Acarichthys heckelii: A 'WOW' Fish if I Ever Saw One!

[boxerlover]

Hmmmm....how concerned should I be for the 5 I have in my 125?

 

[fwprawn]

Just keep the water super clean and you'll be fine.

 

[petspoiler]

Mine went into spawning mode a couple months ago, digging pits, and in the process started killing each other. I started with 5, three years ago, in the last 3 months, down to one.

I had always heard a very large tank is needed once spawning begins, seems my 6ft 150 gal is not adequate. The aggression is very subtle, hardly noticeable unless I watch very slowly. Starts with just a scale or 2 missing on the head, then within a day or 2, I would find a corpse. I figured best case scenario, might be 3 dead, and I'd end up with a pair, had a pair going, little more digging, now down to one.

I read somewhere? that for any chance of success in captivity @spawning, you have to put pipes in tank that are big enough for them to both go inside and at the back end a rounder nesting area. In their own habitat the female digs out gopher-like tunnels, then goes out and lures her chosen male inside there. after spawning they guard the tunnel entrance.
I suspect that, besides tunnels just being utilized, nature endows the female with huge amounts of energy for all the digging work, & so even with pipes in a tank she needs something to work hard at doing.
I wonder if really strong water currents might help with that.
? They probably get extremely frustrated when all attempts at digging tunnels in a tank Fail. Pits are not part of their instinct.

 

[kiupuriash]

Such a lovely fish, i got mine from a friend. It was about 5 inch a couple months ago. Im glad i kept it. Its filaments are growing and its such a sight to see swimming. He is currently in a 100 gallon with a few plecos. Will be adding to my SA tank soon. I hope mine turns out a stunner like yours sir...

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[carl_d_c]

Wow!