[pit2005]

Saw this guy at my LFS in the assorted tank and want an Id before i buy he is about 1 inch so still very small

And on another note i know what this fish it but here lately she has been getting fatter and was wondering if she is pregnant.

 

[nmonigold87]

To me the top one looks like a Tawian Reef and the second looks like a Melanochromis Auratus. Im by no means an expert please correct me if I'm wrong

 

[pit2005]

Yeah i know what the second one is i was just wondering if she was pregnant or just fat. And i was always wondering about the top being a taiwan reef.

 

[GTZ]

Yeah i know what the second one is i was just wondering if she was pregnant or just fat. And i was always wondering about the top being a taiwan reef.

Fat. Auratus are mouth brooders.

 

[dielikemoviestars]

Definitely fat. Too fat.

 

[christopher1325]

Fat. Auratus are mouth brooders

Just because it is a mouth brooder does not mean it is just fat. Mouth brooders do get pregnant if that is what you want to call it and plump up full of eggs a few days before they lay to be taken into the mouth. What is the size of this auratus are you even sure it is a female?

 

[pit2005]

Well i think it is a female aren't the males black. And it is about 3 inches in length.

 

[24Tropheus]

Dominant males are black.. If no other auratus male in your tank then at 3" pretty safe bet it is female. Never seen a auratus so full of eggs it looked like that. Not sure its just fat may be ill. Though apart from the distended abdomen it looks healthy I guess 2 weeks without food and a dose of Epsom salts might help reduce the swelling.
Please check the poo. If white or stringy or clear and jelly like I would reach for your bloat treatments.

All the best James

 

[pit2005]

will do. Thanks for the help

 

[Rhinox]

My rusty females look like that a few days before they are holding. My first 9 rusty fry are just a half inch in the 10g fry tank barely out a month and I can already tell the female is about to hold again, all puffed up with a little protruding vent sticking out. Has been maybe just a month since I stripped.

Seen the same thing in a yellow lab, thought it was sick, and made a thread here about it. I'll see if I can dig it up. A few days later, she was holding.

yup here's the thread with pics!

 

[christopher1325]

I can already tell the female is about to hold again, all puffed up with a little protruding vent sticking out

This is also how i tell my auratus or any other fish is about to hold. pit2005 why dont you take a look at the vent and see if its swollen and protruding this should tell you if it is bloat or not if the fish is swimming fine with protruding vent i would say it is just eggs and would not treat for bloat.

 

[Guest]

it could be malawi bloat (which is deadly) what are you feeding the auratus?

 

[pit2005]

I feed them aqueon small slow sinking cichlid pellets twice a day. about every three days or so i will throw in some tropical flakes just for a change. And then probably once a week or every two weeks i mix up some blood worms, Spirulina brine shrimp, and some beef hearts.

 

[Guest]

auratus are only supposed to eat vegetable matter.. pellets are made with fish meal..not saying thast what it is.. but if he dies in a few days then you know it was bloat...

 

[football mom]

I would definitely cut out the blood worms and beef heart!

 

[Guest]

i sort of have the same problem Mbunas eat vegetable matter exclusively and haps and peacocks like invertebrates(crusaceans) and insects and regular cichlid pellets/flakes so its hard to feed them all properly when together.. i havent had any problems yet.. but i feed mine the tetra spirunlina flakes(veggie flakes) once at nightthey are quite pricey... then i suppliment with a little bit of pellets and sinking crumbles each night too then bloodworms like once a week... oh and 3 or so times a week i give them algae sheets which they destroy and all seem to love.. i think its jus the ripping it to peices they like cuz once its ripped up they dont seem to care about it that much... i havent had a problem yet ::knock on wood:::

 

[pit2005]

Ok the auratus is still alive and the poop looks like normal fish poop. But no eggs or anything. Is it sick?

 

[pit2005]

The auratus is now holding. She was pregnant.

 

[24Tropheus]

8) Happy to be wrong this time. :wink:

All the best James

 

[Nina_b]

Let us know when she releases her fry and how the whole process went

Pictures are always nice too!