Seperate Cichlid babies from the mother

[RichardChen]

I have 3 tanks.  The 10 gallon host a pair of Neolamprologus brichardi.  The 50 gallon tank host 20 brichardi frys and 4 otopharynx lithobate frys.  The 125 gallon tank have a pair of red zebra, 4 labidochromis caeruleus (2 males and 2 females,) a pair of bumble bees, a pair of red fin borleyi, 2 male sunshine peacock and 6 red empress (2 female for sure, the other 4 are still small recently purchased.)

I have frys from bumble bees, red zebra, and labidochromis caeruleus hiding under rocks.  I was pretty excited seeing adults and babies in the same tank but soon after I saw a couple of frys ran for their lives, I decided to learn how to protect the incoming babies from being eaten.

OK, here is my questions.  When and how to rescue or seperate the newly hatched babies from their mother.  I want the adult cichlids enjoy their sex life and fertilize the eggs in the 125 gallon tank but use the 50 gallon to grow and raise their babies.  I love the look of baby cichlids more than their parents.  Do I count 21 days from the first time I saw the female holding, catch her, and tell her to say aha so the babies can be unloaded?

Please help me.

[CichlidFan]

Re: Seperate Cichlid babies from the mother

Well, I have a little experience with Brichardi's, and I can tell you that they are fine with Mom and Dad, you don't have to remove them, but the other's, you might wanna remove mom and or babies and isolate them after 10 days or so.

CF

[eklikewhoa]

Re: Seperate Cichlid babies from the mother

If you are asking about the mouthbrooding cichlids then I would just remove the male about 2wks into holding and put her into a nursery tank(small tank) with a few caves or so for her to brood in peace....she should then spit in that tank. After she spits nurse her back to health for another week or so and return her to the tank after lights out or after a water change.

[RichardChen]

Re: Seperate Cichlid babies from the mother

Do I keep the mother with the babies in the same tank after she spit them out?

[armthehomeless]

Re: Seperate Cichlid babies from the mother

If you are asking about the mouthbrooding cichlids then I would just remove the male about 2wks into holding and put her into a nursery tank(small tank) with a few caves or so for her to brood in peace....she should then spit in that tank. After she spits nurse her back to health for another week or so and return her to the tank after lights out or after a water change.

That is pretty much what I do... only I remove the FEMALE  8)

[armthehomeless]

Re: Seperate Cichlid babies from the mother

I have never had problems with mommy eating her babies in the first couple days after they are spit. I'm sure it can happen though. If you have the tank space, it can't hurt to seperate mommy.

[RichardChen]

Re: Seperate Cichlid babies from the mother

Does this website has a chat room so we can exchange info faster?

[armthehomeless]

Re: Seperate Cichlid babies from the mother

unfortunately not yet.

[RichardChen]

Re: Seperate Cichlid babies from the mother

I had read a book that labidochromis caeruleus mother sometimes allow her babies to reenter her mouth when the danger is present.  I was happily drinking my coffee while watching the labidochromis caeruleus mother staring at one of her baby hiding inside a artificial plant.  Suddenly the baby moved, mother chased it, and the baby REENTER mother's mouth.  Oh, man, I was amazed how protective the mother was.  But, wait, her throat looked normal, flat, no sign of holding.....     I think the baby went straight to her stomach.   evil mommy.

How do I rescue rest of the babies from the 125 gallon tank and transfer them to 50 gallon tank?  I don't think I can dive in and open my mouth to collect the babies.  What should I do?

PS.  I need female peacocks.  When I purchased those peacocks I had they were labeled as sunshine peacock.  But I can't match them exactly with the pictures in the "Guide to Cichlids" byDavid E. Boruchowitz.  The closet match is the yellow peacock Aulonocara baenschi but mine have red in them.  What should I do?

[eklikewhoa]

Re: Seperate Cichlid babies from the mother

One thing I hate about removing fry!

What I do with my Tropheus is I let them spit to the point where it would be worth netting them out or if whomever wants them comes over and helps....I tear down the whole tank, do a good cleaning, net fry out and rescape.

[RichardChen]

Re: Seperate Cichlid babies from the mother

A lot of people mentioned "tear down the whole tank".  Do you mean moving all the rocks, plants, and equipments out of the tank?

[armthehomeless]

Re: Seperate Cichlid babies from the mother

"Tear down the tank" - Take out the ornaments and decorations - eliminating places for the fry to hide. This enables you (and the adult fish) to find them

[RichardChen]

Re: Seperate Cichlid babies from the mother

Enable adult fish to find them? Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo .......

OK.  I will put twnety something cichlids (all about 4 to 5 inches long) in a ice chest first, tear down the tank next,  then catch the naughty babies.  Then raise the babies in a 50 gallon tank for 6 months then trade them in for a 7' tank with fancy furniture.  Sound like a plan.  

I need to work out on my bowflex before I go crazy and grow gills on my cheek.

I live in Port Lavaca Texas where there is no local fish store, none.  I would probably go Houston tomorrow.  Do you think most of the stores open tomorrow?  I usually go Fish Ranch II.  Charles is nice.  I bought my tank and furniture from Fishland.  Andy is nice too.  Oh, I bought 2 3' Coralife light from City Pet thinking they will fit my 6' tank, but I was wrong.  They are about half inch longer.  Do you want them Armthehomeless?

[armthehomeless]

Re: Seperate Cichlid babies from the mother



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