Holding?

[Qattarra]

Now that I am the proud caregiver to this group of auratus, I've done more reading about them . They often refer to the female as "holding". I understand that this mouthbrooder is holding eggs or fry. How can I tell? What does it look like? How long do they "hold"? OOOOOOOOOOOOO this is so much fun :smokey: -ham-

[jvision]

It looks like she has a mouthfull. Her buchal cavity (throat) will be extended. They usually hold for about 2-3 weeks.

[Vallisneria]

For some pics of what a holding female looks like check out this link http://images.google.ca/images?q=holding+a...chlid&hl=en

The female will look like its throat is full and bulging out. The females usually stop eating and may start hiding more. They hold for 21-28 days. I usually remove my females to a 10g at about 14days and let them have some peace untill they spit the babies on their own. BUt you might need to more her sooner if she is getting harrassed. Some people strip the fry but I dont' unless the female is looking sickly and skinny, but usually they do fine.

[Qattarra]

For some pics of what a holding female looks like check out this link http://images.google.ca/images?q=holding+a...chlid&hl=en

The female will look like its throat is full and bulging out. The females usually stop eating and may start hiding more. They hold for 21-28 days. I usually remove my females to a 10g at about 14days and let them have some peace untill they spit the babies on their own. BUt you might need to more her sooner if she is getting harrassed. Some people strip the fry but I dont' unless the female is looking sickly and skinny, but usually they do fine.

Great, thank you, looked at the picks, it seems obvious enough....but now to get them to sit still long enough to observe.....I may have fry in my near future :thumbs:

[Vallisneria]

Its usually easy to tell if they are holding, even if you can only catch a glimpse of them.

Sometimes my yellow labs are holding but its harder to tell. With them I can usually tell because the females come up to eat and look like they want to but don't. They also kind of do this "chewing" thing with their mouths when they hold. So if i watch them and see them making that "chewing" motion I knwo they have eggs and aren't just not eating.

[Tanker]

My holding Acei will tend to hide in the lower portions of the tank, where the others are active in the middle and uppers. Look for a fish that seems more 'timid' than the rest and it may point to a holding female. This also holds true with my Labs, but was not as obvious with my Lithobates... not a hard and fast rule, but may help.

As you mentioned them 'holding still' to see them, I also notice that the holders seem to be a little slower, and less 'darty' then the rest... possibly conserving energy for the long fast ahead?

[jvision]

I've had a couple Mel. cyanaero's chase other fish away while holding. They're the only ones that seem to get territorial - IME. And since they're very closely related to your M. auratus, you may see this, too.

Edited September 13, 2006 by jvision

[Vapor]

Watch them at feeding time. I've noticed mine swim up to the food and then not take any. Even letting it hit them in the nose.

[Melody]

My female Yellow Lab holds on a regular basis, even though she has no male with her. The first time she did it, I thought she was ill. She hides and is definitly more skittish and aggressive... not so much in a protective way but more irritable, or that's how it appears. Her whole neck and cheeks have a swollen look, and her mouth is partially open enough so you can see her teeth. She seems to get more pale too, but I dont' know if that's typical.