Heat inducing melleri breeding?

[MSAquatics]

Hey guys, haven't posted much lately but still following daily. I was on vacation last week and due to my own error, my home thermostat didn't have a high temp limit set, and the inside of my house was 87 degrees for at least 3 days. My Cham room's temperature gauge showed the room hit 95 degrees at its hottest point, and I have to assume it also was that hot for at least 3 days. Well after my initial panic attack, thinking my melleri would have health problems from the high heat, I noticed the next day when the lights came on, the chams were in their mating coloration. They've kept the colors for a few days now, and the make follows the female everywhere.

Maybe a short exposure to higher temps can trigger them to mate?

I'll post pics from my computer shortly, I'm posting this from my phone now.

Just food for thought,

Leland

 

[d3s5]

It's good to hear how your Melleri are doing! I noticed you haven't posted lately and was wondering how they were. Glad they made out okay during the "heat wave"!

Deb

 

[MSAquatics]

 

[MSAquatics]

Thanks Deb, the chams are great and appear unaffected by the temp high heat, other than being "in the mood" all of the sudden. Lol Hopefully one of us will have a gravid female soon!

Leland

 

[Eric Adrignola]

When I moved to the mountains, my deremensis began to behave differently. The winter was always cool for them in the basement. When I warmed them up in the spring, the males became focused on the feeding fighting and females. When I lived in raleigh, and kept them upstairs, they could care less.

It's interesting to see it happen accidentally, though!

 

[d3s5]

Thanks Deb, the chams are great and appear unaffected by the temp high heat, other than being "in the mood" all of the sudden. Lol Hopefully one of us will have a gravid female soon!

Leland

My two mated "for real" (no sleeping!) for about a month. Then, one day, my female turned "gravid colors" and has rejected my male ever since. I assume she is gravid or just sick of my male. Time will tell. Wishing you very good luck!

Deb

 

[MSAquatics]

Deb,
Glad you hear your male finally stayed awake! Lol Very exciting to hear your female is gravid. Have you posted a pic of her coloration? I'd love to see it. I thought their gestation period was around 2 months? If so she should be laying soon hopefully.

Leland

 

[d3s5]

Deb,
Glad you hear your male finally stayed awake! Lol Very exciting to hear your female is gravid. Have you posted a pic of her coloration? I'd love to see it. I thought their gestation period was around 2 months? If so she should be laying soon hopefully.

Leland

No photos, but MD has photos of gravid females and that is exactly what she looks like. The link is below. I don't really expect the eggs to be fertile because she was being treated with Amikacin during the mating, but I guess you never know. The MD site says gestation is around 3 months.

On a side note, I have been reading every one of the 4,000 posts of the Yahoo Melleri's Group and although it is dated, I'm learning a lot. I'm only up to post 1,300 so far. Fascinating reading!

http://www.melleridiscovery.com/breeding/breeding.htm

Deb

 

[MSAquatics]

Deb,
I know the MD site almost from memory, so I've seen the gravid pic there many times. Lol I don't think I've looked at the yahoo melleri archives, I'm excited to check those out. I'd treat your girl like the eggs will be viable, you never know, some or all may be ok. We need to send Jurgen some pics his way for once. Ha!

Leland

 

[iancorby7]

Deb,
I thought their gestation period was around 2 months?

Hello, gestation period around 90 days.

 

[MSAquatics]

Ah yes, thank you. Deb also pointed that out. I haven't had the luxury of having a gravid melleri yet so I'm still rusty on the gestation/incubation time frames. Hopefully I'll be able to change that soon. I caught the tail end of the two "copulating" this morning.

Thanks!
Leland

 

[Olimpia]

When I asked Jurgen about those baby melleri he posted photos of he asked the breeder and said that gestation had lasted 3 months and incubation only 4, so that's in line with that Ian is saying.

Fingers crossed for fertile clutches from both you and Deb!