RE: Water flow & spawning

[Tom Mroz <tmroz@art-inc.com>]

My guess is that it was the water change and perhaps the oxygenation 
brought on by the filter flow rather than the flow itself.  I don't 
generally think of Apistos as living in flowing water to any degree, and in 
fact concern myself with this when I blast them with my 250.  They don't 
appear to particularly enjoy this level of flow.  I can't say that I have 
ever seen spawning as a function of flow, but certainly have seen it 
related to water changes, use of live food, barometric change, and my work 
schedule (I ALWAYS get good spawns from at least 4-5 species about 4 days 
before a several-day business trip, which typically results in a lost spawn 
'cause I am not there to feed them!).

I DO have evidence of flow triggering cory catfish.  My Cory napoensis, if 
in spawning condition, do not respond well to the cool water change method 
ascribed for corys, but can be turned on like a switch with a Magnum 250. 
 They will lay 500-1000 eggs in a day, starting an hour or two after the 
filter has been hooked up almost every time!

Regarding T. candidi - does anybody out there have pairs for sale right 
now?  I have been looking for these for awhile.  I came up with a sure fire 
breeding method for them, but had some unfortunate losses due to aggression 
before I got them really cranking.  The fry, unfortunately, succomed to the 
"business travel" problem described above.

Tom

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From: 	Pete Johnson[SMTP:petej@wordsanddeeds.com]
Sent: 	Monday, May 12, 1997 12:00 PM
To: 	apisto
Subject: 	Water flow & spawning

This weekend a pair of Taenacara candidi spawned in one of my tanks.
These fish have lived in this 15-gallon tank for more than 6 months with
no spawning activity. Last week I attacked the grunge in the tank with a
Marineland HOT filter, which claims 250 gph circulation. This ran on the
tank for a few hours. I also did two water changes in a two-day period.
Normal filtration is from a pair of corner sponge filters.

Something stimulated the spawning. Water changes are an obvious
possibility, though I regularly change their water. I wonder if they
responded to the increased water flow in the tank?

Most of my tanks are equipped with sponge filters, which create
negligible current. Have others noticed that some species of fish respond
to increased water movement in their tanks?


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Pete Johnson  /  San Jose, CA  /  petej@wordsanddeeds.com
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