Lake Malawi Species • Stripping a demasoni?

[xltom]

Hey there,
I just switched all my africans to a 75 gallon(from a 38gal.) and one of my three remaining demasoni is holding. I made my first attempt at stripping fry 12 days later but nothing came out. I wasn't very rough with her. I used a whole credit card and her mouth is very small. After my failure, I put her in a net breeder. Who thinks I should just let her spit where she is, and who thinks I should give it another try? When? Thanks guys..........big tom

[JLui83]

#1. Don't try strripping before 21 days unless you have a tumbler.
#2. get her out of a net breeder......This will only stress her out even more.

[yogurtpooh]

i say just leave her in the breeding net and try again later. Being in the net will seperate her from the aggressive males and give her a chance to relax.

[JLui83]

wow, your very wrong about the Breeding net and relaxing.. How would you like to be kept in a cage???

Take her out and put her in a 10 gal tank or 5 1/2 gal. Strip them at 3 weeks.

[punman]

Maybe your credit card was expired??!!
I use the flat edge (not the point) of a toothpick. Be sure she has been holding close to three weeks though.

[cichlidaholic]

wow, your very wrong about the Breeding net and relaxing.. How would you like to be kept in a cage???

She's fine in the breeder net, probably less stressed than she would be in the main tank. It's always best if you can put them in a tank of their own, but sometimes you just don't have the space. Demasoni aren't large enough that the breeder net should be a problem. I always put some fake silk "vine" in the net with moms, just to give them a bit of cover and make them feel safer.

Stripping is safe after 18 days.

Did you see any eggs when you tried to strip her?

With my holding female demasoni, they started out pretty young. I used a turkey baster to strip them when necessary...I found it hard to hold such a small fish without hurting it.

You just take a turkey baster (as long as she isn't large enough to get stuck ) and submerge it in the tank water you plan to put the fry in. Remove the bulb, slip the mom in face down, replace the bulb, holding the baster under water the entire time. After a few gentle squeezes of the bulb, she will release the fry into the baster and they will shoot out into the tank. Don't have the baster too close to the substrate or tank bottom, and make sure you do it nice and easy!

It's the easiest way in the world to strip small moms!

Kim

[xltom]

thanks Kim/everyone!
I have a turkey baster that she would fit quite nicely in. She was pretty stressed when she first went into the breeder but has accepted her confinement. I'm not sure if she swallowed or not though. Time will tell I guess.. Today is #14.....Keep ya posted!

[TheeMon]

kim, i use this stuff called "guppy grass" aka naja grass, and i fill my fry tanks/holding mother tanks, the mothers love to hide in it, #%$& they might even nibble on it... they eat food in the main tank so prolly... and the fry eat it like candy

[Tula]

I also keep my holding demasoni females in a breeding net due to the fact that the larger fry in my 30 gallon fry tank apparently were eating newly released fry. I'n order to keep her calm and feel safe i put a piece of PVC pipe in there for her to hide in. My females are still pretty small though so i can use a small PVC without putting too much weight on the net.

[yogurtpooh]

wow, your very wrong about the Breeding net and relaxing.. How would you like to be kept in a cage???

Take her out and put her in a 10 gal tank or 5 1/2 gal. Strip them at 3 weeks.

well I wouldn't like to be kept in a tank either but oh well...