Benga Sunshine Female Holding, Now what?

[Beanie Seagus]

Hey guys,

I just got back from thanksgiving vacation, and found a benga sunshine female holding. Not entirely sure if they are eggs or fry just yet, but her mouth is bulging at the bottom and I can see small black specs through her jaw.

I've never had a mouthbrooder spawn for me before, so at this point i'm totally lost!

When should i get these babies out of her?

How should I do it?

What advise can you offer on trying to raise these fry once they are free of their mother?


Thanks!

 

[CSnyder00]

You want to do one of two things:

1) Strip the female of her fry after about 21 days using a net and your hand very carefully. There are many videos online showing how to do this.

Or

2) Separate her from the group and let her spit them naturally. Usually this happens about 28 days or so and she may still pick them up and move them around for a few days. In this scenario you just remove her when they are free swimming and no longer dependent on Mom for food.

I personally hand strip my females to speed up their recovery, but I also don’t have a bunch of tank space. To each his own.

Good luck! Mouthbrooders are awesome!

 

[Wet Sleeves]

Nice Ben!! Everybody has different ways of stripping the females. If you decide to pull the fry then I would suggest watching several videos on it and decide what would work best for you. I personally strip the females so they recover faster. I use a large bowl and a bamboo skewer with the tip sanded down slightly to prevent any unnecessary poking while keeping her mouth open. Make sure you have plenty of space so you dont knock anything over and make sure you have a large enough bowl.

 

[Reed]

Are those the group you got from me at the auction?

I would seperate and put her in a breeder hox. If you haven't stripped before.

 

[CSnyder00]

I offered to go over and show Ben how to strip her, but I think he’s opting to separate her this time around.