Question on Breeding Caves

[MHEAD]

I bought some regular size breeding eggs from cichlidbreeding.com for my cacatuoides and aggies but the caves seem quite small to me. Has anyone used this size or is the jumbo sized eggs more suitable?

 

[ed seeley]

I've never used them but looked on their site and thought they were perfect for apisto females. Mine seem to prefer the small flowerpots with tiny entrance holes and these seem to be a perfect solution rather than messing with cutting and drilling (and breaking more than half) pots!

The only problem is I don't think shipping them to the UK would be a good idea with ceramics!!!!!

I'd be interested to hear what users have to say about them too.

 

[five]

But if we were to insist making our own cave, how big a hole will it be best for the female? Will a 1cm diameter hole be great for them?

 

[MHEAD]

The breeding eggs have 1/2 inch holes. I also have been using small flower pots and made an opening in the rim (with much difficulty, until I learned from this forum that one secret is to soak the pot before trying to cut it) but the opening was about 1 inch wide and 3/4 inch tall. It seems this was too large as one female cacatuoides has piled up sand around the opening so that now it is much smaller--quite interesting to see.

 

[beleg]

Last week I cut a coconut along its lines in to 2 parts. The lines can easily be deepened by small saw and the forming pair is almost 2 perfect halves. Then i enlarge the round holes already on the shell using a drill only 1.5 cm wide.. The females loves this and the male cant enter.

They bred in one half this Sunday, however while they were breeding there was a power failure so i couldn't watch if the male could do his job. In her previous attempts she never left her cave, now she often comes out to check surroundings/eat and then goes back in. Perhaps she feels more secure now..