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I came home from work last night to find half of a breeding cave excavated from the gravel. One whole side has be totally dug up, as it was partially burried in the gravel before. Who could have done this? Why Might they? Would any of these guys dig when spawning?

The tank contains:

3 Panaqolus maccus
3 L187b
1 Mystery Whiptail
2 Microglanis iheringi
1 Auchenipterichthys thoracatus
2 Agamyxis pectinifrons

Thanks,

I exprerience the same thing sometimes. Normally they dig when they want to get under something like a rock or a piece of bog wood. My LDA 33 digs at night, usually in the front corners of the tank, though, there is nothing in there. Maybe he does it just for fun. One time a was obligated to keep my bristlenose male in a small 65-liter tank. He probably felt threatened and insecure in there because he turned the whole place upside down when he dug in there. Plecos use their caudale when they dig. I do not know about the other things you asked about.

Saara,

Glad to hear someone else has found that they have diggers. This is the first time I have experienced this, I was hoping it might mean that my L187's were breading. I haven't been able to find any info on breeding them in captivity, and have been trying several methods to no avail. I still haven't seen who was doing the digging. I did a rock vac today, so we will see if there has been any new digging when I get home from work today...

Ben,
could be almost any of your cats that has been digging. All my pl*cos and also the A. pectinifrons do digging. Like Saara said, mostly looks like they're trying to get under something. Sometimes they seem to dig just for the sake of it, and really seem to enjoy doing it. Or maybe they just don't like your furnishing style!

My LDA 33 is a big digger, he actually got named Pyry (blizzard in Finnish) because he likes to create sandstorms. Right now there seems to be a big dent in the sand in the back corner of my tank, that's so big I think this time the digger has been my big Common.

And, in my case digging is not a sign of breeding, as I only have one of each and not ones that might crossbreed, I think.

If you don't have a Giraffe cat (Auchenoglanis occidentalis) you don't know the meaning of the word 'digging.' They can leave your tank looking like a strip mine.

The Chaetostoma are the most likely culprits. If the cave is in a little bit of current you might be looking at a spawn! There's another post going on about this in the Loricariidae forum.

Cheers,

Jools

PS Are you still able to do that logo for me?

It wouldn't shock me to find it it was the Chaetostoma, there is a good bit of current, and the cave is right in the area with the most current. I have seen the big dominant male around there quite a bit enjoying the extra high current. I was hoping to get these guys to breed, but I didn't think they would really be all that interested untill I have them moved over into my river tank when it's set up.

The behaviour has now been going on for some time, and it keeps happening, but no signs of eggs yet...

Jools wrote:The Chaetostoma are the most likely culprits. If the cave is in a little bit of current you might be looking at a spawn! There's another post going on about this in the Loricariidae forum.

Cheers,

Jools

PS Are you still able to do that logo for me?