Replacing Mom
1 - 9 of 9 Posts
I'm still a novice, but so far my opinion is to put her back right away. I tried to fatten up a mom that had lost a lot of weight but I didn't have a big tank and she never relaxed in the small tank I put her in (even though I gave her rocks and things). She really didn't gain much so I finally put her back in the 75G where she is currently doing fine. On the other hand I have put a female right back in the 75G after stripping and the next day she was 'at the front of the line' at feeding time. 
Well....I would normally have agreed with you...except...
The first lab I saw holding, I took her out. I actually noticed bigger babies in the tank which had survived from a previous hold. Got the two of them out too. Put them in a 10g.
She soon spit. Then I saw a second Mom four days later. I (took all the rocks out again) added her to the 10. However, Mom #1 starting picking on Mom #2 who was still holding.
So, I took Mom #1, and reintroduced her at night (lights off), and she was fine. However, Mom #1 is now holding again, about 4-5 days later. I worry now that she'll be half dead by the time she spits the second time.
So.....going to hold out on Mom #2 until she fattens back up. I keep rocks in there so she's settled in as best she can in such a small tank. I'll move her out when I move Mom #1 in again I guess. I really hope I didn't kill Mom #1 by reintroducing her so soon :?
The first lab I saw holding, I took her out. I actually noticed bigger babies in the tank which had survived from a previous hold. Got the two of them out too. Put them in a 10g.
She soon spit. Then I saw a second Mom four days later. I (took all the rocks out again) added her to the 10. However, Mom #1 starting picking on Mom #2 who was still holding.
So, I took Mom #1, and reintroduced her at night (lights off), and she was fine. However, Mom #1 is now holding again, about 4-5 days later. I worry now that she'll be half dead by the time she spits the second time.
So.....going to hold out on Mom #2 until she fattens back up. I keep rocks in there so she's settled in as best she can in such a small tank. I'll move her out when I move Mom #1 in again I guess. I really hope I didn't kill Mom #1 by reintroducing her so soon :?I sympathize with you. My first yellow lab mother did just what yours did. I isolated her in a 10G, she spat her fry, I returned her to the 75G soon after, and in short order she was holding again!
For the second batch of fry, I stripped her as soon as they were free-swimming and put them in a breeder net. I kept mom in the 10 and tried to get her to eat and grow, but she really didn't grow (still about 1.5") although she did gain a tiny bit of weight. I don't remember how long I kept her out, but after a few weeks or so I moved her back to the 75 so that I could release the fry from the net.
I was pretty worried about this fish when she turned up holding again so soon, but she managed it fine and is doing well in my main tank. She is taking a breather (hasn't held eggs in 3 months) and has grown slightly. She is smaller than my other labs and may just be a small fish.
In your place, I would strip Mom #1 as soon as I could, so she would start eating, regardless of where I put her afterward. If I didn't really need the fry, I would strip the eggs into the main tank.
For the second batch of fry, I stripped her as soon as they were free-swimming and put them in a breeder net. I kept mom in the 10 and tried to get her to eat and grow, but she really didn't grow (still about 1.5") although she did gain a tiny bit of weight. I don't remember how long I kept her out, but after a few weeks or so I moved her back to the 75 so that I could release the fry from the net.
I was pretty worried about this fish when she turned up holding again so soon, but she managed it fine and is doing well in my main tank. She is taking a breather (hasn't held eggs in 3 months) and has grown slightly. She is smaller than my other labs and may just be a small fish.
In your place, I would strip Mom #1 as soon as I could, so she would start eating, regardless of where I put her afterward. If I didn't really need the fry, I would strip the eggs into the main tank.
I should do that...but man, stripping scares the **** out of me. :lol:
And I just found a third Mom holding in my tank (all 3 yellow labs). Siiiigh. I don't keep any fry. My RZ is female, and she is too stubborn to hold for anyone. I think my blue hybrid is getting everyone pregnant, so the babies are feeders for my CA/SA cichlids. However, my GT is too concerned with me to see what I'm dropping in the tank for her. :roll: I've put in 4. Two are still in there. I think they'll just grow up in there! Even my tiger barbs won't hunt them down. They swim together :? ...................I figure my last hope is the pictus for when the babies sleep. The male con tries to get them but they're too good at hiding and he's just a big disc anyway. He can't fit in the small holes they find (he tries to, and it's really funny).
I don't know what I'm going to do with all these fry. I would normally let them spit in the tank, but they survive in there too! Only a handful, but still, I don't need any more fish in the main. I should add some bottom feeders to get them I suppose.
And I just found a third Mom holding in my tank (all 3 yellow labs). Siiiigh. I don't keep any fry. My RZ is female, and she is too stubborn to hold for anyone. I think my blue hybrid is getting everyone pregnant, so the babies are feeders for my CA/SA cichlids. However, my GT is too concerned with me to see what I'm dropping in the tank for her. :roll: I've put in 4. Two are still in there. I think they'll just grow up in there!
Even my tiger barbs won't hunt them down. They swim together :? ...................I figure my last hope is the pictus for when the babies sleep. The male con tries to get them but they're too good at hiding and he's just a big disc anyway. He can't fit in the small holes they find (he tries to, and it's really funny).I don't know what I'm going to do with all these fry. I would normally let them spit in the tank, but they survive in there too! Only a handful, but still, I don't need any more fish in the main. I should add some bottom feeders to get them I suppose.
I was a little anxious about stripping the first time too, but I've done it about 4 times and I feel ok about in now. It's a little tricky with small fish because the eggs/fry just barely fit through their mouths. Bigger fish have about the same size eggs/fry, they just have more of them.
I'm no expert, but in your place, I would just leave her in the main tank and let her spit naturally (and maybe add some syno's for fry control), unless she looks pretty bad, in which case I would strip her right away.
I'm no expert, but in your place, I would just leave her in the main tank and let her spit naturally (and maybe add some syno's for fry control), unless she looks pretty bad, in which case I would strip her right away.
Yeah they get beat up by everybody in the main (holding immediately drops them to the bottom of the perking order). It's usually not too bad--just some nipped fins, gets pushed out to the outer edges of the tank. When she starts hovering at the top of the water or behind the filter is when I -have- to take her out.
1 - 9 of 9 Posts
