L204 Breeding Question

[gemjunkie]

I just wonder if it is better to have one pair or two in a tank to induce spawn?

Let me explain.....

I have a full grown pair of L204s. It is pretty easy to tell them apart once they reach sexual maturity (good thing for me being newer to suckie fish).

The female is constantly playing 'tail touchy' with the boy, she is always near stroking him with her tail, rubbing up against him, swimming around him. Just generally pestering him. At times, they seem to 'hang around' together searching around the tank, but that could just be her rousting him from his 'spot' I suppose and wishfull thinking on my part.

Here is the problem... He shows NO interest in going into one of the 5 caves I have placed around the tank. He is interested in wedging himself up under one of the pieces of wood and watching what's going on around the room. She does however, spend a LOT of time next to him near his log, it's just not quite big enough for them both to fit under and only an L-ish shape, no back/sides.....

The female is very big with eggs but the male is just not showing interest at all! They both eat amazing amounts off food, chew on the drift wood a lot making piles of 'saw dust' and are acting fine. Is there anything I can do to get HIM in the mood, to check out a cave? Am I just being impatient? Would the presense of another male perhaps kick start his labido or just cause problems (I would add a pair rather than just a male)? Would using an RO water change perhaps work to induce?

(*I have tried all the conventional methods of large cool water changes, dimmed the lights for days, stayed away from the tank other than to feed... My water parameters are also very good for this particular kind of fish, being a bit harder than most would prefer to spawn in from what I've read about them. The pair is in a 90g tank with a LOT of wood, sand bottom and that seems about right for one full grown pair of these fish as they are just short of 6 inches. There are tankmates, some L129s, a breeding trio of ABN and some roseline barbs. None of the fish squabble, I've spent a lot of time accross the room watching the tank to make sure, even at feeding time the fish are very civil to each other. I can take water parameter readings if needed. The bristlenose will have another batch any day, he has both females in the cave..... Wish it was the L204s!!*)

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated! Even if it's just to tell me to calm down and just wait it out. Sorry for such a long post!!!

[Janne]

The placement and the size of the cave is also important, try to move the cave you think fits them best to different locations in the tank when you find the right spot will the male enter the cave and stay there.
But it's not a bad idea to bring one more pair into the tank and if the new male shows more interesting for breeding then the one you have you take him out of the tank and leave the new male there with 2 females. I have also a very big male that not shows any interest in breeding and when all was together it was always the smaller male that was in charge in that tank.

Janne