Are they really that clever??

[neilm]

I have a pair of L. caudopunctatus in a 2x2x1.  Their living quarters consist of an 'upside down' clay pot and a medium sized shell.  Over the last week, the caudos have been very defensive of the clay pot and paid little or no attention to the shell (when I was watching anyway).  They have done a heap of excavation work around the pot and built sand up around the outside of it almost to the top.  I arrived home from work yesterday to find a shell full of fry!

 :?: My question is - Was the activity around the pot a ploy to keep me from nosing around the shell or is it possible that the female has spawned in both the shell and the pot?

Just trying to understand how these little guys think.  IMO these are a fantastic fish with a personality equal to any other fish I have kept (including tropheus).  Watching the female scoop up wayward fry and return them to safety is fantastic to watch.

cheers
Neil

Hi Neil

Congrats on the spawn, mate. I suspect the eggs were laid in the pot and the fry moved to the shell after they became free swimming.

Cheers, Doug

[raycam01_au]

No they are that clever, my pairs living arrangements consist of 3 large terracotta snail shells, witha large piece of rockwork over the top of them, they are all half buried under the coral sand, juss enuff for the guys to get in and out of. They move the fry between the 3 shells and deep under one corner of the rock work, as there a few other predators in the tank, if you dim the lights and dont disturb them they will carry out the transfer its gr8 to watch.
Ray

[neilm]

Thanks Doug and Ray,
I had to move the parents out of the tank.  Although the female was still being extremely motherly by moving the fry back to shell if they strayed too far, the male was taking jabs at the fry.  I didn't want to remove just the male as I thought it might break the bond that the pair may have built up and so put the both of them into another tank.  Have I done the right thing?
Cheers
Neil

[raycam01_au]

are they young fish? I juss leave mine with a couple of fry, i suck out most of the little fella's and leave a couple with the parents, i have comps in with them so they guard the littlies well, have neva had to take the out so unsure.
Ray

[neilm]

Not sure how old they are ray.  I picked them up 2 super auctions ago and they've bred twice since.  Didn't think to take the fry out simply because it was easier to catch the parents - do the fry usually survive siphoning.  I lept an eye on the parents over the weekend and they still seem to like each others company.  They're in a community tank with some comps, occies, julies and featherfins but i'll move them back to their own tank in a couple of days.  The fry seem to be doing well - impossible to count but i would estimate 50!  First spawn only produced 11 but I think that was because i left the parents in with them too long.