E Yellow

[tropifish]

Hi guys,

Please have a look at my E Yellow (picture below). I'd like to know if it's a boy or girl (as I'm unsure). And if it's a female, is she holding at the moment? as you can see there's something not right with its mouth?!!?

Thanks in advance

steve

[aussiem]

Certainly looks like a female and holding

[malrift]

I would say defiantely a girl. Holding yep, look at her fin ends on the anal it is rounded. Not always 100% but a good way none the less to check.

[Andrew]

Definite female and unless she likes munching gravel, she'll be holding. Congrats!

[tropifish]

Thanks guys for the quick replies. So it's a girl, and is holding. I noticed this only the last couple of days, she's in a display tank where there are many other cichlids around including fronies, venustus, and even texas. Though i'm not into breeding, should I just leave her or strip the fry? and how long should i wait before I can take the fry out from her mouth? I'm just worrying that she may end up swallowing them.

[Andrew]

She looks like she's already been holding about a week or so... When did you notice it?

If you're not going to save the fry to raise and sell, then you can leave her in there without a worry. If you want to save fry, try stripping her after two or more weeks from the spawning date.

[tropifish]

She looks like she's already been holding about a week or so... When did you notice it?

If you're not going to save the fry to raise and sell, then you can leave her in there without a worry. If you want to save fry, try stripping her after two or more weeks from the spawning date.

Thanks Andrew,

May be I wasn't paying attention. It'll be a pain just trying to catch her in the tank....hmm...I'm thinking just leave her at this stage. Will see how she goes for the next 2 wks and see if I'll change my mind saving the fry!!

[Noddy65]

Youll find that as the fry get bigger the bulge gets larger and becomes quite dark...thats when I remove my girls

I have real trouble stripping EY, they just dont seem to want to give up the fry....I seperate the girls and just let them spit.

Mike

[1hopper09]

Congratulations on the pregnant girl tropifish

I totally agree with noddy65 (mikes) comments

Good luck

Cheers

[dogboy]

yep shes holding, well done, i agree yellows are hard to strip, they have smaller mouths and are more detemined than other cichlids

[Wolfy]

As everyone else has said she looks female and as if she's holding.

Another good way to tell if one of your Cichlids is holding is that she'll usually hide more and stop eating. Most fish will probably come immediately gobble any food you put it in the tank, but if you have a look around when you feed them and notice a lone girl hiding behind a rock and not interested in food, she may well be holding and so its a good time to take a closer look.

If you are very gentle you can use the tip on the cap of a bic biro to help you hold her mouth open if you want to strip her, since they have only small mouths using a finger nail is often a little harder than with other larger mouthed Cichlids.