Well just buzzing. :bounce: :bounce: Yesterday noticed one of my females with a gob full of eggs 8) . Yeha. :bounce: :bounce:

I am keen to know how long do other Front breeders leave them in until they strip them of the eggs? I am grateful for any advice please.

hi lynnie, congrats

one of my females is holding for the first time

i am just letting her do her thing until i am sure she is carrying young then will seperate her

i like my females to raise a batch or 2 by themselves, it is just a personal feeling

but i think stripping females for the first few times can possibly lead to them not holding well in the future

again it is just my thoughts

good luck with her

Thank you for the info Livingart. :bounce: Will do this. Just buzzing this end. :bounce: :bounce: :bounce:

yes it is exciting when your dream fish do their thing

i find my brain goes out the window, lol

a useful article here

http://www.practicalfishkeeping.co.uk/p ... icle_id=98

Tim Holliday removes the female one week after first noticing they are holding

Cheers will look at that.

I have had a huge clean out of all my breeding groups of Africans to concentrate on my discus babies. they 3 months old and growing on nicely.

(1st time breeding these too,) so double yeha. :bounce: :bounce: :bounce:

double hail to you

Well done. Now you just have to keep it up.

Thanks Alan.

With all the great advice i get here i am sure things will go well.

Thanks to all for your support over the years.

:bounce: Congrats :bounce:

I can just imagine how excited you must be, I'm along way off from my fronts breeding .. good luck with them

:bounce: Congrats Lynnie :bounce:

congrats but don't get too excited just in case it's not successful. I have found that africans first time holding can be a practise run, especially if they are small. i hope it is successful but won't be surprised if not.

2 of my tropheus females recently held but after 3 days they had no eggs but thats fine, they will get better in time.

its interesting LA comments about the stripping of "first time mums", i have a couple of females that i stripped the first batch & they always give the biggest groups & most often, they are a red zebra & a e yellow so it may be different in fronts. I also had a peacock female that would spit her eggs the moment you tried to net her so IMO that would be down to individual fish.

as i stated just my thoughts

as i stated just my thoughts

i am by no means saying your not correct, we all have different situations & its interesting to discuss

not an expert but been round nature a long time

know of rarer or uncommon species that have lost the ability to care for their young through generations of having their young taken from them

prefer to let nature take its course and only step in as a last resort

just my opinion

My old genetics professor told me that there are normally 2 types of behaviours when it comes to rearing offspring. There is a genetic component - so animals know how to breed without being taught, and also a learned component.

When an animal has been reared by a parent, it makes a better parent - as judged by the health and survival of its offspring when compared to the opposite.

I reckon you should let her hold as normal - and then strip her once the kids are old enough. If she is actually getting weak cause of not eating - she will automatically spit the fry although by that stage, im sure you will have stripped them already.

LA is right - Don't fix nature; it aint broken... yet :lol:

this is true so lucky none of my fish will ever go back to the wild where they will need those skills.

i strip when the fry are free swimming so i'm not short cutting much of it. my fish still hold almost full term.

yet

i left a peacock female to spit this week as i didn't want the fry, no fry are left as the tank mates ate them.

it is true they will never go back to the wild

also true is they aren't at the mercy of natural selection either

so fish breed in aquaia that nature may have taken out of the genetic pool

sorry for the off topic stuff lynnie :oops:

also true is they aren't at the mercy of natural selection either

so fish breed in aquaia that nature may have taken out of the genetic pool

i don't think thats totally true, they are still judged by their peers whether they are strong enough which some aren't, they still compete to breed & the weak fish don't have a chance there.

Thanks to everyone for your words of wisdom.

I have breed many African cichlids and they were all different with holding fry.

I dont care if they lose the first few lots as i am not after the cash to sell on for bubbas just whats best for my group.

I am looking forward to seing my own fry but not going to strip unless i have to.

Cheers to all who replied I enjoy everyone ideas.

Well the eggs are now gone :oops: so pleased i didnt try to strip her. All good now i know they working on it. :lol:

thanks to all who replied with your helpful comments.

it's all about practise - she'll get there eventually

better luck for next time :bounce: :bounce:

i have found first or second time mums don't go the distance, she will get there.

stripping is more about containing the fry around the time they would be released naturally as free swimming fryso the other fish don't eat them rather than depriving them from being cared for by the mother from day one.