Pregnant File Fish????

[Creekview]

It's been a while since I've posted, as it's been a busy year. My system has been described in previous posts. It's an approximately 90 gallon dirty water system, using only an algae scrubber for filtration. it's been up for almost 2 years now, and the system is what I would call fully mature. About a year ago I introduced a pair of file fish, one about the size of a half dollar, the other a quarter. They paired up almost immediately, and spend most of their time together. This morning during water top-off I noticed one of them looks like they've swallowed a marble. Looks like a nest is being built on the substrate in one of the grottos in the rock work. I'll try and get some photos, but this fish is absolutely pregnant. Anyone ever seen this?

 

[Oxylebius]

Pics and video would be great!

 

[Steve Lane]

Yes, pics would be nice..........Congratulations dad-to-be!

 

[Blue Space]

awesome. I live for times like this...

 

[Creekview]

Here are a few crappy iPhone photos

You can really see how fat she is here!!

 

[Creekview]

Just a couple of other updates......I haven't used RODI for top off in a year, I just use good old Louisville tap water for top off. There hasn't been a water change in over a year, of any kind. I have massive populations of all kinds of 'pods, as well as a huge colony of mysid shrimp in the scrubber/'fuge. I feed several kinds of flake as well as frozen cubes. I've turned off all of the Jebao pumps save for the WP-10 in the lower tank. It can best be described as low flow. I don't do much but top off and feed. I've let the tank go natural, and I'm hoping a breeding pair of file fish will validate my theory that you don't have to spend a fortune to have an all-natural environment.

 

[SubRosa]

She's probably holding eggs in preparation for spawning, but pregnancy requires fertilization.

 

[Creekview]

OK, so she's "with eggs"......still have never seen this. The male, and he's obviously male, has staked out the nesting area, and they swim together and "dance" together, so I'm hoping she'll lay the eggs and he'll figure out the rest. She's so big, it's gotta be any day now.