holding females

[fishcakes]

I have a 3 section external breeding box for my holding females. Just one problem. I have 5 holding right now! So I either quick order another one or I ask this question: I have been given a 20ish gallon eclipse and I'm wondering can multiple holding females be kept together in that size tank? In the 2L breeding box I have to keep them divide because even though they have a mouth full of baby's doesn't mean they won't fight. So will they fight in this tank or will the extra room help if I load it up with stones and wood to hide in?
What you think?

 

[Mouth-Brooder-Fanatic]

if you cycle the 20 quickly, you could put 2 of the females in and have the other 3 in the breeder boxes... however if i were you id only put a female in the breeder box if you can SEE the fry in her mouth already hatched, not just eggs, just in case she gets stressed and spits early. they shouldn't fight if they have lots of cover e.g. plants (fake or real but id do fake), caves, flowerpots etc. then as soon as they all spit, putting all the fry in the 20g with no sand or gravel is a good idea.
what kinds of fish are holding btw? curiosity! xxx

 

[fishcakes]

2 white tail acei, 1 O.B. zebra, 1 jacobfreibergi, a snow white was holding but she either swallowed or spit early but in her place a yellow lab is now holding.
We have a 150 and do weekly water changes and they must love it cause they are always at it.

 

[Mouth-Brooder-Fanatic]

ok so how do you intend to do the spitting/stripping?

 

[fishcakes]

That's just it I'm not sure.
I have had many successful holding females let go on their own when separated in the breeding box. So I either pick just 3 out and do that or I take water from the 150 and cycle the eclipse and strip the fry of all into there as I think they are ready.

 

[Mouth-Brooder-Fanatic]

what if oyu borrow some of the filter media from the 150? the water doesnt make much difference, its the bacteria in the filter that matters. im cycling my 20g right now by putting half the media in my established tank and half running in the 20 and its gonna mean fish in there sooner.
imo stripping all the fri into a cycled separate tank is best, but until then you could have the more urgent spitting females in the breeder nets?

 

[fishcakes]

I see what your saying: put the more ready females in the box until the tank is ready. And I know just what media to use.
Question: what is the advantage to not using any substrate on the bottom of the tank?

 

[Mouth-Brooder-Fanatic]

no substrate means the fry have easy access to food

 

[fishcakes]

Make sense.

 

[Mouth-Brooder-Fanatic]

have you looked in the mouths of the holding females? dont lift them out of the tank, just watch through the glass. if you see little eyes, you're gonna want to put the female in the breeder box!

 

[fishcakes]

My best time to watch is late evening when the whole rank is calm. So that is my plan tonight. I'm also going to try to get some pics.

 

[fishcakes]

The jacobfreibergi played a good one on me. I put her in the box and she played as thought she was no longer holding, she even pooed a little. So as I picked her up to put her back in the main tank she spit two fry out they still had yoke, but it was too late I already dropped her back in the main tank. I put a white tail acei in who let her fry out so I feed them she picked them back up when they were done along with the jacobfreibergi fry the other acei's fry are now near ready. And the ob is not ready either.

 

[Mouth-Brooder-Fanatic]

you sound like you have this in hand! well done, im assuming the fry have gone into breeding nets? whats happening to the 20?
and the jacobfreibergi, is she still holding the other babies? id love some fry pics btw

 

[fishcakes]

The fry that were spit out were alowed to eat and then she took them back in her mouth. I'm not going to strip her till the actual tank is fully cycled.
The new grow out tank is a eclipse 3 it for now has a back up filter as I have to get some parts for the hood filter.

 

[Mouth-Brooder-Fanatic]

looks like the perfect grow out tank, nice
keep us updated if anything happens