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Eretmodus spawning or not?

zendog

Active Member
I'm wondering if folks here have experience with getting Eretmodus to spawn and might give me some insight.

Here is a video of what I often see in the tank:
https://youtu.be/WRVJ9fm0GfY

I've had this pair of wild caught Eretmodus in a 40 breeder with 7 juvie black Calvus and 3 young Xenotilapia Bathyphilus Kekese for about 2 months. Yes, it is pretty crowded and I will definitely drop this down to 1 pair of Calvus later on and maybe give the Xenos their own tank because I doubt they'll ever spawn with all the activity.

The Eretmodus pair formed after about a week in my tank and they've done a lot of beating on each other between bouts of seeming like they are going to spawn. Usually the female is chasing the male around during these times and he does the wiggle wiggle a bit then moves off. She has done some passes over rock faces, but I've never seen any eggs.

Of course I'm not there all the time, so they may have spawned and the Calvus snapped up the eggs before she could get them in her mouth. One time when they had been showing signs of spawning and I had to leave I came back and the dominant male Calvus looked suspiciously rotund.

So is the male maybe not fully interested, are they not ready to spawn or are the Calvus swooping in and I'm just not around to see it? I'm thinking of putting the pair together in a 20L for a while, but worried they'll beat up on each other too much without any other distractions.
 

CSnyder00

Bearded Wonder
I think so. I've never kept them, but it sure looks good to me. I would move the other fish instead of moving these guys. Maybe the Calvus if you can, just to see what happens. I would do a larger water change and feed fresh or frozen food, not pellet/flake for a few days. You might get a spawn.

Also, if you plan on trying the 20L, thats okay. Just give them plenty of spots/rocks to spawn and then keep a close watch. If the aggression gets too bad, move them back. No harm in trying. I would still feed fresh/frozen and do a water change before the move or after they are by themselves. It just tends to get them in the mood by simulating rainy season.
 

Tangcollector

Active Member
Staff member
I think so. I've never kept them, but it sure looks good to me. I would move the other fish instead of moving these guys. Maybe the Calvus if you can, just to see what happens. I would do a larger water change and feed fresh or frozen food, not pellet/flake for a few days. You might get a spawn.

Also, if you plan on trying the 20L, thats okay. Just give them plenty of spots/rocks to spawn and then keep a close watch. If the aggression gets too bad, move them back. No harm in trying. I would still feed fresh/frozen and do a water change before the move or after they are by themselves. It just tends to get them in the mood by simulating rainy season.

Be careful with the fresh or frozen on those guys. They are grazers and can have trouble processing. I have had good luck with good green flake and grazers and a little frozen mysis. I have read to avoid brine shrimp on those guys. I don't know why but I have never tried it and never had an issue. I never fed them the fresh or frozen stuff more than one day at a time. Keep them fat and happy on spirulina. You may also try the cobalt mysis spirulina flake. It has triggered spawns for me with featherfins and tropheus. both are big time herbivores and it also has probiotics in it. Good luck those guys tend to have a pretty cool personality. They can also get kind of nasty.
 

zendog

Active Member
Thanks Greg and Cory,

I'm feeding mostly a veggie flake from YFS that everyone seems to like. I also give them frozen Mysis, earth worm flakes and sometimes chopped up earth worms. The Eretmodus seem to be doing fine with this, but I keep an eye on them. I've certainly mixed the dietary requirements in the tank which probably isn't great long term. I do blast a pretty bright LED in there to grow some algae for them.

I'll try and be patient and see what happens. When I looked in the tank this morning, one of the Xeno's looked like she might be holding and I couldn't see the female goby around so that made me a little hopeful that she might be holding and just hiding out. I'll take a closer look tonight when I get back and keep my fingers crossed.
 

Tangcollector

Active Member
Staff member
Just my opinion but I would stay away from the earthworms or beefheart. They may be fine now but when they get stressed is when the problems will start.
 

CSnyder00

Bearded Wonder
I apologize. I should have looked up their dietary needs first. My water change idea still stands, though. I have seen water changes bring spawns many times. Doesn't have to be a huge one, but one large enough for them to notice a slight change in water chemistry. I've also found some warm water species like my Ruby Green Haps or my Luwino Reef Zebra Chilumba will spawn when doing a cooler water change rather than the same temp. I drop the water I'm adding to about 20 degrees cooler than the tank and then fill it back up with that. It again simulates rainy season.
 
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