Cave too small?

[Dieprophezeiung]

I just put what looks like a giant snail shell into my tank with my plecos and mystery snails for the snails to nom on. looks like maybe a crab shell. I have one ~3.5" male bn pleco and two ~3" females. The male hangs out in the shell all the time, and at the deepest he can get into it, his tail is still barely pokes out. When he tries getting into the shell deeper, he actually spins the whole shell around!

Question is, Ive seen him letting one of the females into the shell. Its just barely big enough for him alone. If they try to mate in there, could they get stuck or hurt?

 

[TwoTankAmin]

Get them a proper sized cave if you want to try for fry. If they can not both fit in a space at the same time, they can not spawn successfully. Plecos do prefer tight spaces but they can't defy the laws of physics.

 

[Dieprophezeiung]

dont want fry. just dont want them to get hurt.

 

[vanillarum]

Yep, like TTA said, if you want fry, try a bigger cave. If you don't want fry, you had better put 1 of the 2 into another tank - BNs are like aquatic rabbits ! Good luck.

 

[nonamesleft47]

I've had them dig under the gravel 2" and spawn under a plexi base to driftwood. They will find a way... I'd get a decent sized cave for the male or move him to another tank. If he was letting a female into the shell you probably already have eggs. He may eventually get stuck and die in the shell.

 

[pinkertd]

There's definitely a chance that they'll get stuck, one or both of them. I had a female longfin get stuck in a bristlenose cave. The only way to get her out was take the cave out and break it. She was injured from being stuck and trying to get out, but recovered nicely.

 

[Dieprophezeiung]

Well apparently its not small enough for them to get stuck, or not to breed in. the shell is now shared by the male with about a dozen (from what i can tell) baby bn plecos..

 

[clayt101]

I don't think they will get stuck, but if the cave is to small, their fins could get damaged.