[baza]

hi

I just purchased my first 3 electric yellows, they are around 3-4cm with the male being closer to 5cm. I am sure that he is a male as he has very dark anal and ventral fins compared to the other two. He just sits in the same spot in his cave and does not come out to eat. He has only eaten once since I got them two days ago. The other two are fine swimming around together. Could he be sexually mature and be trying to lure a female to his cave? if so do they stop eatin g when doing this. At what size will the females be keen to breed with him?

Thanks

 

[xclub]

Your Lab. Caerleus Females, according to their size and my experience are ready to breed, but my experience also tells me that very dark anal and ventral fins are not 100% sure identifier that he is actually male. Dominant females also have dark, sometimes very dark fines…I am not telling you that you are wrong but I just want to give you this info.

First check the mouth of this fish try to see does he have a "bag" under his mouth in which she carries the eggs ( I am sorry but I don't know the English word for this "bag"&#8230 if not he could be sick or something like that. Check out his stomach is it belly or not and check out his aspiration

 

[Adrnalnrsh]

It's called a buccal cavity (throat area)

See http://cichlid-forum.com/articles/malaw ... eeding.php

and see

http://cichlid-forum.com/articles/mouthbrooders.php

I also agree with xclub because the first thing that comes to mind when I read the title is that he's actually a she holding.

That's exactly how I went through my first breeding experience was a known female wasn't eating and then like a week or two later I saw her mouth and it was obvious she was holding. Now I have 17 new fry Mbambas

Also note the sitting around in cave, if the fish has made somewhat of a hole in the sand in the location in the cave then I am more than sure this is the case.

So rule this out first then if it is definitely a male then we can look at other possible scenarios.

 

[xclub]

Thank you for the English name shame on me...

I could not remember it and I couldn't open **** internet page to check the name out...

 

[MalawiLover]

Yellow labs can not be sexed visually. Only venting or having a female hold (which does not always mean there is actually a male present) is 100% accurate with monomorphic (both sexes look identical) species.

Two of my female lab have much heavier black marking than the male, and one has more egg spots, but they both hold full term and produce fry.

 

[baza]

hi

Thanks for the responses. Wow how do the eggs get fertilized without a male present. I hope and wish it was holding but I only got it from the fish shop like 3 days ago and it hasnt eaten since the first day so it couldnt be holding could it? Can they get pregnant in a fish shop with a tank full of other yellows?

thanks

 

[DJRansome]

Yes the fish could be holding eggs picked up while in the fish store tank with other labs. And it also happens that a female without a male in the tank will drop eggs and pick them up in her mouth. In this case they will NOT be fertilized and she will probably spit them out or swallow them within a week or so.

 

[MalawiLover]

And it also happens that a female without a male in the tank will drop eggs and pick them up in her mouth. In this case they will NOT be fertilized and she will probably spit them out or swallow them within a week or so.

My females socolofi have been doing this since I lost the adult male. Its very normal. Every couple of weeks two of them will start circling. Next time I look in the tank, one has a mouthful of eggs. They get swallowed after a few days, then they start the circling again.

 

[nchoe123]

my yellow lab female had egg spots... so that's even not a surefire sign. but she doesn't have the black fins of the (likely) males-- which are noticeably bigger and more aggressive.