L134 Peckoltia Compta

[jvision]

It seems there are a few of us who are giving a crack at breeding these guys. I currently have 10. They were all in a tank by themselves until later this year, but with a lack of action, I split off what I think could be a trio into a 33 (though, I'm beginning to think it's more likely a reverse trio). However, I think I'll have to wait until spring to get any action, as most of my research leads me to believe that they are seasonal spawners. My fish are wild caught, so I don't hold much hope of them producing over the winter.

Does anyone else have any luck getting these guys to spawn outside their 'normal' breeding season (I believe I've read Mar-Oct)?

[rayfong]

I've got a group of about 6 of them, no luck as of yet. They are also WC

[Jayba]

I have 26, all wild caught. They have bred. Common misconception is that they are sexually mature at a small size. Sexual maturity happens when they are about 3 years old,(3.5 inches or so)just like my l-260's. It took forever.

Many fish from tropical areas spawn seasonally due to changes in their natural environment. Most often they spawn when the rainy season begins, because it brings increased food supply and increased possibilities for the fry to find food and shelter. Re-creating as many of the changes as possible that occur during the rainy season's beginning might be one way to spawn species that otherwise are very difficult to spawn. Many species are so easy to spawn you need not use the often cumbersome methods that are described below, but certain species and groups of species might need them. First try the general rules for breeding a certain species or group of species, but if you don't succeed, try the suggestions below.

The following is a compilation of a way to breed fishes that come from areas with marked dry and rainy seasons, e.g. the Amazon and Rio Negro areas of South America. Data and ideas have been collected from a lot of different sources; including books, friends and the Internet, and are based on my own experiences breeding catfishes from South America.

This simulated dry and rainy season cycle takes about 4 weeks to go through. Using a simpler method people have been able to breed Panaque nigrolineatus, Sturisoma sp., and Siamese algae eaters, which are thought to be very difficult to spawn.

Spawning triggers in nature:

Below follows a list of the different changes that can occur during the rainy season's beginning and that might trigger a species to spawn. They are not listed in any particular order, and which of them various species need to spawn is not fully known.

Low pressure

After a long period of high pressure at the end of the dry season, the barometric pressure falls in connection with the first rain.

Increased food supply

After a starvation period during the end of the dry season the food supply increases drastically. Certain species look like skeletons at the end of the dry season, and have perhaps been without food for more than a month. Certain species even eat detritus to get some nutrition.

Changed food types

During the dry season the scarce food might consist of bottom dwelling animals (red mosquito larvae) and decaying plant parts. When the rainy season starts the food changes to insects that fall onto the surface: mosquito larvae (especially white and perhaps black) and other water insects, pollen from flowers, seeds, fruits, fresh leaves and eggs, and fry from other species that have begun to spawn earlier.

Increased water flow

The rain results in increased flow of water. The fish become more active. Some species migrate upstream to get to calmer and more suitable spawning areas.

Increased oxygen levels

Rain that falls on the water surface increases the oxygen level in the water. Increased water flow also makes the oxygen level increase. In many cases a high oxygen level is a condition for the eggs and fry to make it during their first days.

Dilution of dissolved substances in the water

The longer the dry season lasts, the more salts, humic substances and organic material are concentrated in the water that remains. When the rain starts the concentration of these substances decreases due to dilution. The river, the stream etc. is diluted with rainwater that has zero hardness, which lowers the hardness and often even the pH.

Change in water temperature

Water temperature is often lowered due to cloudiness and the cold rainwater. In high terrain temperature differences are often greater than down in the lowlands (10ºC compared to a few degrees).

Change in water depth

Increased water volume causes the water to deepen. Water pressure at the bottom increases and the fish get a larger vertical swimming space. Distance to the water surface will be longer for species that go to the surface to catch air.

Spawning sites become available

At the end of the rainy season there is often water only in the middle of the river or stream, and there are very few plants or hiding places. With increasing water depth, the fish can find newly flooded areas with plants, roots, tree trunks and shadows, in which to hide eggs and give the fry a better chance to hide.

Changes in the light

The amount of light and duration of light decreases due to cloudiness in connection with the rain. Certain parts of the day can be very dark during the most intense rain. With more clouds in the sky it takes longer in the morning before it gets light and it darkens faster in the evening.

Even light angles vary from one part of the year to the other. The further from the equator, the more the variation.

Note that certain species want almost complete darkness to spawn (they live under dense vegetation, among tree roots and in black water).

Increased plant plankton level

When the rainy season occurs this increases in certain waters. This is also a signal to the adult fish to spawn because there is food for smaller fry.

Right time of the year

Certain species have a very strong "biological clock" that is linked to when the rain and dry seasons occur in their natural distribution area.

Other fish spawn

Hormones in the water from other fish spawns might prompt another species to spawn.

Sound

Even the rain's splashing against the surface might be a signal to spawn. Maybe also the sound of thunder.

How do we simulate these things in the tank?

Below are suggestions on how to simulate the different stimuli that are listed above. Which to choose depends on which species is to be bred. Certain species might require only a few, e.g. good feeding and a water change with lower water temperature, while others need most of the items from the list. The list below follows the same order as above:

Low pressure

Many have written about their fish having spawned during periods of low pressure. However, the same species might in many cases have spawned during a period of high pressure if the right circumstances had been present. Low pressure is of course impossible to simulate in a tank, so keep an eye on the weather forecasts and start a simulated rainy season during the passage of a period of low pressure. A barometer might be good to have handy to check the trend for air pressure.

Increased food supply

If fish are in good condition when they are set to spawn, they can manage to starve for several weeks. When feeding begins again, this will trigger the instinct to spawn.

Changed food types

A change of food might trigger a spawn. In some waters in South America the amount of mosquito larvae increases (especially white mosquito larvae) at the beginning of the rainy season. If you don't feed mosquito larvae before setting a species to spawn, and then begin to feed with them during the simulated beginning of the rainy season - this will simulate the change.

Increased water flow

Easily solved with different forms of pumps and filters. Certain species lay their eggs close to the largest water flow in the tank - e.g. in front of the filter outflow.

Increased oxygen levels

Use an air driven filter and air stones. One can also let a motor filter "splash" in the surface to increase the amount of oxygen. An air diffuser can also be used.

Dilution of dissolved substances in the water

Build a higher level of humic substances ( e.g. peat and alder cones) and salts (fertiliser, CaCO3, MgSO4) during the simulated dry season. Later, dilute with as soft water as possible when the rainy season begins (preferably RO water).

Change of water temperature

Use submersible heaters to keep the temperature up during the dry season. Note that certain species can't take too high or too low temperatures and that certain species prefer high temperatures to spawn. These species perhaps seek out flooded grassy areas to spawn where the sun heats up the shallow waters.

To lower the temperature, one just decreases the setting on the submersible heater until it can be turned off. To further lower the temperature one might ventilate the room or put an ice block in the tank.

Change in water depth

Lower the water level to 25% of normal during the dry season. Increase it to normal level over a couple of days when the rainy season begins.

Spawning sites become available

Change the plants and decorations. If gravel is not used, plant plants in pots and move caves and roots to make a new environment more suitable for spawning.

Changes in the light

- Light intensity: With several bulbs on the tank, it's easy to turn off all but one (or perhaps use only daylight). Another way might be to put paper between the hood and the cover glass.

- Light duration: At the equator the duration of light is about 12-14 hours year round. The further from the equator the larger difference between the seasons. Shorten by 1-2 hours in both morning and evening. Use a timer!

- Light angle: Hard to simulate in the tank.

Increased plant plankton level

Not possible to simulate easily in the tank, but one might try infusoria. Even if this does not stimulate spawning it might be a good first food for certain species with very small fry.

Right time of the year

Wild caught fish might require that it should be rainy season time in the area from where they come, for them to spawn in our tanks. Check exactly where the species comes from and when the rainy season occurs there. Captive bred fish have generally had their sense of when it is the rainy season and when it is not reduced, and might often be bred year round. The same could be true for young fish that are wild caught. If they have not experienced a rainy season it might be easier to breed them at a different time than when they normally spawn in nature.

Other fish spawning

Let an easily bred species spawn in the same tank as the more difficult one. This works as a natural hormone treatment. An alternative might be to let an easily spawned species spawn in a separate tank, and add water from it to the difficult species' tank.

Sound

Add water through a plexi-glass plate with lots of very small holes. The drops that fall through simulate the rain beating on the water surface.

Further ideas that are used by breeders are:

Filter over limestone during the simulated rainy season. This does make the water harder, but it might be the change in water chemistry that makes certain species spawn.

Move the well-fed fish from a tank without optimum conditions (no spawning substrate, "wrong" water parameters, many fish that are "disturbing them", etc.) to a tank with the right conditions for spawning. The move itself together with all the changes that occur might get the fish to spawn (good way to breed many tetras).

The best thing you can do is research the areas the fish are from, the tempuratures, rock formations (Limestone,Granite,sandstone?)water speeds and depths etc. and do the best you can to recreate this scenerio. The answer you are looking for is typed above, now you just have to figure it out the variables needed to trigger breeding.

Good Luck, Jay

Edited December 12, 2011 by Jayba

[rayfong]

Guess I've got a bit of time before they get it on.

[Jayba]

I know it was a ton to read. Everyone fall asleep? No comments?

Edited December 13, 2011 by Jayba

[PistolPete]

Good read I think i ve read a similar paper before. I just hope you guys start having somebabies soon!

[Jayba]

It's pretty simple really, fool the fish into thinking they are in nature, and things are normal. Eat, swim and get busy.

[trav]

That is by far the best post I've read in a long time thanks for sharing :beer:

[vince0]

Jay,

Thanks for the very informative post!

Vince

[jvision]

I'm going to have to figure out where to do this, I think it's goin to be fun!

Thanks, Jay :thumbs:

[CanadaPleco]

They can spawn much sooner then 3 - 3.5 years old. I sold a large group to someone in BC and they were I would say 1.5-2" TL when I shipped them. A year later they spawned over and over for him.

Their is one HUGE key to spawning L134, change their water ever single day! Do this feed them well (but not too much) and they will spawn.

[PistolPete]

Does it have to be a large water change?

[Sprucegruve]

im guessing probably 20%-30% daily but i dont know.

hurry up rich i wana know

[Jayba]

Mine were getting jiggy tonight, we shall see what happensif anything came of it in the morning. One male is all twitchy and stuff, and there was a female interested, so I slowly backed away and left them to their own. I'll check in the morning.

[Sprucegruve]

good luck keep us posted jay