[hyster104]

I believe I have a M. Auratus that is holding in my 70g tank. Is it ok to just leave her in there? I wasn't expecting breeding to happen so quickly(4-6wks). I realize, by leaving her in there, that most of the fry will not make it. (I had Frontosas breed twice without knowing and 6 of them survived without anything special being done) The tank has a good amount of rockwork for them to hide in, and I could add more if need be(I've read the term "fry pile" mentioned quite bit on here).

current stock list:
5 M. Auratus (1m 4f...possibly 2m 3f) ~ 2-3"
4 RT BB Zebra (2m 2f) ~ 3-4"
5 Yellow Labs (1m 4f) ~ 1.5"
5 Red Scats ~ 1"

I guess the question is...What happens if I leave her there?...she survives, spits fry that may/may not survive OR she can't survive in there while holding?

 

[DJRansome]

She can survive and her fry may or may not survive. I usually have at least one mbuna fry per clutch survive in the tank.

Keep an eye on the males in case they harass her. Auratus are infamous for doing best as a single male in a 75G tank with a large number females (7-8?) to spread the aggression.

 

[hyster104]

Thanks DJ.

I wasn't sure if the others would interpret her 'different' behavior as being sick/weak and pick on her. I'll leave her in there and keep an eye on her.

As for the m/f ratio...when I got the 6 home, it appeared clear that they were 1m/5f...one of them is questionable to my inexperienced eye...could be female that keeps fading her colors, if it does end up being an extra male I will remove him