Panaque sp L191 : spawning endeavour

[ElTofi]

Hi you all,

I'm starting a thread (already on PlanetCatfish from last Sunday -> copy-paste)

this time, that's it ! my L191 group comes mature and I noticed very obvious behaviors in the big 10,000 liters tank (2,640 US gallons)... but with that much concurrence on the bottom (2 Acanthicus, 2 Pterygoplichthys, 4 Panaque schaeferi, 5 Astronotus occelatus on 8.6 m2), I don't expect anything... That's why I managed to recycle a 900 liters (245 US gallons) to turn it into a nursery for species...

After a month of N2 cycling, I managed to set up an appropriate hardscape, with 2 big roots and a few terra-cotta huge tubes (already used, back in 2009, for Pseudacanthicus scarlet)...

The first challenge, and believe me, it's not the least : taking the 7 Panaque out of the big tank

I had a first try tonight, right after the lights turned off... the Panaque stand in the flow of the TUNZE Stream, against the front wall... I used a small torch to see what I was doing and a big Pike Net to get 2 of them... I didn't want to make more mess in the big one as the Cichla, Astronotus, Stingrays and Arowanas became seriously nervous swimming around... I'll go on tomorrow...

of course, every light is turned off now... so you'll have to wait till tomorrow for first pictures... but believe me when I say those babies are HUGE !

I'd be glad to receive any advice, suggestions, idea, experience... thanks a lot for following this thread...

 

[ElTofi]

a few pictures...

any idea on sexing ?

a smaller one (28 cm)

the biggest in the 900 liters tank (I have bigger still in the big tank)

 

[ElTofi]

and 4... and 5...

and that's it for today (Sunday evening)...

normally, I should find N°6-7 in the next days, as I changed the TUNZE Flow pumps orientation to get them on the front wall, where I can net them...

the biggest of 5 is impressive, full of grown odontodes (pectoral, body, interopercular) and it's not a surprise it has been stucked into the pike net... I had to cut some piece of the grid... it's not wounded and I was expecting such problems, so I had a cissor with me, ready to use...

more pictures tomorrow evening...

 

[ElTofi]

a few pictures, taken this Monday morning, right after lights ON...

the "big one" has settled down inside a tube... (just to say, the tube is 15 cm high) 8-} no indications of fight... no wounds... no problem... yet...

that's why you don't ever want to take them without gloves : sharp like razors... and powerful

 

[ElTofi]

The "Big One"

the smaller, in the left cave :

the both caves, with only 1 fish in each (for the moment / )

 

[ElTofi]

update after 6 months :

3 mature males of 35 cm TL and 5 years old
2 potential females 25-30 cm TL and 5 years old
2 breeding spots (both occupied by a male)
2.5 months of dry season (without any WC neither filter cleaning)
2.5 months of rainy season (50-60% WC daily, with 6° Celsius of temperature fall)

and...
nothing more than awesome odontodes growing rate

I'll keep on going with "normal" WC for a few months, maybe till spring... and then... leave it for another year

 

[UnstoppableJayD]

WOW- very impressive fish.. good luck with them- MikebNJ CodOnMyRod Charney

 

[MikebNJ]

Awesome big guy!!! Huge fins wow. I love the L190's. This is my "big guy" and getting another from UnstoppableJayD soon.

Keep posting!

 

[Dis]

What do you feed for the dry season? Seems like a really long time without a water change.

 

[ElTofi]

just wood (alnus glutinosa) and a few sturgeons pellets for the protein, fibers and ashes...

the water after 2.5 months dry season was very charged with Nitrates (around 100 mg/l), the color of water turned out around dark yellow, but with a good flow and a venturi, the oxygen saturation was very high all along...