Holding fish/fry quick question

[Steve]

I have an OB that is holding. Shes in a breeder net in the fry tank. This is her 2nd time producing fry and her mouth is REALLY full looking so I think she holding a lot this time. I just now noticed that there's 3 fry in the net with her, but she's still holding on to a lot more it looks like. Should I open her mouth and get the rest out so I can get her back in the main tank and eating again or should I just leave her be and she'll spit the rest soon enough?

[four_by_ken]

At this point, I would strip her.

[Steve]

Okay. Never done it before but I'm guessing just gentle grasp her body and open her mouth underwater and swiss her side to side?

[four_by_ken]

Okay. Never done it before but I'm guessing just gentle grasp her body and open her mouth underwater and swiss her side to side?

To be honest... my wife does it all the time.  She uses a Qtip without the cotton to encourage the mouth to open and then just kinda dumps the fish in the water and maybe a little swish and out they come.

[Regalblue]

There's an old thread, 2yrs or so, where I posted an in depth how to of how I strip a fish.   

(I don't have time to retype it or search right now)

[Marty]

This is what I usually do:

Take a cool whip container and fill it with tank water.  Place the fish in there, and then take a straightened paperclip and gently pry open the fishes mouth.  Hold the fish at a slightly downward angle and remove the fish from the water after a moment (sometimes additional fry will come out as you take the fish out of the water).  Tilt the fish up as you put it back in the water to fill its mouth back up with water and repeat until all the fry are released.

[Regalblue]

^^Yep! 

But,I use the cap from a BIC pen & make sure to keep my hand wet.

[Steve]

Thanks for the help guys, I just got all the fry out and moved the female into a different breeder net for the next day till I move her back to the main tank. I tried the Q tip and got some out but had problems getting them all so switched to a pen with the end removed and that got the rest of them safely. And I was right about her holding a lot more this time. The first time she spit 17 fry...this time there are easily over 50+ That's the most any of my fish have ever had. Needless to say down the road if anyone needs OB juvies you will know where to come lol

I never planned on breeding anything but now I've got 27 yellow labs growing out, 35 Mbamba bay, and now these 50+ OB's lol.

Here's some of the Ob's just spit, pic sucks but you get the idea...



Then here's the 35 Mbamba bay's. They are going on about a month old now I believe? only lost one of them. Switched from frozen brine cubes to ground flakes like Blair and some of you guys suggested and that seems to have done the trick for keeping them going well.

[Maize-N-Blue-D]

Auh proud pappa with his baby pics ! Nice job! 

[Regalblue]

Good to see that you got it worked out.

[jkeeler]

I see more tanks in Steve's future   

[Steve]

I see more tanks in Steve's future   

lol for sure bud. I never thought I would breed anything, now I have 100+fry...and I am more interested (as you know  ) breeding some plecos.

You guys are such a bad influence lol I blame Blair, because he was the first guy here I meet and I went to his place to pick up my fist fish from a MCA guy ( it was my male Mbamba bay) about 18 months or so ago. I saw all his tons of tank in his basement and was blow away that one person had that many tanks  lol.) So I blame all you guys here 

[Ron]

I never planned on breeding anything but now I've got 27 yellow labs growing out, 35 Mbamba bay, and now these 50+ OB's lol.

How do you think the rest of us got started?! 

[Steve]

I never planned on breeding anything but now I've got 27 yellow labs growing out, 35 Mbamba bay, and now these 50+ OB's lol.

How do you think the rest of us got started?! 

Like I said...badddd influence lol I've done much worse thing in my life though years past so I guess this isn't so bad

[Regalblue]

MTS is VERY contagious!