New Fry when will it happen next?

Sounds like newly released fry. If you really want them remove them, because although the parents won't actively hunt them, they will opportunistically eat them. Other tank mates may not be so nice! They're maternal mouthbrooders, and the females incubate the eggs for about a month before releasing the fry. A female will require a bit of recovery time before breeding again, but not much before repeating the process. If you want to save more fry remove a female carrying eggs to a separate tank. It's pretty easy to tell, as the females have a pouch in their chin which gets distended downward when eggs/fry are present.

It's only 3 small fry. Don't worry about them even if they might get eaten. It's not worth setting up another tank. The next time your fish breed. You will notice the female not eating because she holding eggs. You can strip them in after week or more. Make sure they have a tail on them. Just put the frys with egg sac in another tank. The fry will tumble themself in the tank. Before you know it they are all free swimming.


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They're starting to "spread their fins" and feel a little more secure with their surroundings. At that size, IME they're pretty much above the notice of all but the largest mbuna as far as being on the menu goes. I have 1/2-3/4" red zebras, demasoni, fuelleborni and Ndumbi red top that have started feeding with the adults now. All the adults, including a 6" yellow lab, a 5 1/2" Melanochromis interruptus, and the two 6" fuelleborni, totally ignore them. Over the years I've been raising mbuna, this seems to be the size when juvies start feeling more secure and also the size that I start noticing a rapid growth spurt. This seems to be typical with all the mbuna I've raised, some 40 species. If ya have any haps or other larger predatory fish in the tank, however, they'll definitely eat 'em at that size.

Removing the female before she spits is the only sure way to save a majority of the fry, as stated above. But if ya don't really wanna go to that hassle (or don't have a brood tank available) and would like to see a few more survive, try putting a good-sized pile of stones from 2" to 4" in diameter in one corner, stacking and arranging them so that no adults in the tank can get into the miniature fry haven you've created. I always have a few fry survive long enough to make it to adulthood with that method. I also put that pile at one of the front corners. As the pile tends to be more secure and draw fry, I can see when new fry appear sooner, I can watch them develop and it can even be a little easier to remove fry if I decide to.

Sounds like the fish are well-kept and comfie. Kenyi were the first mbuna I had spawn and then successfully raised the fry to adulthood, some 20+ years ago. Good luck!

WYite