L134 Stuck in cave

[sandy001]

I have bred these guys a few times & when in the cave with the female the male is normally behind her blocking the exit, for the last two days they have been in the same cave with the male on the bottom & the female on the top.

They have been in exactly the same position for two days & look like they are jammed in.

Has any one ever had a pair of catfish stuck in a cave?

Not sure if I should break the cave & risk damaging them or how long should I leave them for.

Any advice would be appreciated.

Dave

[MatsP]

1. Can you see them breathing ?

It's usually possible to see pleco's breathing, and if they don't look stressed (shallow/fast breathing), then I wouldn't worry TOO much.

2. What material is the cave? I would certainly not "smash it" if it's a ceramic material. You can probably break it with a pair of tile-cutting pliers or some such, but breaking it with a hammer or some such is almost certainly a very bad thing.

--
Mats

[Richard B]

What size is the cave? What size are the fish (width at the widest part). Has this cave been used successfully before?

I'd be tempted to leave them for a week with careful observation before any "rescue" attempt. What sort of cave is it? How is it put together?

The answers to these questions may point the way forward

[sandy001]

They don't appear stressed & are wagging there tails, but have been in the same position for 2 days.

The cave is about 4cm internal diameter & 15cm long handmade terracotta & I have had several successful spawns with this cave & male, not sure about the female.

How long is it safe to leave them before I need to worry about a casualty.

Thanks Dave

[apistomaster]

I have seen l134 breeders stay in the cave for up to a week so i would not worry.
If they were able to get in this fix they are able to get out of it when they are ready.
So do nothing and try to relax.

[sandy001]

Thanks for the advice.

I will leave them be .

Dave

[sandy001]

Good news the female is back out of the cave.

Patience has paid off.

Dave

[Richard B]

Good news!

[MTS]

great news, you need to try one of my removable lid slate caves!

[apistomaster]

great news, you need to try one of my removable lid slate caves!

And i need to build some more of those.
I only have a couple like that and it sure makes it easier to catch a bunch of plecos when I am filling orders than trying to shake them out of the solid sided caves.

[2wheelsx2]

I have a couple of split caves from plecocaves.com and they look pretty convenient, but I haven't had the good fortune of needing to use the feature yet.