My new L201, first spawn!

[jac]

Hello,

Saturday I added 6 L201 to my collection I'm very pleased to have got them. The owner let me pick my own fish out of a tank filled with lots more L201. Most of them where small but I managed to catch some bigger ones. Of one I could tell it was a male but the others I wasn't sure.
The biggest one is about 8cm, the smallest about 6cm. How much time should I give them to mature anough to set them up in a breeding tank? If it takes longer than a year I wanted to put them in with my discus and leave them alone. Or is it better to let them grow up in a separate tank so feeding them will be easier and more specific? Like to hear your advice.

Here are some pictures:










Greets Jacqueline

[apistomaster]

I think you may have to wait 1 to 2 years for them to begin spawning.
Although they can be kept with Discus, I think you will see a much better growth rate if you give them their own tank or keep a few peaceful Tetras and a pair of Apistogramma with them make their tank more interesting.

[jac]

Thanks for your advice @Apistomaster

[jac]

Today I saw two L201 in one cave, male behind. They are young and I concider this a practise run for the future without any results. I don't expect them to be together tomorrow morning. But I found it awsome to see

[nvcichlids]

If everytime I saw my plecos go into a cave I thought they were breeding, i would have a heart attack lol. I get extremely excited when my fish breed, and my L127's, L201's, and L129's are ALWAYS going into caves (male female pairs go in), but only the L129's have officially bred. the L127's have laid eggs, but they were not fertilized and abandoned for the other fish to eat. I know soon I will have L127 fry though. Good luck and I hope you the best with the fish!

[jac]

He's guarding eggs

It's amazing how nature works in the most mysterious ways

I'll keep you posted of his progress. It is his first spawn

[andywoolloo]

yeah for brand new papas!!

[MatsP]

Congratulations.

--
Mats

[jac]

I just had to check one last time if I really saw eggs this morning. And he is really a first time daddy

There is a definate difference in fanning compared with the L66 dad. He was much more experienced and had a nice rithme to his fanning but my brand new L201 daddy is not as good at his fanning movement. I hope the eggs will survive. I'll leave him at peace, just as I was doing for a long time

Fingers crossed
I'll try to make pictures in a few days time. His cave is at the most darkest spot in the tank and it will be hard to take a good shot.

[leej24]

Congratulations. I just read this post this morning and wow. What a big change in such a small amount of time.

[nvcichlids]

I know in order for most of my currently non breeding pleco groups to breed means I must surrender a bunch of my breeding catfish groups (the auch. coincoides, the microglanis sp and now the spotted raphaels) which I am not sure if I want to do lol. I may just add the raphael's with the jag's and see what happens in the pond.

[jac]

I have a simular problem. The none breeding L groups are together with my breeding groups of corydoras (Sterbai and Adolfoi). Just to save space. I have 4 main breeding tanks with only one species, containing L66, L401 and L134 and a tank for my breeding group of C. Peru Green Stripe. The L204 and the L201 are in shared tanks but for the L201 that didn't seem to matter Sharing a tank with other calme species (C. Adolfoi) could be stimulating for natural behaviour.

I covered half the tank up with a towel because it is the first tank as I come in. I didn't want to frighten him when I opened the door. He's doing fine and his fanning skill have improved a lot I haven't looked anymore into the cave, only lifting a tiny corner of the towel to see if he hasn't kicked out the eggs. He's doing great so far

[jac]

Today disaster struck
I checked every day if the eggs where still in the cave. I had read that first time dads could kick out the eggs out of unexperience. And yes, today sadly he did My heart skipt and I switch into action. Already having my emergency kit ready I installed the baby nursery. Then gently put the baby's into the little tank. There where 7 of them. I don't know if there were anymore in the cave I didn't look because dad was still in there and fanning like crazy. If there are baby's in there I hope he will raise them otherwise I think he will kick them out to in time. Two are still inside the egg will these come out by themselves?

My biggest question is how to go about raising the fry without dad????

Here are some pictures




Please help

[apistomaster]

Your L201 were obviously more mature than I thought.
The larvae should develop just fine in in the net breeder but I would give them a bare 5 gal nursery tank as soon as most of the yolk has been absorbed. They will find their food easier in the small tank and you don't have too many for them to grow to at least 3/4 inch.

[jac]

Hi Larry,

I was as surprised as you are when I first saw the male together with a female in a cave. After seeing the eggs I couldn't believe it.
I learned on a dutch forum that there have been spawns of L201 at as early as 6cm TL. I never intended getting them to spawn. I never looked at these guys because I thought I had to wait till next year. This was a total surprise for me too

One of the two eggs has hatched, so one more to go I hope these little guys will survive......

[andywoolloo]

my bristlenoses kicked out a few batches of eggs before they got it down right. I put them in a net breeder for about a week after their yolk was gone, and I fed them in there then released them into the tank. I only have BN in the tank tho so they were fine.

[jac]

Today I lost two larvae One I found dead this morning and just now an other one
Noting has changed for two days so I don't know why they died..... They seemed active and healty, so do the ones that are left. I hope at least one or two will survive

[jac]

An other los today....only 3 left.
I hope the next time the male will keep the fry in his cave. This is not working out great, me trying to raise the fry in a breeder

[bronzefry]

jac,
I don't know if this is similar, but with the L-387s, one of the males kicked out a few eggs. It may have been an accident. I'll never know. They may have been out of the cave for 36 hours. I gently nudged the eggs back into the cave. He furiously started to fan them. I'll never know if they hatched or not. I also had an Ancistrus sp. male dump out around 10 eggs a few days ago(he usually has about 60 eggs). I gently put them back in his cave. He really went crazy cleaning them. We'll see if they turn out okay. I've noticed it does take them practice to get it right. Good luck!
Amanda

[jac]

Now 4 days old....3 baby's left.

[jerry58]

Hi jac

Don't get down about the fry not surviving (I know it hard as if you let yourself and fish down loosing some) but look at it as you have saved 3 and could have been zero fry,also carry on looking after them if needed it takes practice for them and for you.Keep up the good work

Jerry

[jac]

Hi jac

Don't get down about the fry not surviving (I know it hard as if you let yourself and fish down loosing some) but look at it as you have saved 3 and could have been zero fry,also carry on looking after them if needed it takes practice for them and for you.Keep up the good work

Jerry

It realy feels like I've failled Poor baby's....... I don't know if these 3 baby's will survive, as they are just die-ing on me without any reason.
But I keep on telling myself that they just need time to get it right themselves. Maybe this will happen the next time aswell Hopefully it won't.

I'm just a bit sad now about losing the baby's Thanks for your encouraging words tho!

[nvcichlids]

Hi jac

Don't get down about the fry not surviving (I know it hard as if you let yourself and fish down loosing some) but look at it as you have saved 3 and could have been zero fry,also carry on looking after them if needed it takes practice for them and for you.Keep up the good work

Jerry

It realy feels like I've failled Poor baby's....... I don't know if these 3 baby's will survive, as they are just die-ing on me without any reason.
But I keep on telling myself that they just need time to get it right themselves. Maybe this will happen the next time aswell Hopefully it won't.

I'm just a bit sad now about losing the baby's Thanks for your encouraging words tho!

I know how you feel! The first time my L129's spawned, I had like 40-50 that hatched, then they all died. Same with my cich lid groups, I had felt defeated when they all get eaten. Its really bad when you have like 1000 free swimmers from one female and then they are all devoured by the male.. (he is really not a good father lol)

[jac]

It's sunday evening and I still have my 3 baby's

Still keeping my fingers crossed tho

[jerry58]

Hi
Good news keep them going fingers crossed as well ! They will probably mean a lot more to you than other fry as they are the only survivors of this spawn.
I had 1 fry surviver from my first zeb spawn and recently thought I had lost it to bloat as one died and for days thought it was dead but NO when I had a good clean of the tank there it was I am so chuffed he/she is surviving this far and will be the same for you as I can tell that you care a lot for your fish.

Good luck Jerry

Here is a pic can't mistake it its the one.
Had to get pic from video not very good but get the idea.

[Farid]

hi there,
the main problem in a seperate baby tank is the waterquality. best results you will achieve to keep the fry in a inhanging tank suplied with tankwater from the maintank (airbubblefilters are perfect for that) so they have it fresh and enriched with oxygen...also when feeding .even when food is left on the ground...with the fresh water running trough this tank the food does not effect tha waterquality!!! also inmoprtant while the fry is fresh...clean the ground with a fine brush...so bakterial carpets dan not develope.

soon as they react and search for places to hide i add wood and sea almond leaves. so they have aditional bakterial surfaves to nourish from.

good luck
farid

PS:from 2 spawnings of my 201 i only got 2 left!!! (until now )

[jac]

Hi,

Jerry, nice pic of your beautiful baby zebra One day I hope to have these gorgeous fish in my tank. I'm saving up hard and hoping to get some this autum or anyway somewhere in the comming 6 months I'm not sure yet wich will be first in my collection, I also like the L173 also zebra type. I've been wanting L46 for at least 2 years now but didn't have the money to buy them, they are soooooo expencive here

Farid, I have my own special DIY baby tanks. I got the idea from another forum. It's very simple and cheap. The (kitchen utility)box is from Ikea. I drilled a few holes at one end and covered it with a sponge so the baby's can't escape. On the otherside I have got an air sponge filter wich filters water from the main breeding tank and flows into the baby tank. So the water is exactly the same. I also use this methode with my corydoras fry. I hadn't tought about the brush cleansing, thats a great tip I don't know yet what I'm going to do when the fry have use up there yolk sack. I see my L66 baby's growing great in de breeding tank. I think I will release the L201 baby's into the adult breedingtank to let them find there own food just like they would have done if they were coming out of the cave But I don't know for sure yet......

Here are some pictures of today, 7 days old





My DIY baby tanks

[jac]

9 Days old today

[jerry58]

Looking good keep them going

Jerry

[jac]

Yesterday I saw he had a female in the cave with him. This afternoon when I came home he had a new batch of eggs So he is going to try to be a good daddy for the second time Yeahhhhh I'll keep an eye on him if he kicks out the eggs but I hope not!

I also figured out witch would be the breeding female. And I was amazed to find out I was missing the smallest one. She is only 6-7 cm TL, you can see her on the first foto's I posted in this tread. I hope there will be another female in my group but I can't see and I'm not planning on disturbing the group by catching them. Things are going great so why interfear

I didn't manage to get a good picture of the 3 baby's but they are doing fine so far. I think they will start eating soon. They have some wood and pipes of pvc to hide in.

I'll keep you posted on the new spawn of dad