I was trying to figure out what was wrong with her mouth, and then I saw eyeballs !

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mozart

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Mar 29, 2007
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Delawhere?
New to this. I have had livebearer tank takeovers and miraculous cory hybrids, but this cichlid mouth thing has caught me offguard. Didn't realize there was any mating going on!How long will they stay in her mouth?
I am currently in a transitional state with my tank, which is having some turmoil. Is this adding to the tension?
 

stephcps

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Jun 2, 2009
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Not an expert either...my mouth brooders never bred for me when I had them. But, definitely is probably the whole source of tension in your tank!! I know some people "strip" the young from the mother...but I cetainly don't know the details! LOL...I am sure you could do a search on here and find more info.
 

Pittbull

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Apr 14, 2007
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Depends on what species you have, Most Rift Lake mouth brooders will hold for 2 to 3 weeks, whenever there is Turmoil this could lead to early release of fry or the mother eating her offspring..
 

iheartbettas

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Sep 9, 2010
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Depends on what species you have, Most Rift Lake mouth brooders will hold for 2 to 3 weeks, whenever there is Turmoil this could lead to early release of fry or the mother eating her offspring..
that's uh..horrible! I have no idea on this, but I would think breeders would then catch the female and force the mouths open to release the babies into a separate tank.
 

excuzzzeme

Stroke Survivor '05
Like pitbull said, mouthbrooders will hold for almost a month and will not eat during this time. It is very common for the dominate male to eat the offspring when they are released. Having bred them, I usually stripped the eggs no sooner than the 19th day and raised them in a separate tank. I have a very alpha male that will not tolerate fry and will consume them. Too much stress in the tank will cause the female to eat the eggs. Each Lab must have it's own cave to feel comfortable.
 

mozart

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Mar 29, 2007
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Delawhere?
It's going to be hard watching her not eat. She's still nipping at flakes but skipping bloodworms. . I suspect another lab may have some in her mouth as well, but is still eating. Not sure how "cavey" the caves need to be. I have real and faux driftwood and plants, and a pot. Lots of places to hide, but maybe not enought to call home.
Thank you.
 

Pittbull

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Apr 14, 2007
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Mbuna need a rocky habitat but if that's not your cup of tea then add more decor items, the more the better, small medium and large caves or items will suffice, the mothers when holding eggs and or fry will not eat, in some species they will spit the fry out near a cave and will eat and then take the fry back into her mouth, usually they do not do this in a tank due to predation, this behavior is usually observed in nature. If you have a few females its really not uncommon for a male to keep browsing the female selections to keep breeding.

As for me with mouth brooding fish usually Mbuna i will strip the female after 2 and half weeks when i first notice she is holding so that i can remove the fry and to allow the mother to eat again. You can google stripping a fish and you should be able to get some info on them.. Actually here is a good youtube video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=deJJNyxaFyY except i use a paperclip instead of my finger nail..
 
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