Kiku holding ?

[Zulaab]

Well... while I am waiting for the 180 to be setup, now I am in the dilemma that my Kiku has decided to breed (I think)
I now have one fish (the only female I believe in the tank) holding. Because her (I hope its her) throat (in the back of it) is bulging out. I feed them tonight and she looked like she wanted to eat food, but didnt, and she looks a little thinner.

So my question from someone who has never had tropheus breed before, within 24 hours of laying eggs, does it look like the back of her throat is larger, and as the eggs develop the front of her mouth becomes more full ? I have seen Trophs that have several days/weeks held, but never seen what she looks like right after the deed was done.

Can someone enlighten me ?

Thanks
Jesper

PS I have posted this same message on trophs.com so dont hang me

[eklikewhoa]

There will be a small bulge which grows as the egg develops into free swimming fry.

Now I also have females that will pick stuff up and hold as if they were mouthbrooding whether it be food or air which looks exactly like a female packing eggs.

This is what I have observed with my colony.

[Zulaab]

I have seen the before picking up the PFS but it runs right out of the gills as they chew it.. well I hope for the best.. right now its the best I can do. I have noticed she tries to back off from everyone, she tries to stay out of most of the interactions. I am hoping the smaller F1 Kiku that is in there is a female, because the alpha male has started to shake at it, but I dont think (if its a female) she is ready yet.. the other 6 males are always chased for a couple of seconds at best.. I am going to look at her tomorrow and see if she still has the bulge in the back of the throat tomorrow.. wish me luck...

They where supposed to wait until they got a bigger home first before doing this :)

[tattoo]

good luck jesper i hope your going to be a pappy.....

[geoff_tropheus]

She has produced fry for me several times. She can make them.

Post a pic if possible.

GEoff

[jeebus]

She has produced fry for me several times. She can make them.

I think that was the most important information to know.


For better or worse, good luck! :emt_thumbs:

[Zulaab]

She has produced fry for me several times. She can make them.

Post a pic if possible.

GEoff

As soon as I can I will :)

[Zulaab]

Here is a picture of her.
Today her gills are still out, she has a bigger throat than any of the others in the tank, she is the only one allowed to have color except the alpha male, and she is not harassed at all by the males.

[eklikewhoa]

It looks to be holding.

Small brood but holding.

[rrocket2002]

Congrats Jesper!

[Zulaab]

This would be about 24-48 hours after the deed was done.. no more time has gone by and like I said earlier the area below the gills directly south of the eyes where bulging out more last night, but I didnt get a picture of it. It looks like she is using more of the mouth to hold the eggs in.. 23-25 days from now correct ? Around April fools day I will know for sure right ?

[eklikewhoa]

I don't bother counting the days... give it about 20 and then start to look from there till about 40days depending on the mother.

[Zulaab]

okie cool ... now the tank they are in is about a 70g, but by the time she should be spitting I should have them in the 180.. would you put her in a separate tank since I am going to have to catch her to move the 70 out the place its in because the 180 is going where the 70 is at right now

[eklikewhoa]

Honestly two things....

You could move her now with eggs risk being swallowed but less harassment from the males.
You could wait and have less risk since the eggs would have developed into free swimmers but possibly have to endure harassment.

Personally, I would go with the later.

[Zulaab]

I was going to wait until the day we move the tank, which is going to happen as far as I can see sometime mid next week, getting it all verified up with Jeebus who is going to help (interested in coming over and doing physical work EK ?)

When I move the 70g tank I have to remove all the rock work and all of the fish and water to move the tank, and its during this time frame I was wondering.. should I return her to the 70 or put her in a different tank until she spits and then returning her to the 180 (as it should be up and running before she is ready to spit)

What would you do ?