Set up of the Pseudacanthicus leopardus:
Aquarium:
Dimensions:
Water parameters (regular):
Conductivity: 450 - 500 mS, temperature: 29 °C, pH: 6.8 - 7, water change: 50 % weekly
Technology:
Filter: air lifter 20 mm with sponge; HMF
Water movement: streaming pump (Tunze 6025), air stone
Lighting: 2x LED spots 7 watt
Heating: immersion heater (Eheim Jäger)
Decoration:
Substrate: quartz sand / quartz gravel
Hiding places: 2 ceramic caves round, slate slabs, rounded pebbles
Animals:
1.1. Pseudacanthicus leopardus, 32 - 35 cm length
Breeding experience:
In captivity this species hasn't been bred very often, but it is possible.
The most important thing is to have a harmonious pair. The size of the male and female can vary considerably. In order to get this species to breed, it is important to feed them protein-rich food, so that the male and female are well fat. In the aquarium, there should be several breeding caves of different sizes to choose from. Our experience shows that P. leopardus prefers fairly small caves, in relation to its body size. In most cases, the male and female do not even fit in the breeding cave at the same time.
Once the aquarium is set up for breeding and the pair is fed well, we have kept the water quite warm for a while, around 30 °C. After a warm water phase, it helps to turn off the heating completely for a few days and do a water change with colder and softer water. The temperature can drop to around 20 - 22 °C. Always observe whether the animals do well in the cold temperatures.
The male will start chasing the female to push her into the breeding cave he has chosen. Tunneling can take several days. During this phase it is important not to irritate or stress the pair by doing anything in the aquarium, changing the water, feeding or anything like that. It is best to leave the pair completely alone until you see the female come out of the breeding cave.
After some days it can be, that the female spawned and the male takes care of the egg clutch in the breeding cave. The clutches are relatively large and can count 200 - 500 eggs. The temperature should be raised up again, so that the larvae can develop well in the eggs. After 6 - 7 days the larvae hatch. It is best to separate the fry after hatching into several large breeding boxes or floating rings.
It is really important not to wait to long to separate the fry into groups of 10 - 20 pieces per breeding box. This means a lot of space for raising but this way it can also be decided how much youngsters should be raised. The separations of the youngsters is important, because the fry will deform and develop bad if not. If bad water quality or bite-attacks of the siblings cause these deformities is not known by us, but can be mostly avoided when separating them in smaller groups. Clean water by a lot of water changes are really important now, but only start this after the yolk sac is used up. This usually takes about a week.
The babies can be fed with protein rich food. It does not matter if it is frozen or processed food. Mussels should be avoided in the first months. Snail soft granulate and Krill soft granulate work well as food, also with preparing the breeding pair for spawning.
The fry grow quite slowly and need perfect care to develop in a good way. After a year they should be big enough to give away or to place in larger aquariums. As long as they are small, they should only be kept in smaller grow out tanks to control the food intake, among other things.
