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As a long time keeper of Julidochromis species, I thought it might be helpful to share my experience with their preferences for cover, structure, etc. These are primarily rock dwelling cichlids, which do best when provided with plenty of cover. I have posted numerous times about strategies for enticing them to spawn in aquaria. In fact, all of these species will happily do so. Some species will spawn with little to no effort on your part. Some require a bit more assistance.
Unlike most tropical, freshwater fish, many species of cichlids prefer adequate cover for hiding and spawning. This is especially true for mbuna, pikes, and many lamprologines. Such cover can consist of rocks, caves, wood, etc. In fact, it’s often beneficial to have a substantial amount of cover if your tank contains multiple species, especially breeding pairs.
Julidochromis dickfeldi is not only one of the smaller Julie species, but I find it also one of the easiest to keep and breed. A beautiful little lamprologine, dickfeldis are reasonably mild mannered but are very protective of offspring, even when juvenile offspring are 1/2″. A pair doesn’t need a large tank to spawan by any means. I’ve bred them in a 20g long and in a 33g long. I’m sure they would spawn in a 10g as well.
The title of this post is a bit misleading. What I mean by “building” isn’t exactly synonymous with turning raw material like clay, for example, into something that resembles a cave. This post is more about using various aquarium-safe objects for caves and breeding structures.
Territory disputes? With both species only and community tanks, this can be a potential problem. It can be mitigated by overcrowding, i.e., having so many fish that no single fish can claim a territory. Even if your tank isn’t overcrowded, you can still sometimes ease such disputes if you move things around in the tank frequently (e.g., rocks, caves, decorations).