Because clay pots don't grow in the wild...

[Jeffb]

I'm curious if anyone has pictures of caves in the wild from South American or West Africa? I feel like all of the options are unnatural looking. Amano would never add a coconut with a perfect half-circle opening to an aquascape right?

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,

I'm curious if anyone has pictures of caves in the wild from South American or West Africa? I feel like all of the options are unnatural looking. Amano would never add a coconut with a perfect half-circle opening to an aquascape right?

You could try <"structural leaf litter">.

cheers Darrel

 

[gerald]

Maybe clay pots SHOULD grow in rivers. There's a madtom catfish in the rivers near me (Noturus furiosus) that historically nested in large dead mussel shells with the valves still connected. Most of the larger mussel species are now rare or extirpated due to pollution, dams, erosion, and other factors, and large connected mussel shells suitable for madtom nesting are a very rare commodity. Consequently, the madtoms have also become very rare. A graduate student at NCSU put out some clay pot saucers in the rivers (a smaller saucer glued upside-down on top of a larger saucer, with an entrance hole) and within a couple weeks they were ALL occupied by Carolina madtoms!

I'm guessing wild Apistos may use dead mussel shells too: http://www.checklist.org.br/getpdf?SL106-08

 

[A Timbers Fan]

Had to chuckle at the Amano reference, as his "natural" tanks were nothing like a true biotope and while I appreciate them, they aren't a model example of "natural" tanks, if you feel me

Leaf litter, driftwood, stones, etc. should all be used. I have a few small pods from Tannin Aquatics that the fish are finally using to spawn (A. eremnopyge). These look pretty natural to me. I've also had Apisto's lay eggs in a crevice of driftwood, out in the open on driftwood, etc. Just drop wood in there and they'll find a place - don't manufacture a spawning spot and you'll avoid having a "manufactured-looking" spawning spot!

 

[Bart Hazes]

I quite often have them dig holes under pieces of driftwood.

 

[Jeffb]

Thanks for the great answers!