Plz help babies maybe?

[TheCommunityCichlid]

Nevermind I guess they will eat just offer small amounts every once in awhile

 

[Mlani]

I put a couple shrimp pellets in with her and some flake along with a couple floating and sinking pellets when I put her in the tiny tank. Thank you so much for talking me through this.

 

[TheCommunityCichlid]

No problem just make sure to not over feed, she needs maybe two floating pellets a day

 

[Mlani]

Oops lol! I keep doing the wrong things. Tomorrow I won't add any or maybe I'll scoop out what's sitting/floating in there now? I really don't want to bug her though. Should I keep the lights out the whole time she's in there?

 

[TheCommunityCichlid]

No don't treat her any different. To get mine out i had to take everything out and cause them around and they didn't drop so you have done a good job so far. I would take the extra food out

 

[Mlani]

Ok I'll scoop it out now. It's five past midnight and I'm sitting here waiting for her to spit. I'm sort of getting an idea of why men "pace" in the hallway waiting for their babies.

 

[TheCommunityCichlid]

She could take a week to be ready to spit. She will lay eggs then pick them up in her mouth and have them fertilized in her mouth then hatch in her mouth. Then she will spit them when they can swim on their own

 

[Mlani]

..so there's a chance I may not see babies because I could've taken her out of the tank before they got fertilized? I know when I look in her mouth I can see bumps I dunno if they're eggs or heads she won't stay still long enough for me to get a good look.

 

[TheCommunityCichlid]

If you can tell then she probably is fertilized.

 

[Mlani]

She's the smallest one in that tank. If anyone of them was going to end up with babies I would've thought it would be the more mature ones. I don't even know who would've fertilized them. Too funny I've gone from "omg I don't want babies!" To "I hope she is fertilized cause I kind of want to see what the babies will look like" in a matter of mins here lol!

 

[TheCommunityCichlid]

Yes mine where 1.5 inches when I noticed. They can carry when they are pretty small if the conditions are right. What else is in the tank?

 

[Mlani]

I'm really not good with the names. Half of them I can't even pronounce never mind spell. So please bare with me as I try to explain what I have lol! I have a dayglow (I'm using all the Unscientific names lol) two electric blues (b&g) two that I don't know the names of they go completely black except their fins go bright bright red one that is greenish blue but looks like camo (the pattern on him) you know I should really search them out and find what their names are. I had them written down at one point but I lost the paper. I have a few more too but I'm getting embarrassed that I don't know the names lol

 

[Mlani]

If you look in my profile under the 65 there are some of them in there.

 

[Mlani]

Still no sign of babies :-( I am sort of hoping she was in there long enough to fertilize. Not going to lie I'm a bit excited now.

 

[Mlani]

Is it normal for her to be getting black speckles on her face and body?

 

[TheCommunityCichlid]

Still no sign of babies :-( I am sort of hoping she was in there long enough to fertilize. Not going to lie I'm a bit excited now.

Like I said could be weeks till you see any. If you noticed the bulge she is fertilized. I'm not familiar with bumblebee holding it could be normal for her to have specks.

 

[Mlani]

She still has a bump and I've been trying all day to sneak a peek inside her mouth. Lol! She's so small though and fast I haven't been able to get a real clear look.

 

[Mlani]

I see little black eyes!! Must be getting close now?

 

[Mlani]

I know I keep bugging but I just want to make sure I'm doing this right. Now that I can see the babies inside her mouth should I be stripping her? Or just let her spit them on her own? I've read most people strip them before they're even fry and then incubate the eggs. Others wait until they see eyes (like I can now) and then strip them because the fish(mom) may not know what to do and end up eating them. What do you think I should do? Leave her or strip her?

 

[TheCommunityCichlid]

I know I keep bugging but I just want to make sure I'm doing this right. Now that I can see the babies inside her mouth should I be stripping her? Or just let her spit them on her own? I've read most people strip them before they're even fry and then incubate the eggs. Others wait until they see eyes (like I can now) and then strip them because the fish(mom) may not know what to do and end up eating them. What do you think I should do? Leave her or strip her?

You will probably want to wait a bit longer so they are developed better