Starving Mom Seems Inhuman (i Mean Infishman)

[mikeg]

I know i'm just being a big baby, but 2 weeks ago I noticed that one of my yellow labs looked like she was holding eggs. I immediately put her in a 10g quarentine tank. I keep 2 small cories in there. She looks ok but when I feed the cories, she comes right up to the food and smells the flakes but won't take a bite. How long can she make it with no food. Apparently this is normal - i'm just worried. We lost our family cat unnecessarily 2 weeks ago (14 yr old) and I don't want to starve this gal.

Mike

 

[mamafish68]

try looking into the fish you buy

RESEARCH

 

[paulioo]

try looking into the fish you buy

RESEARCH

Thats a bit harsh dont you think??

If you read the question properly you would have realised the person has research it.."apparently this is normal - im just worried" <== would lead you to believe that they want confirmation of what they have researched.

Anyway.. Yes its perfectly normal for your fish to not eat, they have developed over thousands of years to cope with the 3-4 weeks of not eating while they hold their eggs.

Its nothing to worry about. I'd just make sure the female is fed properly and back to full strength before placing her back into the main tank. Its more than likely she'll be harassed by the male again for more babies.

Goodluck
Paul

 

[mikeg]

try looking into the fish you buy

RESEARCH

Thats a bit harsh dont you think??

If you read the question properly you would have realised the person has research it.."apparently this is normal - im just worried" <== would lead you to believe that they want confirmation of what they have researched.

Anyway.. Yes its perfectly normal for your fish to not eat, they have developed over thousands of years to cope with the 3-4 weeks of not eating while they hold their eggs.

Its nothing to worry about. I'd just make sure the female is fed properly and back to full strength before placing her back into the main tank. Its more than likely she'll be harassed by the male again for more babies.





Goodluck
Paul

Thanks Paul,

I have done what I consider to be heavy research. And you are right, I just wanted someone with more experience (easy to find here) to tell me she is ok for 3 or 4 weeks. She actually looks healthy, just won't eat.

Thanks again

Mike

 

[sharktale]

Hi Mike, do you still have the cories in with her? she won't spit them out if she feels threatened. Then she'd probably eat the cories when my yellow lab held, she went 29 days, I know how you feel, I got quite worried as she started to look really thin.
Good luck with the babies, I curently have 8 females (different types) holding in my main tank

 

[aberdeen aquarist]

try looking into the fish you buy

RESEARCH

oooh, who got out of the wrong side of the bed today then?

 

[mamafish68]

LMAOOO

ME (raised hand)

sorry

what asshead response

I've been dealing with silly questions on another forum (even though the phrase "theres no stupid questions" THATS CRAP! there are sometimes!)

sorry again

 

[freddyk]

I had one lab go 35 days holding without eating. The fish are built to handle it and there is no need to suffer any kind of guilt over it.

 

[mikeg]

Hey Mamafish68

Thanks for your second post. It takes a lot of dignity to reply like that. Something
the USA could benefit from in spades ..... a little humility from the US sure couldn't
hurt.

Hey, is it true that the cories could spook mom? I gave her a little house which she
spends a lot of time in. I thought that would give her the security she needed. If not
the cories can go in the display tank for a while.

Thanks again

I had one lab go 35 days holding without eating. The fish are built to handle it and there is no need to suffer any kind of guilt over it.

 

[mamafish68]

i'd move em to be safe!!! you never know what might happen after the tank lights go out...

 

[brewyn]

mikeq, hello. I would put her into a seperate tank with her babies and feed her well, dont over do it. once she goes back in with the male he will breed with her again, and again she will starve, this is not good for her, give her a good rest to build upher strength and weight before you reintroduce her, suprised this has not been mentioned so far. great fish the yellow labs.


sorry paulioo, re read the posts. well done that man.

 

[Miss Dib Dabs]

Hope she's doing well. My Malawis hold fry for good lengths of time with no ill effects. I don't seperate my girls during brooding and have found they won't breed until they are ready. Happily there are three females to each male in my tank though so he doesn't tend to harass.
Best of luck with yours.
Hugs,
P.

 

[mikeg]

Thanks all. I took your advice yesterday and put the cories in my display tank inside of a breeding box. Otherwise I think my mbunas would kill them. They killed one a month ago. I hope the privacy is what she needs. Kinda spruced up the little house and made a couple additional small caves. I guess I should stop feeding in that tank so as not to cause ammonia/nitrates?

Mike

 

[Miss Dib Dabs]

Yes do stop feeding that tank now. Just watch and wait for her to spit now. Once she does she'll be very hungry! And the fry will be hungry too. They can grow very fast with a good diet and can manage foods beyond that of egg layers or livebearers. BBS and plenty of spirulina. Mine also enjoy cichlid salad (Looks like dried seaweed) which I wrap around a small piece of slate or similar and add to my malawi tank once a week. The juvies should enjoy it too. Just try small amounts at a time.
My larger female Fuellborni is carrying currently. Her jaw has dropped so much now she's grimacing just to keep it shut. None of the others are carrying right now thankfully. Although some spat just a week or two ago. As it is I added a few more species of Mbuna to the tank since there was room and they've settled in really well. Not coloured up yet though. Some didn't like the very long journey from Dorset to Cambridge bless 'em. But they're eating well so never mind.
What do you plan to do with the fry once they've grown?
Hugs,
P.

 

[mikeg]

Yeah its weird allright. It hardly looks like she can keep her mouth shut. How many are in there? Will crushed spirulina flakes and frozen brine shrimp (I know not too nutritional) work or do I need to get more variety?

I have no future plans for the fry. May put a couple in the display and give away the rest.

Mike