Mouth Brooders

[Mouth-Brooder-Fanatic]

hi... im trying really hard to restrain myself from staring gormlessly into the fishtank 24/7, because i want to know if my female is holding.

shes an egyptian mouth brooder, iv had her 13 days and adore her.
from the shop she was rather thin and unsociable, but was the only one the lfs guy could catch
she came home and the 2nd-4th day hr and my male were dancing, chasing around, really sweet.
now, he's off alone alot, shes in her hidey cave and rarely comes out to follow him.
but technically they couldnt breed, there is only large coloured stoney gravel instead of the small stuff they need!
shes also hardly eating, breathing really deeply (seems 2 yawn sometimes too) and when she does eat, she spits it back out as far as i can see.
PLEASE help me whats going on????
thanks x

 

[HUKIT]

Any mouthbrooder can breed with any other mouthbrooder. Is there a way you could get a picture of her. It's very easy to tell if she's holding. The behavior could be signs of bloat as well.

 

[Mouth-Brooder-Fanatic]

il try, but shes very holed up most of the time.
AND im now having to treat the tank for white spot. my silly "stone sucker" catfish have caught it, but not the mouthbroooders. this is going well

 

[HUKIT]

Are you using a quarantine tank? If not I would strongly suggest getting one for reasons such was this. They are cheap and easy to set up, I have 3-4 grow out tanks running at all times but I also keep a couple of sponge filters in the other tanks too. They can be a aquarium or even a Rubbermaid plastic tote.Then if I need a QT, throw in a heater, add the sponge filter, add a air pump which equals instant cycled QT. Keep new fish for 4 weeks for observation before adding to the main display tank.

I hope your using the high heat/salt method and skipping the meds. Good luck and try to get those pics.

 

[Mouth-Brooder-Fanatic]

sorry, the high "heat/salt method"? what is that and will it harm the healthy fish? shes isolated in a breeder until my new QT arrives, but what does this method thingy mean?

 

[HUKIT]

Step 1 Slowly raise the heat to 86 degrees and keep it there for 14 days.

Step 2 Add aquarium salt in the dosage of 1tbls per 5gal. After first water change of course.

Step 3 Perform daily 25% water changes with substrate vacuum.

Step 4 Replenish the salt which was removed by water change.

 

[Gillie]

I'm guessing the male is an Egyptian mouthbrooder too? From what you say it sounds like she wasn't ready to spawn and she is now hiding from the male, I see this a lot with my small colony. Being that they are not shy fish it is not normal behavior unless something is cuasing quite a bit of stress.

 

[Mouth-Brooder-Fanatic]

I'm guessing the male is an Egyptian mouthbrooder too? From what you say it sounds like she wasn't ready to spawn and she is now hiding from the male, I see this a lot with my small colony. Being that they are not shy fish it is not normal behavior unless something is cuasing quite a bit of stress.

...... so how do u know if shes ready? im pretty sure shes "knocked up" cos even tho shes in the QT shes still not eating and tries to attack the male through the wall when he goes too close. but shes got barely anything there on her chin, i cant tell.
is there a sure sign of 'rediness'? thanks x

 

[Gillie]

If she was holding it would definitely be noticeable in the bucchal cavity, the fact that she was thin when you got her is a sign that she isn't close to ready.

 

[Mouth-Brooder-Fanatic]

ok. il reply to the thread when i have news. thanks to all!

 

[Mouth-Brooder-Fanatic]

This is hilarious going over these conversations with the knowledge i now possess. she appears to be pregnant because her mouth IS swollen. maybe because shes not an egyptian mouthbrooder (as she was sold to me), but a casuarius blockhead..wierd much
google them and remind me about how ON EARTH the LFS assumed she was egyp mouthbrooder.
anyone ever raised these sweet little freakazoids?

 

[Mouth-Brooder-Fanatic]

 

[rain87]

Well from the picture in the left it does look like she is holding but it's hard to tell from that angle

 

[Gillie]

The first one is definitely not P. multicolor it is Steatocranus casaurius. The second pic is a male multicolor.

 

[Mouth-Brooder-Fanatic]

i know right. as i posted in a previous thread, the lfs sold her to me falsely. but i intent to find a male blockhead that she is compatible with so she can be a monogomous fishy
my multicolor still dances for her tho, and she still follows him around like a couple. how absurd..... the wonderful world of fish.