Holding Lab

[BiffMalawi]

OK I picked up a complete 10g for 20 bucks, put in a cycled filter and my holding lab.

Waiting, waiting, waiting, so I am pacing like any new father in the hospital waiting room and I look over...

She is swimming around looking like all the others, no square jaw. I rush over put my ear to the tank and hear no tell tail crying sounds. I search the tank and no fry to be found. I figure she's young musta messed up and swollowed them. I keep her in the tank any way to be sure, sprinkle in a few flakes. As soon as she starts eating....there is the square jaw again.

Do you think she is still holding but only afew eggs so that normally she can just hold them in her mouth but when she tries to eat she has to move them down? It's been about two weeks since she started holding. How long will she hold do you think.

 

[dthoffsett]

She may have swallowed a few if she got too hungry. Labs are pretty notorious for swallowing their first few broods, some never get the hang of holding. Part of the reason why some people strip them. I had one female hold for 28 days before I stripped her, she was getting really skinny, and I got worried. They've been known to hold up to 31 days. Do you have any fake plants or a cave or two in the holding tank? If not, I would add something, sometimes females won't spit if they don't think they are safe. Good luck, it's worth the wait.

 

[BiffMalawi]

Yup I've got a fake coral mountain with tunnels, a couple of rocks, fake plants, broken pot shards and floating wtaer lettuce(long hanging roots).

 

[ridewake210]

yea, right when i saw the subject i was gonna give u some input on there swallowing problems. i had a yellow lab that was holding. 2 1/2 weeks in she swallowed her eggs. kinda makes ya angry but ya cant get to mad.

but good luck wth everything!


i've got 2 more holding which would make a total of 3 mommas for me right now. 2nd red zebra right now and a peachy colord zebra.