Boy or Girl?

[Limi310]

I have a yellow lab, who I thought was a male until today when I got home. He (she?) is acting funny. It was always very outgoing and a good eater...today it was hiding behind some rocks when I got home and when I fed them he/she would swim up to the food but not take any. The other strange thing is it's mouth looks full............so I am wondering if I was wrong and it's a girl and maybe there are eggs??? That would be cool.
Can you tell from this picture if it's male or female? If you need better pictures let me know. Thanks!!!

 

[fishkid64]

it looks like she might be holding, but im not sure

 

[TLM4x4]

Yep, looks like shes got a mouth full alright, eggs...and not eatting is also a sign of that..they go hungry for like a month or so until they spit the fry. Do you have more than one yellow lab? what are all the mbunas you have in your tank, they arent listed in your sig.

 

[Limi310]

So you definitely think it's a girl?
I need to update my sig - I just recently converted to all Mbuna - I had a whole mismash in there. I do have 3 yellows, 1 blue socolofi, 1 red zebra, 1 female auratus (is that mbuna?) and 1 mystery (looks like a kenyi but yellow w/ brown stripes). I will post a pic of that one later because I'm not sure what it is.

Oh that would be so cool if it's eggs - I'm excited. I need to go get a 10gal.

 

[fishkid64]

lol, Hopefully she's a new mommy!

 

[Cichlid-Man]

Females are usually the ones that hold. I'd say its a female with a mouth full of eggs! Congrats! My female spit a few days ago, 8 fry in all when it looked like she could only carry 2.

Nice pics too, i can't get a shot that clean of yellow labs.

You might want to think about moving her or seperating her from the others. They will bother her causing her to spit the eggs or swallow them.

 

[Orion]

Yep, looks like it's holding to me.

Congrats!

 

[Limi310]

Getting the hang of that digital reb....lol. Thanks for the compliment though - coming from you that means alot!

Any recommendations on safe moving? Don't want to stress her out. Also should I move her right away? I think this has just happened today since yesterday she was normal and eating. Everyone else is leaving her alone right now. She is actually the biggest fish in there.

Dang, this mean I have to go get another tank....hehe. I can't invite my mom over anymore because she thinks I am crazy. She hates fishtanks.

 

[Limi310]

I'm such a dork, I feel like I am the one that's pregnant.....

 

[fishkid64]

lol! your not a dork!

 

[Limi310]

My first time

Hi,
Just wanted to know if anyone can offer tips for safe moving/netting of fish while they are holding. Also when is a good time to move her? I just noticed her changed behavior last night.

I don't currently have another tank set up - so I would have to go get filter, heater, etc. Wondering if I could use the 10gal set up I already have and just remove the gups. Don't know what to do about the fry though. The water parameters are very close between the 2 tanks (same substrate that raises Ph and buffers). Do you think that would be ok, or would it be best to drop $$ and get a new setup?

 

[Limi310]

So.......last night my power went out for about 3 hours and today the Lab ate a little food....................thinking she dropped the eggs. Maybe she was startled when the filters came back on or something. Her face doesn't look as full either......................bummer.

 

[Cichlid-Man]

Well, if they breed once they will breed again! We've been having bad windstorms around this part of the country lately.

Sorry didn't see your post before. When i see my females holding i move them asap, but you could wait a while until the other fish really start beating her. Sometimes she swallows during the move, sometimes she doesn't, 50/50 chance i guess.

Most common way is a net, i wouldn't chase her everywhere with it and stress her out but a net would work. You could try one of those clear fish boxes or a cup. Just try and get her without chasing her to much and stressing her out.

A 10gal would be fine, a setup one is good also provided the water conditions are ok. I'm not sure i'd be to worried about the guppoies. They shouldn't bother her or the fry once they are spit. She doesn't eat when she holds so the guppy fry should be ok.

 

[Limi310]

Well I will just keep an eye on her.....hopefully there will be more eggs. I was really excited. I've never actually bred egg laying fish before. I saw some yellow lab fry in the store and they were SO cute

Do you 'strip' yours or just let nature take its course? I'd be afraid to hurt the fish. And where the heck can you buy one of those clear fish boxes....I've been looking.

 

[Cichlid-Man]

I usually give them chances to spit. If they continue to swallow the eggs/fry then i strip them.

I picked up 2 of those boxes (the LFS ones that hang on the sides of the tanks) from my LFS. They had them for sale at the time, i assume they still do. They are made by Lee's. Very very handy when. Ask you're LFS where you could find some, they might even sell them. I think it was around $5-6 per box for a nice "regular" sized one. Mine are almost 5" deep and 2.5" wide.

Thatfishplace.com has them here --> Thatfishplace.com
Dr. Foster and Smith have them also --> drsfostersmith.com

 

[Limi310]

I saw no reason to start another thread

Whooo Hoooo! My lab is holding again!!!!!!! Wish me luck! This time I am equiped with the specimen container. Only problem is I don't have a grow out tank.............I was thinking of moving the dwarf puffers (where?, I don't know) and putting her in the 10gal. Otherwise I don't suppose any of the babies will make it in the main tank. And I do want the babies.......hmmmm what to do with dwarf puffers......