“mommy” The Killer Yellow Lab!

[denis coghlan]

This is just a quick story about how a maternal mouth brooder crushed its fry to DEATH. ((Also it gives me a chance to take more pictures and show off my tank making skills)). It’s been two weeks since I noticed that my yellow lab was holding so I thought it about time to move her into her own fry tank.

I set up the fry tank about four days ago. I made the tank with my own bare hands from a couple of sheets of glass that I had in the shed. (cutting glass is not that easy and there was a lot of unusable leftovers). It measures 22 x 10 x 10 for filtration I am using one of those cracking 5minute sponge filters from over there in the DIY section. For heating I am using a 100w spare juwel heater and lighting is a multicolored (tacky as hell) cold cathode light. The fry tank only cost me 8 euro to set up and that was only for the silicon. For a tank the same size I was quoted 38 euro. Cha-Ching !!!!

Anyways I am rambling now I will get on with the story. I decided to move the female for two main reasons; better fry survival rate and less parental stress on the female. Yesterday was moving day, I had no idea that it would be so much effort to catch one wildly fish. I removed lots of the rock and netted her fairly quickly. I then popped her into a bowl to make the journey of about 4 meters from one tank to the other. Just when I was putting her in the maternity ward I noticed that she had spat one of her fry. He was a very small little fellow to say the least! I placed them both into the tank and they seemed happy enough. The little guy (free swimming at this stage but still with a very large yolk sack) tried his hardest to get back into the safety of the mouth, but mom was not opening up. After about ten minutes or so (I was watching intently) the mother made a move towards the fry and promptly crushed it against the glass. No more fry! Ah well I guess she was only trying to get it back in her mouth but I think someone should tell her that it only works if its open.

For scale the big yellow thing is a fish food tub!

You know what they say, you cant save them all!!!!

I will let you know how the rest of the fry do. I hope there will be no more crushings!

 

[Cheffi]

Euwwww!!! poor ickle thing

 

[brewyn]

WHO tanks or the fry.

 

[Cheffi]

 

[denis coghlan]

I'm not really that ickle, i'm 6'3" but thank you for the complement cheffi . Carefull Breywn if we deviate too far from the sujbect the post might be closed.


edit:I have just read brewyns other post and this joke has already been made, apologies to all. Sorry about the echo mammafish!!!

 

[Nick Sw]

Shame that little fella had to go.
Nice DIY Fry tank and your other cold Water tank looks good.

 

[mark7616]

You are very handy at knocking up things i try but seem to fail not very inventive my diy stops at flatpack would like one of those traps that you made dont suppose your willing to construct and sell another ne

 

[denis coghlan]

You are very handy at knocking up things i try but seem to fail not very inventive my diy stops at flatpack would like one of those traps that you made dont suppose your willing to construct and sell another ne

Hey Mark thanks for the complement!
Before I got into this fish keeping business, my hobby was buying tools that I didn’t need. I spent a small fortune on tools or all sorts. What ever is was if I didn’t have one I wanted it. B & Q and other hardware stores where my stomping grounds, most of my present that I received for the last four years have been tools or gift vouchers for DIY stores.

Some of my friends who are now at that first time house buyers stage take full advantage of this fact and I am normally found on most weekend tiling someone’s bathroom or fixing someone central heating. And of course I get paid, but I like to get paid in tools. I fitted three new radiators in one of their houses and put in a new header tank in the attic and I was given a new router for my work. Suite me too the ground! I find DIY and making stuff very relaxing but only when it is going according to plan, other wise its just a pain in the a$$.

In addition there is nothing wrong with flatpack!! I am very fond of putting the furniture for an entire apartment together within three hours. It’s like a race!

Now after that rant! The fish trap, it works but I am going to go with mammafish on this one (don’t say you told us so mammafish) and say that it is a lot more effective to reduce the level of water and décor and go after them with a net. The trap is quite effective but its so frustrating watching the fish nearly going in and then turning around and heading back out again. Anyways its not difficult to put one together. I BELIEVE IN YOU!!!!!

One day in the far future I am going to build a large tank. All I need is the space and funds to do it. When I start it I will get onto all you guys for advice and moral support. But for the moment I will just have to dream about it and buy more tools that I don’t need.


The below pics are of a guitar that I made from scratch when I was 17. The sound is great but unfortunately I don’t play guitar. Go figure!!!!!

 

[brewyn]

I have a router that I bought a few years ago, only bought it so I could add to my little collection of power tools, annoyed caus'e its still in the box and I dont have a clue how to use it, go figure!!!!!!

to keep this topic on the subject of fish, I want to use it to make my marine stand.

 

[denis coghlan]

to keep this topic on the subject of fish, I want to use it to make my marine stand.

Priceless

But you should post that is the marine hardware section!!

 

[brewyn]

NOT A CHANCE!!!!!!!

 

[denis coghlan]

Just finished stripping the holding female, I am now the proud owner of 13 fry. I couldnt believe how many fry she was holding (she is only about 2 inches) and I was suprise at how big they where, they could barely fit out of her mouth. All is well for the moment and I'm going to check again later to see if she managed to hide any. She is still looking a bit fat in the jaw, but I suppose I would be too if I had been carrying 14 fry for three weeks in my mouth! Is this normal, not me but the fish?

Sorry about the photo quality but the little guys are so small its very hard to focus on them, I will try for better pics soon. Now its off to do a water change on the goldies. It never stops!

Also I have just fed the main tank and yet another yellow lab is holding!! As you would say brewyn, Ruddy H*ll!

 

[Cheffi]

Ahh it must be the irish water. Goodness knows what it does to the humans!!!

 

[Nick Sw]

Nice One Tanks Well Done, I`ve seen the "stripping" done in a book and doesn`t look easy.

 

[denis coghlan]

Nice One Tanks Well Done, I`ve seen the "stripping" done in a book and doesn`t look easy.

I read how to do it on C-F.com. I held her directly in my hand, in the water with no net and used a toothpick to ease open her mouth to allow the fry out. I spent about 15-20 Min's at it. They just seemed to keep coming. I just had a quick looks at herself and she is eating so I don't need to check for anymore fry. That's a bit of a relief. All in all, it wasn't as trick as I thought it was going to be, although I think it is going to be easier as she get bigger in size, it was quite difficult to hold onto her because she was so small. I have to do it all again now it three weeks. The drama never ends!!!