My Astatotilapia Have Eggs...

[Ludwig Venter]

One gets progressively more "immune" to dead fish and merely scoop them out & carry on.....

It is seldom that "another" dead fish affects you emotionally, but this afternoon I found my one male Astato bone dry on the floor....

It was so harassed by the other male that it jumped out through the one corner of the tank that was not covered..... I am sad at this loss, (and almost feel like flushing the culprit male)....

 

[dthoffsett]

One gets progressively more "immune" to dead fish and merely scoop them out & carry on.....

It is seldom that "another" dead fish affects you emotionally, but this afternoon I found my one male Astato bone dry on the floor....

It was so harassed by the other male that it jumped out through the one corner of the tank that was not covered..... I am sad at this loss, (and almost feel like flushing the culprit male)....

Oh no! I'm so sorry to hear that Ludwig. It's gutting to lose a fish you really like regardless of how many you've lost before.

Don't be too angry at the offending male, that's just the way with works with these guys. They have so much competition for breeding rights and food that they have to fight hard to remain dominate, it's just in their nature.

That said, I can completely understand the desire to flush the little bugger.

Edited for bad spelling.

 

[Ludwig Venter]

Ok!!!... Another female with a mouthfull....... The tankmates will play musical chairs once again and be moved to yet another tank.... (I'll feel more comfortable if she's alone in the tank - like the first one)

One female to go (& only one male left)..... So hopefully in a weeks time???...Let's see what happens.

 

[dthoffsett]

Ok!!!... Another female with a mouthfull....... The tankmates will play musical chairs once again and be moved to yet another tank.... (I'll feel more comfortable if she's alone in the tank - like the first one)

One female to go (& only one male left)..... So hopefully in a weeks time???...Let's see what happens.

My goodness, must be something in the water.

Sorry, couldn't help myself. Are you playing mood music or what? At this rate you'll be able to repopulate Lake Victoria.

 

[Ludwig Venter]

Ok!!!... Another female with a mouthfull....... The tankmates will play musical chairs once again and be moved to yet another tank.... (I'll feel more comfortable if she's alone in the tank - like the first one)

One female to go (& only one male left)..... So hopefully in a weeks time???...Let's see what happens.

My goodness, must be something in the water.

Sorry, couldn't help myself. Are you playing mood music or what? At this rate you'll be able to repopulate Lake Victoria.

Well.... They say "don't count your fry before they hatch" .... or something to that effect!

 

[Ludwig Venter]

The second female with a mouthfull swallowed them..... The third female has now got a mouthfull and I managed to remove the rest before she also swallows.....

The first one is still going strong on her own.....She's due to spit out any day now.....Hope I can get pics of the fry very soon.

 

[dthoffsett]

Wow, you really do have a fry factory going. Don't worry about the one that swallowed the eggs, it happens, she'll likley get the hang of it before long, especially in your tank.

 

[Ludwig Venter]

Oh No!!!... I notice now that my first post was only on 2 July...... Which means she is just over half the way and still has some time to go if she's gonna keep 'em in the mouth for "up to" 32 days....

She has not eaten in all this time, and is currently a head with a little body attached...... Just hope she survives the rest of the way.... (the other female is about a week later) I honestly hope it was woth the wait.... both for them and for me....

 

[dthoffsett]

They do look pretty shocking when they get towards the end of their holding, it's amazing what a little fish can do for her brood.

If you get too concerned you could always try stripping her.

 

[Ludwig Venter]

They do look pretty shocking when they get towards the end of their holding, it's amazing what a little fish can do for her brood.

If you get too concerned you could always try stripping her.

Ye Know DT..... I once transferred a Tillapia Mombassica with eggs in her mouth to a different tank..... I only noticed she had a mouthfull as she spilled 2 or 5 in the net..... In the new tank she just carried on untill they all hatched.

 

[Ludwig Venter]

Ah!!... I barely finished the last post & went out to the garage..... and......

SHE SPAT THEM OUT!!!!!......

They are quite large (and their eyes are open already) but she's so protective..... When I get close, she collects them all again.... won't let me have a close look. (behind a big rock, & I counted 17 - there could be a couple more)

I fed her, but she only waited till I stood absolutely statuelike for more than 10 minutes, then she released them again, and fetched some pellets and I don't know if it is on purpose, but chews it like bubblegum spitting out smaller pieces.

So (in effect) it's been around 15 days since I first noticed she's got a mouthfull......

 

[dthoffsett]

Sounds like you've got a heck of a good mum . Yes she is chewing up the pellets and spitting them out for the fry to eat. I was surprised too at the size of the fry the first time I saw them. That's the whole point of mouthbrooding though, by allowing the fry to grow larger before sending them out into the world they have a much better chance of survival.

Since you've bred tons of fish before, you know that it's likely you'll lose a few of them, but on the whole mouthbrooder fry are pretty hardy. Given enough food, clean water and a lack of predators, your mortality rate should be pretty low.

 

[Ludwig Venter]

I have only myself to blame for this. On Saturday, I removed Momma from the fry and placed her in another tank......also stacked rocks in this other tank so there'd be plenty hiding place...... She was in with another female and five other cichlids that looks like Venestus, but still very young.


This morning, she was found on the floor.... also dried out..... So, from the original 2 males and 3 females, I've only got 1 male and 2 females left...... My tanks are not covered.

 

[Keithoms]

I have only myself to blame for this. On Saturday, I removed Momma from the fry and placed her in another tank......also stacked rocks in this other tank so there'd be plenty hiding place...... She was in with another female and five other cichlids that looks like Venestus, but still very young.


This morning, she was found on the floor.... also dried out..... So, from the original 2 males and 3 females, I've only got 1 male and 2 females left...... My tanks are not covered.

 

[dthoffsett]

I have only myself to blame for this. On Saturday, I removed Momma from the fry and placed her in another tank......also stacked rocks in this other tank so there'd be plenty hiding place...... She was in with another female and five other cichlids that looks like Venestus, but still very young.


This morning, she was found on the floor.... also dried out..... So, from the original 2 males and 3 females, I've only got 1 male and 2 females left...... My tanks are not covered.

Oh no, they're not usually jumpers, she may have been getting harassed a bit and was just trying to get away.