Stripping Fry

[jon carman]

When I see a female holding, I give her about 15-20 days to hold fry in her mouth before stripping. I catch female in a net and have a bucket ready with tank water in it. I grab female out of net very gently and I have a toothpick or a pointy object ready. I then pry the females mouth open and dunk her head in and out of the water in the bucket. This will make her release the fry. You need to be very gentle because this process is stressful on the fish. I then put the female back in the tank and add a little stress coat because I removed a little bit of her slime coat in the process. I take the fry and put them in a grow out tank or add a sponge filter to the bucket. I use this process in order to breed several different types of Malawi's in the same tank with synodontis and calvus present.

[angel]

Thanks Jon! What was the fry you gave me yesterday? I did one of my forgetful things again in all the excitement.

[pattycakes]

Angel they are red top marmalade cats. I do not strip fry. In my personal opinion it is to stressful. I let them spit in a tank alone. I move them between 10 and 14 days to a tank. leave them until they spit then after a couple of days mom goes back. i know most people do but this is just my own judgement.

[jon carman]

Red Top Marmalade Labeotropheus Trewavasae

[angel]

Awesome! That's one of the fish I was really interested in! You know, he or she does look like that even small. With its little dorsal fin sticking up like the pic you posted. Thanks again Jon!

[jon carman]

Angel here's dad and mom:



SMILE!
male


Female

[angel]

Kind of funny...it was one of these I was really interested in at the Critter but the guy wasn't all that interested in making the sale. Now I've got one!

[jon carman]

These are some of my favorite mbuna, I like how they have a fleshy nose that overlaps their mouth.

[angel]

That's what had me wanting it.

[allierw]

Nice pics! I also strip when I want to raise fry. I use a plastic spoon to open their mouths and it works pretty well.

[tomtom]

im with Jon till the toothpic ,if you gently hold her over what ever you putting them in she will start to spit them out it usually takes less than 3 min but then its over with no more stress on anybody,put her back where you want and feed her, again i know theres 100s of ways but this way works and has worked awesome and no one including fry or mom get hurt or overly stressed and makes the whole process very simple. i think the longer the fish hold ESPECIALLY if she is in with males the more stress on them again just my opinion,from the looks and sounds of thing weve all been pretty succesful which as i always say "there more than one way to skin cat(get fry from a female) i have a feamle that is some years old and she now spits them as soon as i get her in the net,wish they were all that easy,,lol

[tomtom]

by the way very awesome pics and fish

[ricoll]

Should you strip your fry or let the female release on her own?

Thanks
Rico

[jon carman]

Rico- It matters- My fish are in a community tank, so I must strip or the catfish will eat them. If you remove the female and put her in a tank by herself you can let nature take its coarse. If you have a egg tumbler you can strip right from the start and rebreed the female. I personally don't do it that way, but that's the way to get the most fry the quickest.

[ricoll]

Thank you for the advice Jon. It really matters to me what is best for my fish. I have asked this question at other sites and have been blown off, thank you for the quick serious answer.

Thanks
Rico