[why_spyder]

I have a wild pair of Cynotilapia sp. black mbamba Lupingu.

I've had these two for about 2 - 2.5 years, and they have only spawned once. It took about a year to get them to spawn the first time, and now they have finally spawned again. :thumb:

I don't remember what encouraged them to spawn before, but I know what I did this time to get them in the mood. Four days ago, I did a 75% waterchange (I clean the gravel each waterchange), and Clout'd the tank, and stopped feeding the tank. *I Clout'd the tank as a precaution - I've got some fish leaving my tank and wanted to make sure I wasn't passing anything on to the next guy. I haven't had any sickness/disease/signs of bloat for quite a long time - so there was nothing wrong with the tank to speak of.*

The following day didn't do anything to the tank, and didn't feed the tank. Two days ago I noticed the female had fattened up - did some rearranging of the tank and did another water change, and still hadn't fed the tank. Yesterday, the female was still fattened up in the morning and in the afternoon/early evening she was holding.

This female held full term before and I'm hoping she will hold full term again. Unfortunately I really don't have a fry tank setup - but I have some 10's and a 20 I could toss up should really want to keep the fry (I think I want the fry).

I'm starting to wonder if the latest storms have had an effect as well on the fishes' mood. The only other spawn, at this time, is from my Lab. chisumulae, and I've waited for them to spawn for 6 - 8 months. :wink:

Has anyone else waited this long for a spawn from an mbuna?

 

[Gibbs]

Just to start, Keep the fry!!! :lol:
They will be F1's, the next best thing is what you already have, 'wild'. The strain will be pure and strong.

My Elongatus spawned a few days after i adding them to the tank, much to my surprise. But at the moment not alot is happening, the male is trying as hard as he can but the females just don't seem interested.
I might try your trick of starving them for a few days to see what that does :thumb:

 

[copasetic]

thats a nice female.. Some afra females seem brown but that variant and my mbenji island afra have purple females i love it!

 

[padlock 08]

i have only managed 2 spawn fry once (my female red-top zebra released the eggs in the main tank) and after about 4 days the female was being harrassed so badly by the male i had 2 move her to a different tank where she survived on her own for about a week but eventually she died . i now am building up my stocks of females again, heres my stock: 1m 3f aulonocara sp "iwanda", 1 m albino red-top zebra(father of fry), 2m red-top zebra(fry), 1 m/f(i dont know!!) metriaclima estherae (red), 2m metriaclima callainos, 1m 2f metriaclima zebra (small). I also have 1m melanochromis johannii and 1m astatotilapia burtoni which are for sale. i only did water changes twice a month but am stepping it up to once a week now maybe i will try that starving the tank thing when i have a few females for every male. what do you think? any clues on whether that metriaclima estherae is male or female? it is about 4 inches long now and has been that size for about 9 months so i think its fully grown

 

[why_spyder]

What size tank do you have? With all those Metriaclima species in there, you really have to be careful trying to spawn anything - especially with any that are similar looking.

 

[Dewdrop]

I have albino socolofi and albino auratus that I've had almost a year with no successful spawns from. I have seen them holding a couple times but never full term ....yet.
I agree, a big water change puts them in the "mood". My maingano are having fry left and right.

 

[exasperatus2002]

I have a wild pair of Cynotilapia sp. black mbamba Lupingu.

I'm starting to wonder if the latest storms have had an effect as well on the fishes' mood. The only other spawn, at this time, is from my Lab. chisumulae, and I've waited for them to spawn for 6 - 8 months. :wink:

quote]

I used to have discus that would only spawn after a storm front moved in. No matter what I did regarding water changes. Yes, they are attuned to barometric pressure & weather fronts.

 

[why_spyder]

I have always found it amazing at the senses that some animals possess.