cave size....

[Neil Groves]

I have just set up a couple of caves in preparation for my new apisto arrivals, I have a couple of general questions:

I bought a flower pot and have drilled out a 1.5" hole in the side and placed it upside down on the gravel at one end of my 55g long, my question is this hole too big, too small or about right, I am hoping they will use this flowerpot (cave) to spawn inside thus preventing predation by other fish...

My other question is what tankmates are suitable for these fish?.....I would like some cory's to maintain the substrate and a couple of clown loaches to deal with the snails which arrived on plants that I placed in the aquarium without washing.....duh!

could anyone advise please and if these fish are unsuitable, what can I use instead?

thanks

Neil.

 

[Mike Wise]

Ideally the hole should only be large enough for the female to enter. In this case, yours are at least 2X too large (ideally). I don't recommend other bottom-dwelling fish in the apisto breeding tank - and certainly not Botia species that can do damage with their eye spines! Do a search on cories and apistos together. It's been discussed here many, many times.

 

[Neil Groves]

Thanks Mike.....i'll go buy another flower pot and drill a 1" hole?

I looked at that hole after I drilled it and thought it looked a little on the large size lol

so your recommendation is 3/4" or 1" ?

Neil.

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,

Thanks Mike.....i'll go buy another flower pot and drill a 1" hole?
I looked at that hole after I drilled it and thought it looked a little on the large size lol so your recommendation is 3/4" or 1" ?

I wouldn't drill a hole, I just cut a notch out of the pot rim.

I cut a V notch with a fine toothed saw, and then I use a circular file to smooth it into a semi-circle. I do the same with 1/2 coconuts.

I usually use a "knife steel" as my circular file, so the notch is 1/2 inch at most.

cheers Darrel

 

[Neil Groves]

that certainly seems easier than trying to drill a hole halfway up, ok so that's what I will do, I would think if any eggs are layed, the female wouldn't allow any other fish near the entrance so I substrate level entrance of say 1/2" - 3/4" would be fine.

thanks Darrel

Neil.