Bristlenose and the WAZ-stump

[Ducksta]

OK guys I know a few of you are familiar with what I will call "WAZ-stups", for those who are not, they are artificial mangrove roots that WAZ was able to source cheaply so I bought some.

Anyway, today I noticed a female BN about 8cm on the outside of my stump. The tank this was in I put 3 small female bristlies in to grow out, before I put them in, I was pretty certain there were no fish in the tank.

SO I decided the females were a good size to rotate into a breeding group now. And I stripped the tank and caught out 3 7-8cm girls with no dramas. Put the stump back in and realised where it had been sitting (in a tub) was now full of bristlenose fry About 30 at 1.5-2cm and about 100 with eggsac's attatched but a good free swimming size.

The plan was that those girls would not be introduced to the wonders of sex until they had grown out enough to meet the big bruising breeding boys in my other tanks.

So anyway, I assume now I have a rogue male in my stump, who seems to be a good dad, since he had plenty of fry at varied sizes in his abode.

I really don't want to leave him in there though.

Any tricks to tempt him out of his happy little home and into the open so I can catch him, or into a new cave??

I don't mind leaving the bub's where they are for the time being but I would like the male to go into my breeding stock tank I suppose Plus I have other future plans for the stump which would mean it being dried out, so I'd rather there wasn't a fish in there

[FrontyKing]

Hi Ducksta,

I don't know what these stumps that you're referring to look like but what I normally do when my peps are stuck in bristlenose logs and won't come out, I place the log into a bucket filled with the same tank water, and usually within 5-10 minutes, presto, they're out.

HTH

Nick.

[Ducksta]

Should have mentioned it isn't a simple one entry cave.

It is a replica of a root system

Here is a rough pic I just took, my hand should help indicate size and design, but remember my hand is 6" closer to the camera than the stump

Two roots have the base open, the rest is closed except for some breathing holes in the top. I am actually planning on attacking the closed roots with a drill as sometimes water stagnates in there and when I move it it gets stinky.

[Alan]

Hey Duck !!

You wouldn't be the first breeder who has been caught out by a male B/N who has found an "Impossable" spot to successfully bred.

Persueding him out is another matter. Carefully inspect the stucture and find where he is hiding ( may still be fry in there with him). Then place the "root" hide hole down over a bucket or tub with a few inches of water in the bottom. When the root dries out the B/N will back out and drop into the water,,,,,no prpblems.

I have often been embarrased by a B/N on the fish room floor a day after I have taken a log out of a tank. They seem to survive the ordeal without much problem.

Alan.

[Dark Morelia]

Is that what a WAZ stump is ?

I've got one of those, though not through WAZ.

[Ducksta]

Hi Alan, ordinarily that would be my plan - but determining exactly where he is in there The structure is entirely hollow

I need to somehow trick him out!!

I have removed the girls, so is there a chance he will go out on the town for a look when he is looking for love again?

I have been trying to 'bait' him out since I posted this, but he hasn't shown himself (since the fry I found in the log had eggsac's that is not surprising)

These ruddy catfish - give me my cichlids any day