# does anyone know how to strip a mouth brooding tropheus



## rrich741 (Apr 18, 2008)

does anyone know how to strip a mouth brooding tropheus, first time iam trying to and the tropheus has been full for two weeks.


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## BrownBullhead (May 15, 2005)

I don't think the fish is ready to be stripped after such a short time; my females have held for 30+ days before. I don't strip, but two weeks seems premature.


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## castor (Jan 11, 2003)

You CAN strip early if you are worried about her spitting, but have an egg tumbler that works well ready. My females would always get stressed out by the alpha and spit so I started stripping early and tumbling the eggs, though if the tumbler malfunctions, suddenly too much water/air movement or too little for a period of time and bye bye eggs but for me it was either tumble them and risk losing a batch here and there by chance, or the females always spitting and never get any fry.

It's been a while since I kept tropheus though so I no longer remember the gestation period but at two weeks I think you would still be looking at tumbling them.


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## rrich741 (Apr 18, 2008)

im not going to strip it now, i just want to be prepared, i think i will do it in about 2 weeks or so.


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## 24Tropheus (Jun 21, 2006)

30-32 days full term. Sometimes they will hold a little longer. No idea about stripping them though.


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## mcorbeil (Jan 16, 2007)

a link describing how to strip mouthbrooders.

http://canadafishtank.com/wp_marcel/200 ... oders-fry/


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## Longstocking (Aug 26, 2003)

They are a bit tougher than some fish such as malawi etc to strip.

Their jaws are a lot tougher and the fry can be way back in their throat. But the principles are the same.


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## geoff_tropheus (Feb 13, 2003)

What I have found to work pretty good, is if you ahve a female busting at the seams with fry, if net her into a bag or into a bucket.

Turn the lights out and give her a chance to be completely relaxed.

She will usually spit or release the fry.

You got to be careful striping trophs you can damage their jaws. Lots of people do it, just be careful.

I have also read where people use a straw or toothpick to pry open the mouth. I have seen people press the gill plate against the glass, but that to me looks real hard on the fish especially the eyes from being pressed against the glass.


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## DocAl (Jan 23, 2008)

Tropheus can be safely stripped after 10 days IF an egg tumbler is used to properly agitate the eggs. If you are not going to use a tumbler,, you need to let them carry for 21 days at a minimum but an airstone with heavy aeration in a 2 gallon tank or less must be used to agitate the fry. This will preclude any deformities occurring.

To make them spit, wet your hand, firmly grasp the female over a small tank, bowl or pan filled with tank water, and with her submerged, hold her opercles shut while using a fingertip or fingernail to pry the lower jaw open very gently. The female will gasp and dispell some fry. Repeat this until all fry are spit out, it may take several attempts to get them all.

Difficult females may need to rest between attempts. Tropheus are pretty good mothers but most will release without too much trouble. You will have a few females that are very tenacious. You must decide if you will hurt her or not and if you wish her to carry full term and release in to the colony tank.

The biggest reason for having them spit is to get them reconditioned again for another spawn. Some females will eat while carrying, others will not. DO NOT take the female from the colony and have her recuperate in a separate tank. It will disrupt the colony heirarchy and she may be killed when returned. After stripping, return her to the colony immediately!

If you have any Metriclima zebra variants to practice on, they are easy to strip. Practice makes stripping less scary.

Remember though that if you feel that you will injure the fish, don't do it!


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## Xenomorph (Aug 6, 2007)

Fill up a container: deep bowl, tupperware etc with tank water.

Without stressing the female net her and immobilize her with your free hand. I just hold her gently in the net, close her gills and submerge her head under water. As soon as you pry open (GENTLY) her mouth she starts releasing the fry or eggs.

To make sure she doesn't have more fry in the mouth let her breath a little than close the gills again and pry open the mouth.

The most I've ever stripped my Duboisi was 30 fully developed fry, or 40eggs.


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