Tateurndina Ocellicauda

[Essjay]

Four days ago, I bought two pairs of these fish, the larger pair from one shop, the smaller from another which had just got them in. They are currently in a 25 litre quarantine tank, which contains a silk plant, a couple of wide plastic tubes and a small terracotta flowerpot, about one and a half inches tall and one inch across the open end.

When I came to feed them this morning, I could only find the smaller pair. Then I spotted that the flowerpot, which was lying on its side right at the back with the base facing me, had a tail sticking through the hole. I dropped some bloodworm right above the flowerpot and two fish came out to feed. As soon as all the food had gone, they went back inside.

So I had a look with a mirror. They are both just lying there, sometimes side by side, sometimes head to tail. Occasionally, they sort of vibrate against each other. The male comes out every so often and flares at the mirror like a male betta! The other pair are behaving like they've always done, swimming round looking for food mainly.

So my question is, what are they doing? Is this a bad sign - that they've not tolerated the move into a new environment? Surely they can't be about to spawn in such a small tank, so soon after the trauma of being bought?

Any advice gratefully received!

 

[nmonks]

Likely pre-spawning behaviour. Do remember that male Eleotridae rear the eggs alone, and the female will be driven off once that happens. Sometimes violently!

Cheers, Neale

 

[Essjay]

Thanks for that. I have read up on the spawning behaviour - that's why there's a small flowerpot in the tank. I like to give them surroundings that fit their needs even if they never use them. I didn't think any fish would spawn in something so unsuitable as a small quarantine tank so soon after they'd been bought.

Obviously they've done nothing yet, just pre-spawning gestures. What do I do in the unlikely event that they actually do decide to spawn? It's such a small tank, and until they're out of quarantine, there's nowhere to move the other three fish.

 

[mikev]

Why is spawning an unlikely event? If your qtank is an improvement over the store tank, it is a trigger.... Better food is a trigger.... Giving them a spawning cave is a trigger...

You may want to invest in a grow-up tank and baby food......

These things grow very slowly, btw, but the babies are cute:

 

[Essjay]

I was just surprised that a fish could settle so quickly to a new envionment! I don't think they're likely to do anything soon though, they've both left the plantpot, although the male inspects it every now and then. My main concern was that either there was something wrong with them, or if they were about to spawn, there is nowhere for the other fish to get away from the male.
Once they're out of quarantine and in their proper tank, it'll be a different matter, as it's a much larger tank. Now if only I can persuade my husband that the q-tank would make a good tank for any fry.....

 

[Essjay]

Well, they've spawned! They're now in the 60 litre tank with 3 celestial pearl danios, 2 Boraras brigittae (all that's left of larger shoals), a female betta, several shrimps and nerite snails, so I don't hold out much hope for the eggs.

I got some slate caves and late this afternoon a pair were in one (had been since yesterday), but an hour ago only the male was there, guarding the entrance. So I had a careful look and the roof was covered with eggs. I checked the female and she looks fine, wandering round the plants looking for something to eat. I wonder how long it will take the other occupants to find the eggs?