I just noticed that my electric cichlid is holding. I have had them for 3 months now and they are 2 1/2 inches to 3 inches. She might have started holding a few days ago. There is 5 electric labs all together and for sure two dominate males. Also 5 cobalt, 1 strawberry peacock, and 2 OB zebras in a 55 gallon tank. She has been hanging out at the top of the tank all day and been picked on a bit. her tail is also a bit torn up, probably from mating though. I am going away in 4 days for 8 days. It says they hold from 14 days to 21 days. So it might be the day I get back home. What should I do once I see the babies? catch them and put them into a 10g? or when I get home if she still hasn't let the babies out, put her into the 10g? I have no idea!!! help please! thank you!!
Electric Yellow Cichlid holding??
- Thread starter mariah
- Start date
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erikmoseley
Aquarium Advice Addict
I wish I could help but I set up a 36 gallon intending to use for dry and then I noticed the mom not holding anymore and added community fish as I'm mr impatient. Of course now I have anothe fish holding and don't know what to do! She's due to spit like a few days ago and hasn't I figures I'd try an catch them and set up te spare 10 gallon of/ when she spits. Good luck. I'd say move her prior if she's getting picks on
The boring name
Aquarium Advice FINatic
I also have a holding female do u have a spare cycled tank now?
I don't have an extra tank no... i have another electric yellow lab in a 10 gallon for about a month now because she was picked on and then had a fungus infection about 2 weeks ago. If i really had to i could try and sell her in 3 days and move the other female into the 10 gallon?
kjacks
Aquarium Advice FINatic
You can just leave her in the tank if you dont want the fry when she spits the other fish will eat the babies some may survive in your tank although in mine 100% get eaten
I don't really have a tank for them or anything.... but i had lots of guppies and loved raising them so it would be nice to have some... but then once they are older if there is like 5 can they go in with the adults?
kjacks
Aquarium Advice FINatic
Yea but they are prolly gonna have more then 5 although you may be able to bring them to a lfs once they are bigger for a store credit
Okay yeah there will prob be a lot more lol. I don't have luck with selling them to eye pet stores but craigs list works. Is it basically the same as raising baby guppies? I would feed tropical tinyy flakes and maybe some blood worms. If i miss this round ill put her in the 10g by herself next time
If she gets moved to a 10g and she spits the babies out. Will she then eat them like any cichlid would??
Camek
Aquarium Advice Apprentice
- Joined
- Jun 18, 2013
- Messages
- 16
You could put her into the smaller tank before you leave. Chances are she will still be holding when you get back. I have had electric yellows put out fry a dozen times and there will be 20 or 30 of them. She should hold for a while, I force my to left them go after 3 weeks by putting them in a tupaware container with tank water and gently hold their mouth open and move them back and forth, she will spit them out. She might eat some if she is in the tank with them because she has gone so long without food, but would rather eat the food provided by you. I would then take the fry and put them into a goldfish bowl with air for a few weeks but if you have a 10g I'd leave them there alone. I had 3 big jack dempseys and about 8 cichlids in the tank and they didn't mess with the babies much after they get about a half inch long. I even let her release the fry in that tank a few times and one or 2 would survive.
Okay so the plan i would have would be then To try and sell the current cichlid in the 10g. Then catch the cichlid that's holding from the 55 and put her into the 10g the whole time tell I'm back. Would i then not get my house sitter do even put some food in the tank for her??? It looked like she might have eaten a small flake today. The second plan would be, if i can't sell the cichlid in time, i will then keep everything like it is then try and sell her as soon as i get home and then move her over. She will have been holding them for about 15 days at that point. I know how to strip them but wouldn't want to... also there is no egg tumbler things around where i live.
erikmoseley
Aquarium Advice Addict
At 15 days she will still be holding. So that should take the spit factor out. Up to you if you leave or move her. My lone fish thy held prior to the one I have now either ate the eggs or spit when I wasn't home and they got eaten.
Okay then yes maybe i will... just leave her? And if i see babies then i will catch them. Its not like she is never going to do it again and then i will have more time to have a tank ready
erikmoseley
Aquarium Advice Addict
Exactly the way I approached it! I'm not looking to make money off breeding but if it happens then it happens! I've heard that the first couple times they hold that trying to catch the female stresses them and they usually swallow the eggs anyway. It's almost like a practice round for them I have one holding now and plan to catch babies IFFFF she ever spits and am curious if info catch them if they'll be ok in my tetra tank or not. I'm going with the trial and error approach! Good luck
Haha yes everything is trial and error. You just never know! You can't even make money at it unless you breed lots of them and have lots of extra tanks. I breed guppies for a bit and then sold them all cheap or free when they started getting out of hand lol. I was up to like 50 in each 10g and i had 3. then a 5 gallon for baby guppies and then a 2 gallon inside that cus i didn't have an extra heater for the new borns. I don't want to go full board... just a few so i can say i raised them and so i don't have to go out and buy them lol. I do have my betta in a 2 gallon with a heater now (don't know how well it works) and bubbles so i could put him into where he is actually suppose to go which is the 10g and the babies in the 2g until they grow then switch them.
How can you tell she is getting close to let them go?? I got home yesterday from being away and her mouth is bigger. Its been like 11 days and under her chin is black
kjacks
Aquarium Advice FINatic
I usualky just count the days down mine have spit (released fry) anywhere from day 15-30.. depends on the fish usually first time takes longer unless u catch her and make her spit but i think.you should wait longer and as its her first time you could stress her n make her swallow them ..
Also the bigger they get you can see the moving in her mouth if she lets you get a good look.. mine usually just come close to kinda show me they are ok and then back into hiding
Also the bigger they get you can see the moving in her mouth if she lets you get a good look.. mine usually just come close to kinda show me they are ok and then back into hiding
Okay. Yes i am going to leave her and just let her do her things. I am selling the cichlid from the 10g just to have a spare tank. If i don't get babies then maybe next time. I want to know if she breed with another electric yellow.... maybe another fish? Also, she has liver spots. She use to hang out at the back of the tank in the middle by the filter and now its the very top right corner
kjacks
Aquarium Advice FINatic
Liver Spots ? Mayb you can be a bit more clear or take a photo
They tend to change up some when holding mine usually hang at the top by the heater or just the back of the tank in general as a protective parent ...
They tend to change up some when holding mine usually hang at the top by the heater or just the back of the tank in general as a protective parent ...
LaCichlids318
Aquarium Advice Regular
Cichlid breeder
Well I can tell you what I would do. Sell the lab in the 10g as you have mentioned or if she is healed move her to your display tank, then clean the 10 g and quick cycle it, to ensure there is no lingering sickness in the water. Move your holding female to your 10g tank and since ur not 100% on what day she began holding just assume the day u noticed her was day 1, count 18 days from that (normally I wait until about 21 days, but since your unsure of the day, 18 days wouldnt be a bad idea.) and strip the babies from her. I know you said you wasnt really wanting to strip her but its kind of a choice thing; choice 1: dont strip her and theres a good chance she eats the fry, or choice 2: strip her at 18 days and get some if not all free swimmers and have a much greater survival chance for the fry.
Helpful Hints:
You said theres no egg tumblers or anything in your area, they are super easy to DIY project, and if you do use the method I have outlined for you, your gonna need a sponge filter in your 10 gallon tank, else your fry will be sucked right into your filter system(also a very easy DIY project) OR just cut a piece of sponge to fit over the end of your current filter intake on that tank. I will give you some video names to search on youtube since im not 100% sure on the link rules on this forum.
On youtube search:
(DIY sponge filter)- "How to Make a Air Powered Sponge Filter" will be the first non promoted video.
(Quick cycle your tank)- "Easy way to cycle your tank!" or "Cycle a fish tank in 3 minutes"
(DIY Egg Tumbler)- "Quick, Cheap, and Easy DIY Egg Tumbler" first non promoted video.
I have no intentions of under minding you with my tips here, I just dont know how experienced you are or are not, and I want the best of success for you and your fry.
Long Live Cichlids!!
Well I can tell you what I would do. Sell the lab in the 10g as you have mentioned or if she is healed move her to your display tank, then clean the 10 g and quick cycle it, to ensure there is no lingering sickness in the water. Move your holding female to your 10g tank and since ur not 100% on what day she began holding just assume the day u noticed her was day 1, count 18 days from that (normally I wait until about 21 days, but since your unsure of the day, 18 days wouldnt be a bad idea.) and strip the babies from her. I know you said you wasnt really wanting to strip her but its kind of a choice thing; choice 1: dont strip her and theres a good chance she eats the fry, or choice 2: strip her at 18 days and get some if not all free swimmers and have a much greater survival chance for the fry.
Helpful Hints:
You said theres no egg tumblers or anything in your area, they are super easy to DIY project, and if you do use the method I have outlined for you, your gonna need a sponge filter in your 10 gallon tank, else your fry will be sucked right into your filter system(also a very easy DIY project) OR just cut a piece of sponge to fit over the end of your current filter intake on that tank. I will give you some video names to search on youtube since im not 100% sure on the link rules on this forum.
On youtube search:
(DIY sponge filter)- "How to Make a Air Powered Sponge Filter" will be the first non promoted video.
(Quick cycle your tank)- "Easy way to cycle your tank!" or "Cycle a fish tank in 3 minutes"
(DIY Egg Tumbler)- "Quick, Cheap, and Easy DIY Egg Tumbler" first non promoted video.
I have no intentions of under minding you with my tips here, I just dont know how experienced you are or are not, and I want the best of success for you and your fry.
Long Live Cichlids!!
