Please help Peppermint bristlenose breeding

Hi this is my first post on this site so hello to all!!!

I bought a breeding pair of peppermint bristlenose, they were breeding before i bought them. Now i'm trying to get them going again but am having no luck. They eat spectrum, blood worms (not very often), pumpkin and veggie flakes with spirulina. Water temp is 27 C and i'm doing 20% cold rain water changes.
I've cut a pot in half and created a breeding cave, so far male hasn't gone in but there is nothing else in the tank for them to hide in (just the cave).\
Can anyone give me some help???

hey matt
As far as i know the peppermints are quite nocturnal so maybe puting a blanket over the tank and droping the tempreture rapidly and returning it back to the norm may help....

okay thanks mate, i will do this and update how they go!!

mattmania wrote:

okay thanks mate, i will do this and update how they go!!

just wait untill your male gets himself in the cave then things should start to happen........

Hey Curby thanks for that mate. I've recently added a piece of drift wood as i've heard it helps with their digestion. It's not a home for them to hide in though. If they are left long enough will the male suddenly just go into the breeding cave? i've also put a towel over the tank so it's like night time all the time.

It might be that they need more time to adjust to the new home. I have had bns quit breeding for a couple of months when I moved them to a new tank.

Also make sure that your ph is the same as where they came from as that can make a difference in them not breeding right now.

mattmania wrote:

Hey Curby thanks for that mate. I've recently added a piece of drift wood as i've heard it helps with their digestion. It's not a home for them to hide in though. If they are left long enough will the male suddenly just go into the breeding cave? i've also put a towel over the tank so it's like night time all the time.

they sure will mate, the male will always establish his ground before anything else...just be carefull with putting the towel over mate...as they can get very used to it being there and when you take it off you will never see them as they are that used to it being dark, my advice would be wait untill your male has his cave in order then feed your female up well untill she gets nice and fat then start putting the towel over the tank around about 7pm untill about 10am the next day, this will give them interuppted time together with no lights disturbing them........hope this help's mate and good luck... :[IMG]http://i4

Okay guys THE MALE IS IN THE CAVE!!!!!
The female is clingin to the piece of drift wood in the tank but the male is in the cave with his tail hangin outside. All i can do now is just keep em well fed, don't move nothin around inside the tank and see what happens.

If there is anything else i should be doing INPUT, INPUT!!
(thankyou all for helping so far)

I wish you luck mattmania, it's all up to the females now and if you say they have spawned before it shouldn't be to far off. I've had mine for a few years now and sweet fa , hopefully the new male spurs things on.
J

Hi all, the pepps still ain't breeding. Male is hangin his tail out of the cave but the femail is keeping a distance from him (no interest) what i'm gonna do is stop trying so hard and just let them do their thing. I think i've been doing to many cold water changes and i've been freaking them out. I'll just keep feeding them well, keep the water quality the same and if the breeding happens it happens.

Also check out the pics i uploaded of my peppys. :face:

mattmania wrote:

Hi all, the pepps still ain't breeding. Male is hangin his tail out of the cave but the femail is keeping a distance from him (no interest) what i'm gonna do is stop trying so hard and just let them do their thing. I think i've been doing to many cold water changes and i've been freaking them out. I'll just keep feeding them well, keep the water quality the same and if the breeding happens it happens.

Also check out the pics i uploaded of my peppys. :face:

well matt ive had my L182 pair for nearley a year now and they have spawned only once and i saved only 4 fry??
It can take alot of time and patience and a hell of alot of frustration...
I just leave them to it now but i continue to fatten my fem's up and do water changes........good luck mate.....

Thanks curby, i'll be sur to do the same