why is my holding cichlid still eating???

[mr funktastic]

i have a yellow lab that is holding a batch of fry right now and it is pretty obvious. this isnt a maybe she is maybe she isnt thing i am positive. but i didnt notice it till today since i have been away for a while and havent been watching as closely as i normally do. so when i fed today she swam up looked at it then swam away but then she went back and sucked in a very small sinking pellet. is she maybe trying to get some food for the fry? i thought they didnt eat at all till they release them? any ideas?

[toddnbecka]

Some females do eat a little while they're holding, nothing to worry about.

[mr funktastic]

ok thats a good sign. i want to move her to a 10 gal i have so i can save the fry but will she freak and swallow the fry if i try to catch her? i really want to save this batch since i lost the last batch of fry that my peacock was holding. any tips on how to do this?

[toddnbecka]

Turn off the lights for an hour or two, and net her while she's sleeping. She'll still be almost comatose for a few minutes when you turn them back on to catch her. Have some plastic plants or java moss in the 10 gallon, so she isn't placed into a bare tank, to minimize stress. Turn off the lights soon after she's moved, you shouldn't have any problems. Of course, I'm assuming the 10 is cycled and ready for fish.

[mr funktastic]

ya it already has a bunch of guppies in it and has been running for about a year or so. it has PFS in it but not much else since it was simply a grow out tank. i will add a bunch of live plants for her to nibble on and i can hopefully net her out while she is munching on those. i will have to work on catching her over the next few days. thanks.