# New cichlid fry at the top of tank



## Abonimablelant9 (Sep 28, 2011)

Hi guys,

So I have a mama pregnant (which I was oblivious to) and put her in a 10g tank a couple days ago. This morning she spit out a couple fry...to my great surprise! I have a tank divider so the mama on one side and the fry on the other side.

I counted five babies, two died after she spit them out. I tried stripping her and didn't think there were any more left...until I came home from work (7hrs later) with another fry!!

So this is my question, what does it mean when some of the fry are at the top of the tank? They seem to be swimming and breathing ok. Three of them are at the top and one of them is swimming in the java moss. I tried moving around the water and they won't move from the top. In my opinion, they might not be fully developed, but I cannot see a bulge on their ventral side indicating a yok sack.

Also, I tried feeding mama cichlid brine shrimp but she wouldn't take any. Could she still be holding one or two babies?

Should I be worried about the three babies at the top of the tank? I tried feeding them too crushed flake food and brine shrimp in separate attempts but they didn't bite.


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## brinkles (Jan 30, 2011)

Mine always stay at the bottom, until they learn to take food from the top after a few days.


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## Abonimablelant9 (Sep 28, 2011)

Hmmm ok, haha. I don't know if that's bad or good since this is my first batch.

They seem to be swimming fine but just at the top. I put some floating pellets in at the top overnight. Thinking they will swell up and much on some of them. Hopefully they will eat some!!

I have brine shrimp, regular flakes, vegetable/shrimp pellets and those circular flakes. Any ideas on what to really get them to get the munchies?? It would really appreciate your opinions! Thanks!


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## brinkles (Jan 30, 2011)

Crush whatever food up as fine as dust, see what they take. It will likely be a few days before they will eat.

Once they eat, feed them about 3X daily and change lots of water.

I gave mine baby brine shrimp at first until I realized they grow just as fast with hikari first bites.


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## Abonimablelant9 (Sep 28, 2011)

Thanks for the info! I will surely do that.

One last thing, I tried feeding the female three times today and she won't take a bit and her mouth is open. I don't think there are any more fry left.

1/ Does it also take a few days for the female to eat again?

I noticed from youtube videos people have lots of fry, 10+, where I only had 6 total (2 dead). I'm thinking that she must have ate a couple by accident since mama is a new mother.

2/ Also, why such frequent water changes? I only have 4 tiny ones. Is it because of high amount of food people put in because of the babies?


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## brinkles (Jan 30, 2011)

It seems to take the females a day or so to eat again, unless they still have some fry. You could leave her with them until she eats. 
Young fish often only have less than 10 fry, depending on species. I got 8 recently from a small mbuna. 
The fry don't eat much of the food, you're feeding them often, and they grow quickest with pristine water. That's why all the water changes are recommended.


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## Cromak (Dec 29, 2010)

That's normal, fry will always go to the light source at the top.. After a day or so they will eventually start swimming down.. I've always found it better to keep them contained in a small container. This helps keep the food in a small area and once they learn to eat on their own and get a bit larger I would then move them out to the full tank.

I would also recommend you buy the Hikari First bites dust food, it's great.. My fry love it and they have nice growth..

One other thing, i would try and keep the side with the fry free from any debris like java moss, rocks, wood etc.. whatever may be on that side just keep it plain.


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## Abonimablelant9 (Sep 28, 2011)

Ah god, it's funny that you mentioned that...

I have them on the side of the tank with the java moss..I can see one at the top next to the heater, one underneath the java moss, and then I can see one in the java moss. And I'm assuming the last one is in the java moss but I just can't see him because it's the moss is thicker green and they are pale-ish.

I am taking from your comment that I should remove the java moss?? I thought it would be ok for hiding and eating algae.


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## Cromak (Dec 29, 2010)

I personally would keep nothing on the side of the fry, even substrate  although, i will admit i do have sand in my fry tank and 2 small rocks :lol:

But it doesnt get in the way.. Here is a shot of my fry tank 20gal long

There are about 15 rusty fry and 4 yellow lab fry, lot of my labs didn't survive


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## Abonimablelant9 (Sep 28, 2011)

Is it harmful to have java moss with fry? I thought they would eat the algae growing from the moss.


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## Cromak (Dec 29, 2010)

I'm not sure they eat it at that small, but i really don't know


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## Ragincajun (Nov 29, 2011)

I've got 20 fry from a 2.5" female yellow lab. They all went straight to the top not long after being spit out. They didn't stay there long maybe a half hour. After that they started swimming at the lower and mid levels. As for food, I've been grinding up the food for the main tank and giving them a small pinch of that, they love it.


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## Abonimablelant9 (Sep 28, 2011)

Ragincajun, that sounds just like my cichlid fry except I only had 4 lol. 

Anyways, I was getting paranoid and caught all the fry and put them in a diy fry 'space'. Kind of like the dip n' pours but with a tons of holes for circulation. I put some java moss in because they like that.

I feed them egg yolk squeezed through cloth and it seems like they're liking that very much!! 

I just have one last random question. Since there are holes in the fry space, some of the egg yolk fell into the shrimp area underneath. Do shrimp eat egg yolk? I mean it's small so I doubt it'll harm my tank chemistry that much!


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## Annal606 (Nov 25, 2011)

a great site,many useful information!


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## jaCKY01 (Apr 30, 2010)

HI guys, I have a similar question about the mama not eating. I noticed her not eating about a week ago and moved her into a 20 gallon about 4 days ago. 2 days ago, I got home and noticed a couple fry swimming around in the bottom of the tank. I've been attempting to feed her brine shrimp and flake food, none of which she is eating at all. It still looks like her mouth is slightly closed but I haven't been able to see inside. I've counted 4 fry that have been released and swimming in the tank since tuesday. Is it possible she's still holding some? If she doesn't eat within the next couple days, should I try to strip the other ones out, if there are any? I stripped her from a batch of 12 fry back in May 2010. Really excited to have a second generation of these little guys! :fish:


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## 60gallon (Dec 14, 2010)

Id let her be for a few more days.

I have a holding little 2-2.5" yellow lab in a 10g tank and she released a fry last night. I went back 30mins later and it went back in her mouth. Today I got home and she released them all. I counted 29-30 fry and theres more hiding in the little plants I put in the breeders net.










And theres 32 fry from another 2-2.5" yellow lab in the 10g already that are 6 weeks old.  That Mom ate within 1 day after she released her babies and she was scarfing the NLS 1mm pellets up!! :drooling:

I added sand 2 days ago so they can get use to sifting it when they go in the bigger tank.


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## jaCKY01 (Apr 30, 2010)

Those little labs sure are cute!

She sure was still holding more. I came back later and she came right to the top of the tank looking for food. I took a look around the tank to find a total of 18 fry that I could see out in the open. I think there may be more hiding in the plants. I'm hoping a couple friends will want to take a few once they get bigger. I'm going to have a full house in my 55 gallon. Guess its time to upgrade to a larger tank.


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