Long time no see! =]

[BigFishSmallPond]

Hello, its been awhile. All my fish are doing well so in that respect no news is the good kind. However, Ii noticed one of my malawi cichlids throats seems a lil bulging and disdended(sp). It appears to be 'with fry" from what i have read in the past. Just thought i'd ask the experts what ya think. So i just noticed it today at feeding time and so i thought she prolly wont eat and sure enough she didnt really. They all normally rush the front of the tank when i come near , but right now she just chills in one area, while the others rush the front. Is there a disease i might b misdiagnosing this as? What symptoms should i look for? she seems fine and healthy otherwise. If so i plan to put her in the ten gallon i have. It only has three ottos in it. Should i move the ottos? THanks in advance to any who give advice. =]

-ak

 

[ssarah30]

Id be interested in hearing the replies as I to have ( I think ) a holding Kenyi. She looks like she has a mouth full of marbles and just sits ( like yours ) at the bottom of the tank. I have made her a ' Slate Cave' where she sits now and she too isnt feeding ( although she still comes up at feeding time and doesnt take anything ) She has been like this for a couple of weeks now. Is the holding time around 21 days??

 

[freddyk]

That disease certainly sounds like holding to me. Chances are the oto's would be ignored, but it's probably best not to take the chance. Holding is 21 to over 30 days depending on species and age and stubburness of the holding female. Sometimes they'll take a little food along the way, but not always.

 

[BigFishSmallPond]

Hehe great thanks for the replies =]. How soon should she be seperated from the other fish? If i do put her in the 10 gallon where the ottos are i can always transplant them to my 25 gallon gouramis tank for a lil while =] thanks for the advice.

 

[loafybones]

You don't really need to seperate her. The Fry will hide and they are REALLY good at it! I thought I'd lost all of my Yellow lab fry and sure enough one emerged about 3 weeks after the female spit! If you really want to separate her though that's fine too.

 

[BigFishSmallPond]

Ok they will be fine in a 45 gallon with 8 other mbuna? TIA =]
-ak

 

[freddyk]

If you just leave them then you may get one or two survivors, and maybe not. If you actually wanted to raise the brood you'll need to seperate her. I prefer to wait until she's almost done her holding period, that way if she spits from the transfer, which could happen, the fry will already be free of yolk sacs and ready to go.

 

[BigFishSmallPond]

ok so wait 20 days or so then transfer her. Yah i was worried bout transferring her with a mouthful and stressing her out =]

 

[Bottom Dweller]

I had a zebra who was holding. Put her in a plastic breeder ( 6 bucks at petco) that hangs in my 75 gal. tank with all the other fish. I think I put her in ther about 3 weeks or so from when I noticed she was holding. Sure enough she spit em out and I put her back with the others. I got 6 little ones growing nicely in the breeder thing. She is once again holding. The previous times she was holding I just left her in the tank and no fry survived.

Ms. Elec. yellow is now also holding in another breeder thingie next to the zebra fry.