maccus. The female seems to hang just outside the alpha male's cave for some time before spawning. When the male is ready he will let her in. When two male fights over a cave it doesnt last too long.

Keep us updated!

[krazyGeoff]

It seems to be typical spawning behaviour for P. Maccus. The female seems to hang just outside the alpha male's cave for some time before spawning. When the male is ready he will let her in. When two male fights over a cave it doesnt last too long.

Keep us updated!

Thanks for that.
The male is leaving a bigger and bigger gap at the mouth of the cave every day now, she will be able to dart in soon.
Tomorrow is a water change day so it will get interesting.
Geoff

[krazyGeoff]

So the male sort of abandoned the cave for a few days.

I guess he was a bit upset that the small stones he had spent a week fanning did not hatch

I removed the stones, and he took up residence again. The female is still trying to get in. He may let her now that his "eggs" have gone.

[andywoolloo]

very cute! Maybe it was a trial run for him!