JBL spawning cave in fired clay, 12.5 cm

Regular price $17.00
Regular price Sale price $17.00

This fired clay cave, 12.5 cm high, suits species that lay their eggs on the ceiling of a cavity and guard them.

Outside the breeding season, the cave remains the pair's refuge.

Ref. J6150100·Breeding equipment
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The summary

Fired clay cavity where cave-dwelling species lay and guard their eggs

The JBL fired clay spawning cave, 12.5 cm high and 11.5 cm in diameter, offers species that spawn in enclosed cavities a single-entrance site, where the male guards the eggs stuck to the ceiling. It is particularly suitable for Ancistrus and Pelvicachromis pulcher, and its fired clay is neutral for the water.

Several freshwater species prefer to spawn in an enclosed cavity with a single entrance, where the male guards the threshold while the eggs stay stuck to the ceiling. This terracotta cave, 12.5 cm high and 11.5 cm in diameter, reproduces this shape, and it remains a refuge for the fish that occupies it outside the spawning periods.

🕳️ A cavity with a single entrance

The inlet

The male occupies this single passage and blocks the other fish from entering it.

The lid

The eggs stick to the underside of the arch, out of reach of fish that dig through the substrate.

Darkness

The inside stays in the dim light sought by species that spawn under cover.

These three elements go together: with two entrances, the male can no longer defend the cavity, and light passes through it. Place the cave directly on the substrate, with the entrance facing the front glass, in a shaded area and out of the direct flow of the filter. This way you will see the pair's comings and goings without having to disturb them, and you will not move it again once a fish has adopted it.

🐟 The species that use it

Two groups of fish commonly breed in it. Bristlenose catfish of the genus Ancistrus lay their eggs on the roof of the cavity, then the male stays at the entrance and fans the eggs with his fins until they hatch. Pelvicachromis pulcher, a small West African cichlid, also lays its eggs there, and the pair then guard their fry around the cave. If you keep one of these species, this cave gives an established pair the enclosed spawning site it is looking for.

Sheltering the fry and monitoring the water after spawning

Growing fry need two things: somewhere safe to shelter them, such as the floating breeding trap, and food that suits their size. Water monitoring also needs to be tighter, since the load on the tank increases, and an essential test pack covers ammonium, nitrite, pH and KH from the same water sample.

Outside the breeding season, the cave remains the refuge of the fish that has claimed it, and you will often find it inside during the day, particularly if it is an Ancistrus, which is more active at night. In a community tank, a well-defined shelter also limits chasing, since its occupant defends the entrance of a cavity rather than an open area of the décor, and the other fish keep the rest of the tank to move around in.

🧱 A fired clay piece

Fired clay is a porous ceramic: it does not dissolve and changes neither the pH nor the hardness, which makes it suitable for the soft, slightly acidic waters that most cave-dwelling species prefer, waters that catappa leaves help to achieve. Its rough surface becomes covered within a few weeks with a biofilm that Ancistrus scrape off with their sucker mouths. It remains brittle under impact: if you take it out, handle it gently during cleaning, and place it on the sand rather than on a hard stone.

Technical specifications

The essentials

Height
12.5 cm
Diameter
11.5 cm

Material and use

Material
Neutral fired clayIt releases nothing into the water and does not break down.
Location
Quiet, shaded areaInlet facing the front, so you can see what happens there.

In the box

  • 1 fired clay spawning cave

Height, diameter, material and species mentioned taken on 20/09/2026 from the JBL manufacturer's description, reference 6150100.

Manufacturer and product safety

Manufacturer
JBL GmbH & Co. KG
Postal address
Dieselstraße 3, 67141 Neuhofen, Allemagne
Website
www.jbl.de

Information provided under Regulation (EU) 2023/988 on general product safety.

Estimate your
delivery time

This cave is made of terracotta and travels wedged securely in its parcel. It can be combined with the rest of your order, and the cost is calculated at checkout according to your destination.

Frequently asked questions

6 questions

6 key questions

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