Pregnant Fish

[Soaup]

Ok so i have a female auratus with yellow and black stripes she is about 3 years old. This is the 6th or 7th time she has held eggs in her mouth over the past year or so. I have her in a 55 gallon fish tank with 12 other tank mates. Everytime she holds the eggs she doesnt make it more then a couple of days before she spits them. I have never seen eggs in the tank i imagine she or the tank mates must be eating them. I set up a 20 gallon fish tank just for her and i plan on making a transfer. Now this is the second day she has held the eggs.

I have several questions:

1. Is moving her the best thing to get her away from the males and company to elieviate stress?

2. Are her eggs Fertilized already?

3. Is there anything else i can do to make sure she goes through sucessfully, and i have myself some new fry?

Thanks any help would be appreciated

 

[AllusiveLife]

The eggs come from the male, so you'd assume after the first day that they did their thing, right?

And Yes, it is the best thing for you to move the female. At least (IMO)

If she holds it in her mouth, then that means she'll go without eating for a period of time.

 

[Soaup]

Thanks for the info, She is now moved into her own 20 gallon tank, Should she be removed from the tank once the fry has arrived or shall i keep her in the tank to maybe let her get some food going to get her prepared to be in the other fish tank

 

[AllusiveLife]

wait, the sperm comes from the male, the eggs come from the female...

I'm glad I'm not a fish, I'd be confused if I was...

 

[freddyk]

Once she spits you can put her back - she's going to be hungry, but she won't be weak.

 

[Soaup]

Once she spits the fry or eggs? She has held eggs several times before unsucessfully. They just kind of disapear, this is the first time i have set her in her n tank all alone. Could that be the soultion to finally get myself some fry?

 

[keane]

Once she spits the fry or eggs?

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I read that first as..."once the spits or frys the eggs?" !!

Freddy meant once she spits the fry.

If you get her out quick enough she can't spit the eggs into the main tank. Once transferred to the quieter tank she should hopefully calm down and hold on to the eggs until they hatch this time.

I have just had one of my female Johannii spit 23 little fry out. Mother back in main tank and no fry casualties so far. All are doing well .

steve

 

[Soaup]

Congrads, If this is her first sucessfull breeding, how many little guys am i looking at having on my hands?

 

[keane]

Congrads, If this is her first sucessfull breeding, how many little guys am i looking at having on my hands?

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Not sure. I took her off the hands of another member here, loafybones, whren she was already a fair size so she could possibly have bred before.

As a guess I would look at about the same number of fry as me. I understand Auratus and Johannii are very similar.

Have a read through this....

http/www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/m_auratus.php

quite interesting. (but doesn't tell you how many fry to expect! )

steve

 

[Soaup]

Thanks for the link

 

[Soaup]

4 Days in and now uncertain, I dont see her shifting very much im curious if maybe she pulled out and spit her eggs. She is in a 20 gallon alone and still not eating but her mouth doesnt seem to be as big as before, there is still a small buldge in her throat. Maybe im just over reacting.. She doesnt hide as much and i tried to see if she would eat to test if she had anything in her mouth she came up with intrest but wouldnt bite.. Is this normal?

 

[freddyk]

she would eat to test if she had anything in her mouth she came up with intrest but wouldnt bite.. Is this normal?

I've found they almost always come up for feeding without actually eating, so things appear normal.

 

[Soaup]

she would eat to test if she had anything in her mouth she came up with intrest but wouldnt bite.. Is this normal?

I've found they almost always come up for feeding without actually eating, so things appear normal.

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Thanks yeah at first i thought she spit but i think she still is holding and its been about 4 or 5 days now.. Give her another week before they fry are hatching??

 

[Soaup]

P.S. I believe im looking at some sort of hybrid. I dont think i have a male in the tank, i have a male which has yet to mature he is still yellow and black and has the same features as her but is only about an inch. I have a blue not really sure what kinda cichlid it is and a solid orange Male i think the solid orange is a Ps. Zebra/Esthera. But uncertain it is orange not red... Those are the only other tank mates i think that are capable of fertilizing her eggs.

 

[freddyk]

If they are hybrids you would be doing the entire hobby a great service if you didn't distribute them to anybody.

Otherwise good luck, at this point she'll probably hold to term.