Pete had it right in post #16 of this thread (I've witnessed Mbuna spawning events multiple times) that the eggs are collected by the female after fertilization:
The pair will circle a spot in the tank (usually a flat surface or within a protected cave), the male will stop and shake which induces the female to release a few eggs. They circle again and the male stops to fertilizes them. They circle again and the female stops to collects them. The process repeats until all eggs (12-40) have been released, fertilized and collected.
The mother spits them out when she senses they are ready. I've seen Mbuna moms spit fry in as few as 14 days following the spawning event to as many as 36 days (though the average is about 18-21 days).
In a maternity tank, I've had mbunas spit 30+ fry on day 20, collect them back when I approached the tank and re-release them 4 days later.
While it's more likely that a in a maternity tank with just mom and her fry, she will take them in again when sensing they need protection, it's a bit harder to do in the main display tank. The fry will typically scatter to find hiding spots (most eventually will fall to predation by the other fish).
To maximize fry survival, I either relocate the mother to her own tank about 12 days following the spawn.
What will you do with all those hybrid fry?
You are right about the the fertilization, I was going by what I read in several articles the easiest to fallow was on sexing and breeding on this site,
www.aqua-fish.net but it turns out that the process I described is how Peacock Cichlids do it. I saw the cichlid and the Malawi lake in the article and I misread it. Very sorry to all. I will be in less of a rush next time.
I already have Rainbow (momma) in a tank by herself. I want the little guys to be as safe as possible.
As far as the fry go I don't have the room for them in my tanks and I don't want them breeding with each other when they mature. So I plan on selling them on craigslist for a couple dollars each, free is never a good idea with living creatures. If they get it for free it's no loss if they forget to take care of it, so I'll only charge a little less than half of what mbunas cost at a FS.
I will also tell anyone who want to buy any that they are Kenyi/Red Top Hybrids and let them see Momma Rainbow and Poppa Charlie. Unlike a lot of FS that call the assorted African cichlids.
I figure the fry will either come out looking amazing because of their differences or they will come out muddy brown, who knows.
Now I have a question. How long after momma spits them out, hold that thought.
I almost forgot I didn't mean the fry just swim out of her mouth all willy nilly although way I wrote it does sound that way. I know it's momma who makes that decision, I wasn't very clear on that in how I worded it.
Back to my question, how soon after momma spits the fry out can they be safely given away?
As I said this is my first time with any type of fry so I have no idea how old they need to be. I don't mean what is the earliest but more of what age is the best to ensure their survival when move to someone else's tank?
cant wait to see pics..
. The close up of Charlies face is almost his actual size, he's a little bigger than the picture.
