Stripping Fry

[angel]

Anyone ever have a stubborn mother that won't spit? We're past our due release time on one fish and she hasn't spit. I've tried to strip her and she still won't spit. I don't know what to do with her.

[angel]

Well I can answer my own question now. I tried a third time. She finally spit, and what she spit was a ball of eggs and fungus. She was so thin it wasn't even funny.

[jtrotter77]

I use about the same process as Jon.
after about 10 days I place the female in a small container in the main tank.
I keep her there for another 5-10 days, then I follow same process for stripping. Toothpick and dunking her till they are all out. I then release female into main tank again. As for fry for first couple weeks I keep them in they same container in the main tank. (they cant escape and no other fish can get to them) then I move the fry to the growout tank with the other fry around their size. I have allowed them to spit on their own before but usually dont.

[angel]

My fingers are small enough I can usually hold their mouths open without a toothpick but if they're stubborn I use one. It's gotten easy. It just doesn't seem like it until you do it a couple times. I put the babies in a 10 gallon upstairs right away and move them to a larger tank downstairs when they grow some and don't need fed 4 to 5 times a day. Angelfish and bettas seemed more needy with the multiple feedings. The Africans have done fine with just 3 feedings.

[allierw]

I use a plastic spoon--I find it a little gentler than a toothpick. I always strip into a holding tank and return the mom to the regular tank. I haven't stripped any fry in a long time, though.

[signde]

What would be the advantage of stripping over just placing her in a breeding net in the tank and letting her spit when she is ready?

My yellow lab has been holding for about 12 days so I need to figure out a strategy. The stripping process makes me nervous however her not eating for another two weeks makes me nervous too.

[jon carman]

They can turn around and breed again faster. If you don't want hundreds of fry fast, just let nature take its coarse. The female will be fine not eating. If you don't strip them right, well even if you do strip them right, it stresses the female.

[signde]

i'm not looking to get hundreds of fry but this is my first time breeding so i want to try to raise them. i have several fish in the tank including a synodontis which are more than large enough to eat the fry so i can't let her spit them in the tank if i want to keep them.

in my case would putting her in the breeding net be the best option?

are breeding nets extremely stressful for a holding female? from what i have read with yellow labs 3-4 weeks is common before they spit naturally so i think i should wait a bit before i would try to put her in there.

[angel]

I've tried the net with a tang, and it didn't work for me. She was just irate all the time. But it does work for some.

I've stripped fry and I've let them spit in a tank on their own and let them spit in the group tank and let nature take its course. All work out fine. I'm of the opinion you should try everything, but my first fry I did strip them.

[jon carman]

I have had a lot of luck with breeding nets. The main problem with stripping them is that if you do it to early you will have just eggs. If you don't have the egg tumbler they will go bad. So if you have a breeder just put the female there until she spits, then take her out.

[mruble]

I use breeding nets all the time with no problem. Try covering the top of the breeder net (I have thin black acrylic) with something dark - it may be her proximity to bright light that is the actual problem.

[Jess Puff]

I am currently using a breeder net for a rusty that's holding. The top of the net is open but it doesn't seem to get any water circulation. Should I be worried about a lack of oxygen? Or am I just overanalyzing it... LOL

[ree123]

Tiny plastic spoon from Baskin Robbins Ice cream store or a similar store to strip, and a mesh breeder net hung on the parents tank. My old process, and it worked well.
Airstone in net if necessary.

[jon carman]

jess, she should be fine. she wont be eating, and cant move too much. she wont use that much oxygen, and i bet the water is moving more than it appears. if you get concerned you can move net to a place with more movement or add an air stone.

[Jess Puff]

Yea, I kinda thought that might be the case, Jon. I did move the net very close to an air stone and that seemed to help a little. The bad thing is, I don't know how long she's been holding. She's one I rehomed from Brian. I guess I'm just going to wait until she spits instead of stripping her. We'll just see how it goes. She looks pretty big now.