To Strip or not to Strip.......mouth brooders.

[CatWhat]

I know this is a cichlid related topic but I thought I would post it here as I think this topic would be great for the magazine. This topic has been bouncing around in my fish keeping circles for years and years and seems to be a big topic around other forums.

I have been keeping mouth brooding cichlids for 8 years now and have bred a few different species. When it comes to raising the fry there seems to be a few firm opinions. I have tried stripping the fry, placing the holding female in a nursery tank and simply just let her release the fry in the community tank. It goes without saying, I have had the best survival/growth rate success with stripping or removing the female. When it came to stripping I found it to be easy to raise the fry but the process can be a bit traumatic to the female. Regarding the nursery tank method I have found it is easier on the female, but always worried when it was a good time to finally take the female out once she had finished her parental care for the fry. So I am just wondering what your opinion or thoughts on this topic might be.

Matthew Penney

[Crazygar]

Matthew,

I am sure shortly others will chime in with their viewpoints and valid reasons, but I'd like to air mine.

When it comes to stripping, I'm a little cautious on that exercise. I am firm believer in letting Nature take her course to see what the eventual outcome will be other. Other than a danger to the Mother's life or existence, I would personally would keep the fry with the Mother until she naturally releases them.

Putting the Mother in a breeding tank (the stress alone might force her to expel) would be the correct course of action and then wait it out. In extreme cases, yes, but 90% of the time no.

Gary

[CatWhat]

Thanks for the post. The last white lab fry I had I stripped them from the female at about 25 days or so and all seven are almost two inches now. But I'm looking to try to get another full brood to raise from the community tank, so I may strip her or place her in a holding tank. ALSO I have Kyoga Flameback holding so I am wondering the same thing about her, I'd like to get at least one full brood from the flameback before I let nature take its course.

[Crazygar]

This may sound harsh, but I am believer of Survival of the Fittest. Understanding you want a large yield out of the fish, think about the amount of stress the Mother goes through during the process.

Gary

[C. Andrew Nelson]

I have to agree with Gary. And for me it takes the joy and fun out of fish breeding. You fish become a commodity rather than being a pet. And as Gary said, why put all that stress on the mama fish? Wouldn't you rather have her unstressed and healthy so she could breed again?

[CatWhat]

I do agree with letting nature take its course, which is what I have done with my mbuna community tank. The reason I am feeling so torn about this now is because they fish of interest ( Kyoga Flamebacks ) are very very rare in our parts, and I'd like to get at least one full brood from her. I do hate putting the female or any fish for that matter through deliberate stress.
Perhaps I could meet in the middle as such. What about using dividers in the tank? The fry would have a much better chance if they were separated from the other four adults. At least then I would not have to catch the female, just simply divide the tank with her on one side. Thoughts?

[Crazygar]

That sounds like a better plan. She can have her own Pre-natal area, separated from the other Adult fish.

Gary

[C. Andrew Nelson]

Excellent idea!

[CatWhat]

My female released afterwards in the divided tank. I did take the fry out though after a couple of days when the female seemed to be ignoring them. They are in a 3g at the moment and taking BBS. There is around 12 or 14. ANYWAY, I noticed that some of them are all white. They are fully developed like the others but seem to be albino. I've never heard of albino kyoga flamebacks though, has anyone else? Or perhaps there is another answer to why they are white.