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I need an algae eater for a 15g. Either a small Plec or Ottos I imagine. Just want to know a bit more about both, exotic Plecs as well will do. Just small Plecs that eat algae.

But they need a stronger current and it is need to have a cave which fits them perfectly or the male will not feel as safe and may not keep the eggs (or so planet catfish say)

Firstly: When breeding loricariids, eggs should not be kept with the male on the first spawn, as it is not unlikely for the father to feast on the newborn young. Be cautious. Secondly, they usually need current for spawning, however, the fish themselves will not live in the caves directly facing the current and will rarely come out. Caves should NOT be a perfect fit, as if the entrance is too small, the female will not enter the cave and spawning will therefore not ensue.

From a breeding lecture off Planet Catfish:

The majority of the species will need a properly sized cave made for them. There are 2 different formulas which apply here. The first, and one I've used most is a cave which is the same height as the males body, with only a slight amount of room for the dorsal fin. The length is 1 and 1/2 times the SL of the male and the width is the size of the males body plus 1/2 to 1 full pectoral fin. This makes for a very tight fitting cave and is normally used when the species being worked with has an excessive deterrence to light or is likely to dislodge the spawn before it hatches. The other formula is similar, but gives room for the male to extend the dorsal approximately half way. This is useful for Peckoltia and dwarf Panaque species. Because of their stocky build, they seem to be more comfortable in this type of cave and do not like to use the first version.

If that's specifically referring to queens, then I don't know, I suspect you should t ake the man's advice as he's bred the species many a time. However, my zebras, queens, and king tigs never touched the similarly sized pvc pipes given to them, even the king tiger spawning pair.

Last edited by Cup_of_Lifenoodles at 17-Dec-2004 09:50

Ok, well I am going to add another cave and a cave to fit the fish itself and then see which one it chooses first and see which one it breeds in etc.