Dwarf Chain Loaches

Yasuhikotakia sidthimunki..... I have 4-5 of these fish in my 54g interspecific international community tank (much like our greater Seattle area..!) living peacefully with several other speicies of loaches, serpaes, apistos, pleco, dwarf neon rainbows, threadfin rainbows, dwarf pencils, threadfin rainbows , and SAEs.


This morning they were grouping together, much as loaches do, and then stretchng out in almost a single file line across the front of the tank and rubbing themselve against the substrate. It appeared that they were rubbing their bellies only. There are 2 thin, trim males(?) and 2 gravid-appearing rounded females (?). I don't notice any macroscopic growths on their outer bodies.


My cursory research on the net this morning refers pretty much to only one account of these breeding in a hobbyiest tank (his name is Duff) and he missed the actual spawning process, just noticing fry after the fact. What I've learned is that they usually breed in very large groups, 20-30 individuals or more, and that the commercial breeders use hormones to induce breeding. Nothing so far on spawning behavior.

Has anyone here attempted to breed this species with any success at all? And can you describe the spawning behavior?


Tanks,
Ron

ive read through that posting about duff, it seems to me the most important factor is the temp difference in water changes, and a robust diet. the only concerning thing is that artical doesnt say if he was able to repeat spawning event.