# Pygocentrus cariba, Nest building



## «PïRåñHªß¥të» (May 5, 2003)

there was something i wanted to bring up on hastatus topic about Pygocentrus cariba, Nest building,

i have noticed this too but i do not think this is breeding behaviour, i still use a line and a bucket to clean my tanks, and when i fill my tank up with a bucket of water the force of the water going into the tank displaces some of the gravel and leaves an indentaion. i have noticed my reds if they are near the indentaion they will display the same actions that hastatus discribed in his topic, i have seen this type of behaviour many times and i dont think its something to get spun up about.
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i would sugest to hastatus to mybe fill his tanks with more gravel if he is trying to breed his caribas cuz if in fact that they are nest builders, i bet they dont expect on hitting on glass.

i would to know if the samething happens to other members? if u can and have the time make a hole in your gravel till you see the glass and so that it is wide enough for your fish/piranah. see what happens?


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## khuzhong (Apr 11, 2003)

um. i think frank knows what he is doing... if he says the caribe is blowing nests.. then it is.... i'll take his word for that...


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## HOLLYWOOD (Feb 6, 2003)

I have seen caribe display the vertical digging action but only to clear the gravel and expose hidden snails or other food particulate.

However what Frank has described seems to be more than just going through the motion. I believe he mentioned the caribe abandoning the site then returning to display the same blowing behaviour. This is almost similar to the way reds breed when preparing a spawning site. Your always welcome to your own interpretation but I beleive that what Frank has described and documented is that of a caribe displaying breeding behaviour (darkening, blowing, guarding nesting site).

As far as substrate is concerned it is not necessary to have so much gravel. Whats required is a clean nesting site.


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## hastatus (Jan 16, 2003)

> «PïRåñHªß¥të» Posted on Mar 1 2004, 05:02 AM
> there was something i wanted to bring up on hastatus topic about Pygocentrus cariba, Nest building,
> 
> _i have noticed this too but i do not think this is breeding behaviour, i still use a line and a bucket to clean my tanks, and when i fill my tank up with a bucket of water the force of the water going into the tank displaces some of the gravel and leaves an indentaion._
> ...


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## Husky_Jim (May 26, 2003)

khuzhong said:


> um. i think frank knows what he is doing...


 I second that!!!


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## serrasalmus_collector (Mar 9, 2003)

Frank is a very knowledgeable person when it comes to piranhas. I will not question his beliefs in what is going on. But I can yield personal information. I have personally never seen any of my breeding piranhas dig in the gravel. I choose a different approach. I utilize different materials. My fish always lay there eggs in the material. Once this material is discovered, it becomes my spawning material in the tank.

My cariba have formed a large bush from coconut fiber and turned charcoal grey to black. Just as there is more than one way to dibble a basketball, there is more than one way to achieve a successful spawning of a particular species of piranha in the home aquarium. This coconut fiber started out 1/8 inch. Now it is a 7 inch bush, 5 of my cariba stay there.

I chose to manipulate water parameters. That is my thing. But those that saw my cariba when my dry season was over freaked out. They huddled so close together you couldn't separate them with a stick. If you continued to try separation, they lunged 3 feet in the air to attack. Next I feed them live baby chicks. It was the most violent kill I have ever seen. Every hobbyist has there thing that brings them into the hobby. Mine is trying to duplicate the wild in a captive environment.

I sincerely hope Frank gets 1 or more females, and has a successful spawn. I hope I have one too. Perhaps then we may compare notes, and find out what really triggers this fish to breed in captivity. To me that would be the ultimate. "2 different strategies @ breeding a particular species become successful"


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## «PïRåñHªß¥të» (May 5, 2003)

«PïRåñHªß¥të» said:


> i would to know if the samething happens to other members? if u can and have the time make a hole in your gravel till you see the glass and so that it is wide enough for your fish/piranah. see what happens?


 has anyone tryed this yet??? i would like to know everyones results


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## hastatus (Jan 16, 2003)

> «PïRåñHªß¥të» Posted on Mar 1 2004, 04:30 PM
> QUOTE («PïRåñHªß¥të» @ Mar 1 2004, 12:02 AM)
> i would to know if the samething happens to other members? if u can and have the time make a hole in your gravel till you see the glass and so that it is wide enough for your fish/piranah. see what happens?
> 
> has anyone tryed this yet??? i would like to know everyones results


I did that type of "experiment" when I was a kid. 2 results on separate occasions: 1) flight 2) and wanting to dig more to get to me.


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