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I've noticed some pretty odd interactions between my 2 BN plecos.

When the female notices the male is near, she wll curve her body into an S, clamp her fins, and quiver and shake. Sometimes she moves towards the male, other times in a circle around him. She often backs into him, so that with each move her tail brushes over his bristles. He eventually chases or lunges at her, and she usually flees, only to come back a few more times.

So far, there has been no move to use the caves made by either fish. Is everything proceeding as normal?

Im the only person who has observed this behavior?

I haven't seen mine do that. Of course I have a lot of plants and I may have just missed it. I just see a lot of the end product, ie. babies everywhere.

My wild bristlenose do that...the male guards his cave and so far he's not buying what she's selling...she look's really gravid...
david

What kind of hideout is that for your pleco? A coconut shell? What's the best way to prep one for a pleco tank?

heh...yes, a coconut shell...I should've taken pictures while i was doing it, but I'll just describe it...I tried to find the biggest coconut possible, so that when I cut it in half each side would still be plenty large enough for a cave... I drilled a hole in each end(one hole to let the juice out, the other hole for air to allow the juice to flow faster) the holes would later allow air to escape so the shells wouldn't float...then I cut the coconut in half with a handsaw...
the "meat" of the coconut was kindof difficult to remove...the key is patience...I took a knife and cut a little square near the edge and then gently pried it out...repeat this dozens of times...the key is only prying out small pieces at a time so as not to crack the shell...
for the doorway, I used one of those "rotozip" tools...it's kindof like a drill with different kinds of router and cutting bits on it...i drilled a bunch of holes in the shape of a horse-shoe, and then just connected the holes to cut out the door...
I put them in the tank and the plecos just moved right in...it look's a little more natural than clay pots or pvc(not that plecos living in a coconut is natural)
david

most reptile stores have the coconut hideouts. I think it would be a little less hassle then doing your own.

well, it took less than half an hour to make two(from one coconut) and the coconut cost $1.29...I suppose if you'd like to stimulate the economy, and are pressed for time, it's good to know that reptile stores sell them..
david

Hello,

Just from the way it's described in the post, it sounds more like a territorial dispute to me. It's not uncommon for males to chase females away from caves till they're ready to spawn either.

Larry Vires