Dominic Posted February 20, 2007 Report Share Posted February 20, 2007 (edited) Question! After you notice a female cichlid holding, How many days before you take action to try and save the little ones from certain cannabalism?? Does this depend on Species? I have Pseudo Saulosi and Flametail breeding groups. Do you seperate that female and make her cough them up into a breeding net?? I need some advice on the best way to do all this breeding stuff, I already have some growout tanks for the fry. Edited February 20, 2007 by Dominic Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jvision Posted February 21, 2007 Report Share Posted February 21, 2007 If I want to keep the fry, I usually try to catch the female at around the 2 week point, and put her into her own tank - or part of a tank. When she spits, you can move her to a different tank to fatten her up, but I've found that if you feed her well, she'll leave the fry alone - at least with most Mbuna. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
secretlaw Posted February 21, 2007 Report Share Posted February 21, 2007 I do the same thing as jvision, but I will take the fry out by opening the female mouth and dump them all out into a different tank. The fry then will eat after few days when you see the sac getting smaller and they can swim around the tank. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spcy Posted February 21, 2007 Report Share Posted February 21, 2007 I move mine to another tank as soon as I notice and let them spit on there own. Then I remove the female to a recovery tank for a couple days, Then back into population. The most I have had them hold for is 17 to 24 days. Last yellow lab spit yesterday after holding for 19 days. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Qattarra Posted February 21, 2007 Report Share Posted February 21, 2007 I too seperate the female to another tank at about 2 weeks (or when her mouth seems quite full). I leave the tank unlit but for the room lights. I don't like stripping as I like to see the fry feed and return to Mom's mouth for safety. I feed Mom as well as little ones. I often see the fry eat the artesmia right from inside her mouth. Mom spits them out , feeds, then lets them back in. They graze on the algea covered rocks I place in the tank with her. After a couple weeks of in-outs Mom finally pushes them out permanently, that's when I take her out to the com. tank. I find the fry are stronger, butchier and much less shy then when I've tried stripping. It's a longer process but I love watching the interactions, nothing like watching the whole bunch of them scramble back into that mouth. lol And believe me they can tell time! Usually 20 minutes before I turn out all the other lights I can watch them go into her mouth for the night, way kewl. I think mother nature designed them this way so IMO it's the best way, after all, the african people don't go into the lake to strip them lol. Sue Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dominic Posted February 23, 2007 Author Report Share Posted February 23, 2007 Thanks for all the advise I'll try some of those things. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
corrosionjerry Posted February 25, 2007 Report Share Posted February 25, 2007 Couldnt you just put a divider in the tank with the female in it? Seems to me this would be better as the female would be less stressed by leaving her in the exact same water... Question! After you notice a female cichlid holding, How many days before you take action to try and save the little ones from certain cannabalism?? Does this depend on Species? I have Pseudo Saulosi and Flametail breeding groups. Do you seperate that female and make her cough them up into a breeding net?? I need some advice on the best way to do all this breeding stuff, I already have some growout tanks for the fry. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spcy Posted February 25, 2007 Report Share Posted February 25, 2007 The tank I use is the exact same water taken from the main tank. I fill the holding tank 1/2 to 3/4 full then top up with fresh water. It's like a water change happening on both tanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
williewonka Posted February 25, 2007 Report Share Posted February 25, 2007 Couldnt you just put a divider in the tank with the female in it? Seems to me this would be better as the female would be less stressed by leaving her in the exact same water...Question! After you notice a female cichlid holding, How many days before you take action to try and save the little ones from certain cannabalism?? Does this depend on Species? I have Pseudo Saulosi and Flametail breeding groups. Do you seperate that female and make her cough them up into a breeding net?? I need some advice on the best way to do all this breeding stuff, I already have some growout tanks for the fry. Say if you did put a divider into the tank. Would it be of any benefit at all if you had two females holding and you put them both in together with the males separate? Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spcy Posted February 25, 2007 Report Share Posted February 25, 2007 I have put up to 3 holding females into the same tank with no problems. No other fish in the tank with them. Except the fry when they spit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
williewonka Posted February 25, 2007 Report Share Posted February 25, 2007 Thanks spcy, figured that but wasn't positive.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dominic Posted March 6, 2007 Author Report Share Posted March 6, 2007 So how do you actually get the female to release little ones,do you grab her in your hand and lift her out of water or do you massage her in some way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jvision Posted March 6, 2007 Report Share Posted March 6, 2007 If you're wanting to strip the female, the method I used was to hold the fish, then use a toothpick to open her mouth. Give her a little shake in a tub of tankwater and the eggs/fry will come out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vallisneria Posted March 6, 2007 Report Share Posted March 6, 2007 She will also spit the fry out on her own when she is ready. If you go the divider route make sure that the divider fits perfectly in your tank. Any spaces between the divider and the tank wall will result in the fry escaping. Its not fun when you wake up to discover that your fry were able to squeeze through and were eaten on the other side Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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