When all eggs has been fertilized, the male Mbuna will chase away the female from his territory. It is unadvisable to remove the female from the aquarium at this stage, since the stress from being netted and moved can cause her to spit out the eggs. If you have filled the aquarium with a lot of small hiding places for the fry to seek refuge in, you can let her stay in the aquarium and let the fry grow up together with the adult fish. Some fry will be eaten, but at lest a few will survive. Their instinct will make them seek shelter among rocks and stones just like they would do in the wild. If you want to ensure a higher survival rate, you can move the female to her own aquarium approximately 7-10 days after spawning. She is less likely to spit her eggs when she has kept them in her mouth for such a long time. The fry is usually spit out after 4 weeks of brooding, but you should not move the female later than 10 days after the spawning since a late move can hurt the fry.
When the Mbuna fry are released they are already comparatively large and you can feed them Cyclops, brine shrimp or powdered flake food. One batch of Mbuna fry will typically include 25-35 individuals. Let the female stay with her fry for a while and give her plenty of nutritious food. She needs some time to regain her strength before you move her.
