# Is my Maingano holding? *pics*



## Addesyn (Jul 1, 2009)




----------



## Petrochromislover (Feb 23, 2009)

yes she is holding


----------



## Addesyn (Jul 1, 2009)

SHWEET!


----------



## steelers fan (Jun 26, 2009)

yep


----------



## Petrochromislover (Feb 23, 2009)

looks like she has a full mouth too! Do you know how long she been holding


----------



## Addesyn (Jul 1, 2009)

I noticed just about a week ago.


----------



## Petrochromislover (Feb 23, 2009)

then she has only two weeks to go the fry should be absorbing the yolks sacks by now


----------



## Addesyn (Jul 1, 2009)

Should I be able to see the fry in her mouth? I've been looking but she's rather shy lately


----------



## Dewdrop (Nov 20, 2007)

You might get lucky and get a glimps of them. If it's her first time holding, she may not hold full term. Good luck.


----------



## Addesyn (Jul 1, 2009)

Thanks I've been keeping an eye on her and so far, so good


----------



## Addesyn (Jul 1, 2009)

Is it just me or in the 2nd pic does it look like you can just barely see some eggs in her mouth? At least I think that's what I'm seeing.


----------



## bayou_bottom (Mar 30, 2009)

good luck my female red zebra was holding and i think she held too long... I could not see yolk sacks on the fry but 3/4 of the fry were dead when she spit...


----------



## Addesyn (Jul 1, 2009)

Ok well I got a lucky glimpse into her mouth and I see tiny fry with yolk sacs, should I wait until the yolk sacs are gone before I strip her? I really have to strip her if I want any of the babies to survive.


----------



## bayou_bottom (Mar 30, 2009)

i would not say you have to, but I believe there are a few people here that do so. In the library there is a link on that. 
http://www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/stripping_fry.php


----------



## Dave (Feb 9, 2003)

Addesyn said:


> Ok well I got a lucky glimpse into her mouth and I see tiny fry with yolk sacs, should I wait until the yolk sacs are gone before I strip her? I really have to strip her if I want any of the babies to survive.


You strip for a several reasons: 1) the female won't hold full-term so you strip early and tumble the eggs artificially. This is typically an issue with Zaire-type Fronts. 2) You are trying to decrease the time between spawns by getting the female back into shape earlier. Again you have to artificially tumble the eggs. 3) The female is being harassed and you do not have a brood tank to hold her. You may or may not have to tumble the eggs. 4) You want to make sure the fish does not spit in the main tank. In this case, you wait until the eggsac is gone. Removing females for days or weeks so that they can spit "naturally" can often result in issue with reintroduction. This is something you would never do with Tropheus or Petrochromis, as the reintroduced fish is often rejected.

When I strip, I use method four to avoid having to tumble eggs, but also not having to wait for a fish to spit and stop picking up her fry, or having to deal with reintroduction.


----------



## Addesyn (Jul 1, 2009)

bayou_bottom said:


> i would not say you have to, but I believe there are a few people here that do so. In the library there is a link on that.
> http://www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/stripping_fry.php


I only say have to because my others will eat the fry..


----------

