# I need to pay closer attention to my tanks...



## fly4awhiteguy (Dec 27, 2011)

I was looking in my tank this afternoon and thought I saw a little tiny head stick out from under a rock, and then before I could verify my eyes weren't playing tricks on me- it was gone. So after about an hour of sitting and checking every nook and cranny I could, I have found 4 little fry swimming around and hiding in some very small spaces... They are slightly smaller than a tic tac, and I have no idea how old they are or who the parents are... There are saulosi and pearlmutts sharing the tank, but I am confident that the saulosi are the parents, as the fry are a bright yellow, and my male pearlmutts greatly outnumber the female. I'm happy that they bred, but all along I was looking forward to seeing the spawning behaviour, and I'm kind of bummed out that I missed the entire process, I will try and get a decent picture tomorrow when they are out from there hiding spots.


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## fly4awhiteguy (Dec 27, 2011)

*Update:*

I decided tonight to find out exactly how many fry I have, and that I would seperate them from the main tank. I have 2 tanks laying around... a 20G, and a 0.9G, so for the time being I have re located the fry to their new 2 litre home.. and let me tell you- I will never let nature take its course again! stripping the mother of her eggs seems a whole lot easier than tearing apart my entire rockscape to get at the little buggers. The tank they are in now is not exactly The Hilton, but it should do for a week or 2 until I can decide how I want to dedicate my remaining tanks... I have a little juvie electric blue crayfish/lobster, that I am debating on donating to my LFS (unless someone here speaks up before I take him), that way I can use his already cycled 5 gal as a fry tank, and set up my 20G as a grow out tank. anyhoo... I took the 2 litre, put in a bit of sand and some small stones for them to hide, added an air wand, and stole some gooey media out of another filter to speed up the cycle, the filter was previously used, but I'd rather not take a chance. I am all out of baby brine shrimp, and so is the LFS, so I am feeding them First Bites.


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## fly4awhiteguy (Dec 27, 2011)

*another update*

I moved the fry over to the 5G, and while I was feeding the main tank i noticed a second female holding (now that I know what to look for), and potentially a 3rd... Might have to go to the store and buy a few 10G's to set up..


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## MDR (Feb 20, 2012)

Congratulations, eventually you will be swimming in fry. What do you plan on doing with them? In my tank I just let most females brood until release. I have Syno Petricola and a Lepidiolamp Kendalli, the odd fry will survive to grow beyond "snack size".


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## fly4awhiteguy (Dec 27, 2011)

I think I wanna go get a few tanks and try to get a little breeding setup going, I will sell what I can, or I can grow them out and send them to my lfs for store credit... I was researching the pearlmutts and I had the sexing backwards, I have 2 males and 4 females... Hopefully soon they will start breeding too.. I had considered stripping the female I have already seperated but because I don't know how far along the eggs are I think I will just let her spit when she is ready, as for the other female... She is not getting bullied so I will leave her be for a bit... I just tore half the tank apart yesterday, so I dont want to rush into doing it again right away and stress all the fish out.


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## fly4awhiteguy (Dec 27, 2011)

*update*

My holding female was looking a little worse for wear, so I threw together a makeshift tumbler, and stripped her eggs ( my first time, and an interesting experience i might add). I got about 35 wigglers out of her and they are now in the tumbler until the yolk sacks are gone, I am going to wait until tomorrow to reintroduce the female back to the main tank.. ill post some pics in an hour or so


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## fly4awhiteguy (Dec 27, 2011)

tumbler:
















fry:








mommy:


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## newforestrob (Jan 21, 2011)

i havent been on hear in awhile,good to see things are going well,be carefull,when I bread them,I had 2 75s,2 20s and 2 10s of various stages of fry to juveniles,I kinda miss them,one of my favourite mbuna


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