Re: beauty contest?

[Randy or Deb Carey <carey@spacestar.net>]

Steven Hutchins wrote:

> Side question, does anybody out there have any experience
> spawning maculatus?  I know there was debate for a while on whether they
> were cave or open spawners and I have this area in my tank that looks like
> something is making a pit in the gravel beneath an overhanging rock.  Any
> ideas?  Just wondering.
>
> STeve

D. maculatus spawns on rocks, broad leafs, etc.  I've seen five or six spawns, but
the females always eat the eggs.  I can tell a female has eggs because her
ventrals get a bright yellow-orange.

I think I'm going to finally get a batch.  Yesterday a new female spawned on the
submersible heater in a community tank.  I unpluged that heater and added
another.  The spawn occurred in a 40 gallon community tank (with very soft water,
lots of Java Fern, no extracts, and a pH at 4.4!).  My importer shipped the last
batch to me in a pH in the 5's.  Unlike the others before, this female (with help
from the male) are diligently guarding the eggs.  If she's eaten any, I can't
tell.  I'm pulling the eggs tomorrow since I don't want to lose any in the gravel.

- --Randy