Stephen's 550L tank log:

[Andys temperate tank]

Looking fantastic as always Stephen mate.

[Martinspuddle]

Looking great @Stephen

Just noticed your circulation pumps, I've just purchased a Eheim streamON+ 3500.

[Drifty]

Looks great @Stephen very clean how long your maintenance take on this tank?

[F3l1ss]

Filling out nicely and looking so clean and green!

[Stephen]

Looking great @Stephen

Just noticed your circulation pumps, I've just purchased a Eheim streamON+ 3500.

Thanks Martin

There is a circulation pump on the left and another on the right.

[Stephen]

Looks great @Stephen very clean how long your maintenance take on this tank?

Thanks Dave

I done a clean yesterday which took about 2 hours or so, but I do have a bad back and was still sore yesterday (before the clean).
I generally have a clean up probably about every 3 to 4 weeks, I do have 2 wood-eating plecos which are real poop machines.
Normally it is all done in around an hour including water change.
Before I had the plecos then the time between clean ups was much longer.

[Stephen]

Filling out nicely and looking so clean and green!

Thanks Louisa, I did a big water change and clean up yesterday (Friday). I'm quite pleased with myself.
The aquarium has certainly filled out with the plants. These are the same plants as in the November image.
A few months of growth does make a big difference.

[Stephen]

News! News! News!

I spotted some depressions in the sand and some mounts in the sand (not low or high but noticeable).
My instinctive thought was that the Cupid cichlids were to blame as depressions in the sand is a early sign of spawning activity as observed previously with my previous Cupid cichlids.
That thought lasted probably less than 10 seconds as my current Cupids are too young and won't be in the spawning mood until they are around 2 years old, I only bought them last November as juveniles (less than 3 inches in size), they have some more growing and filling out to do before becoming full size and sexually active.

So what was causing the depressions and mounds in the sand?
It's George, remember him?
George is one of two Flash plecos (Panaqolus albivermis, L204) and the biggest of the two.
He looks like a definite male (hence the name George) and recently has been investigating the clay pleco cave on the right of the 550L aquarium.
Yesterday/today he has not only been investigating the clay cave but also doing a big of cleaning and preparing.
I observed him head-first just inside the cave entrance then gently swishing his tail to level the sand outside the cave, this has created the depression and mounds.
George is certainly fully grown or very close to being fully grown and has all the male markings.

Maybe, if Mildred is female, then we may have some spawning activity in the near future. Who knows?

[BigBen]

Do you put cold water back into the tank when you are finishing your water change? Might aid in triggering them. Fingers crossed, breeding behaviour is the most exciting part of fish keeping to me and I've never really seen it in plecos (except a day when I noticed hundreds of baby Bristlenoses - didn't see how it happened). I'd like a go with some Hypancistrus of some sort but I don't have the tank space.

[Stephen]

Do you put cold water back into the tank when you are finishing your water change? Might aid in triggering them. Fingers crossed, breeding behaviour is the most exciting part of fish keeping to me and I've never really seen it in plecos (except a day when I noticed hundreds of baby Bristlenoses - didn't see how it happened). I'd like a go with some Hypancistrus of some sort but I don't have the tank space.

My new water can be a degree or two lower than the aquarium water during water changes but I aim to keep the temperature roughly the same.
The Flash plecos (Panaqolus albivermis, L204) natural habitat water can be pH6.8-pH8.4 and the water hardness of around 5dGH (degrees German) but can be slightly softer or harder depending on the season.
My aquarium water ranges from pH6.8-pH7.2 and the water hardness is steady at around 4.6dGH (German), ideal for the Flash plecos (Panaqolus albivermis, L204).
I have not read that lowering the water temperature stimulates spawning with these Flash pleco unlike with Corydoras.
I have read that males will prepare a favourite cave type structure and wait for a female to visit. This is what I assume the male is doing.

If the two Flash plecos do mate then he will guard any eggs and young and release/eject the female from the cave or cave type structure.
The male takes sole responsibility of looking after the eggs and fry.
The eggs take around 7 days to hatch and will quickly develop and the young fish's egg-sack will be used up in about 11/12 days from hatching at which time the fry will have developed some colouring/markings.
Clean and well oxygenated water is very important when bringing up Flash pleco fry.

Update:
I have just taken a look at the aquarium using a torch and the female is on the glass (if it's a female) and the male in well inside the cave.
Inside the clay cave is absolutely spotless and around the entrance is clear of debris/dirt/poop, another quick look and no eggs (yet).