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Spawning Ansitrus
Posted: 21 Jan 2003, 15:14
by jeffreyrichard
I have a colony of tank-bred ancistrus ... currently in a 125 gallon with 20 adult angels. I'm trying to find a "formula" for regularly spawning these guys ... I use the juvies to keep my 25 tanks clean (I breed angels, discus amd bettas). What are the successful methodologies you folks are using ... I have tanks from 10 gallon to 125 that can be used. My water parameters are genrally neutral and very soft ... 70 ppm.
Thanks
Posted: 21 Jan 2003, 16:42
by Barbie
My albino ancistrus spawned one or two times in a tank full of lace rock and mbuna, with heavy aeration, and pH of 8.4 or above, and managed to raise fry. I've had the best luck, putting the pair in a tank of their own, giving them a spawning cave, a powerhead prefiltered by a large sponge, and a small back filter. They usually spawn within a couple weeks of this for me. They're actually the only plecos that I've had luck with spawning, but the others were in community tanks, and only this weekend, were moved into tanks of their own, to work on actually spawning them. I have a pair of regular bristlenose that haven't spawned in a tank full of tropheus, even though the female has been full of eggs, and trying to talk her way into the males cave for weeks. I'm going to take pity on her this weekend, and move them into a 10 gallon to let the male feel secure enough to spawn. Tropheus are very busy and I'm sure he doesn't think he could defend the fry.
I honestly don't think the pH or hardness of the water matters much for these guys. The water quality and flow rate seem to be much more important. My water in Kansas City was over 17 degrees of kH, came out of the tap at 8.4 and would buffer up in the tanks to 9 at times. I used limestone for decorations in that mbuna tank they spawned in. I figured the water couldn't get any harder, and I wasn't trying to raise pleco fry, I was actually just trying to grow everything up. The plecos weren't even 3 inches total length yet when they spawned the first time.
Hope that helps 
I know quite a few people that have spawned these guys in a community setting, but I get very regular spawns, once they get started. On a side note, that ten gallon will rapidly be way too small, once they've started producing fry.
Barbie
Posted: 23 Jan 2003, 16:42
by jeffreyrichard
TANK SIZE QUESTIONS - Can you spawn ancistrus in a 10 gallon tank? Would a 20L be better? How about a 55 gallon?
WATER MOVEMENT - Do ancistrus spawn better in a tank with lots of water movement?
TEMPERATURE - best?
SPAWNING SITE - I've heard ancistrus like to spawn in barnacle clusters ... does PVC tubes also work? What is the prefered choice?
Thanks