# My WC Black Moba Momma Yields Largest Spawn.....42 Eggs!!!!



## Ron R. (Oct 21, 2003)

I strip my wc moba mommas at day 10-11 usually. The last 2 spawns for my black moba momma have yielded around 22-25 fry so I decided to try something different. I stripped her on day 6 last nite and she gave me 42 eggs!!!!!!!! And she had another 8 that were crystal clear (not viable) for a total of 50 eggs. Her best clutch has been 35.

They are tumbling very well and right before I netted her, I noticed another of my wc moba mommas with a mouthful on day 1.

You have to try different things or you get the same result. I didn't believe she was capable of holding more eggs in her mouth.

So I have 35 F1 moba fry in 2 floating nurseries, the 42 eggs tumbling and a wc moba momma with a mouthful of eggs (she usually has 20-23 fry). That's alot of F1 moba fry!!!!!!!!

I bought my wc moba colony from TNT Cichlids almost 4 years ago.

Just wanted to share this great news with other front fanatics like me!!!!!!!!!!!


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## lloyd (Aug 24, 2005)

congrats. soon we can have contest to see who holds the most moba born under one roof. :lol: my spawns are much smaller than yours, but they add up over the years. i still have every moba born here. :wink: 
don't forget to share pics and details (tank size, ratio, feed, maintenance regime, lighting, etc...) of your set up. opcorn:


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## Razzo (Oct 17, 2007)

Congrats Ron - that is an awesome clutch of eggs.

Also, thanks for your help.


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## Ron R. (Oct 21, 2003)

lloyd said:


> congrats. soon we can have contest to see who holds the most moba born under one roof. :lol: my spawns are much smaller than yours, but they add up over the years. i still have every moba born here. :wink:
> don't forget to share pics and details (tank size, ratio, feed, maintenance regime, lighting, etc...) of your set up. opcorn:


Good one!!!! My wc moba colony has produced over 350 F1 fry in the last 4 years. Yes, my colony has been bery, bery good to me!! LOL My wc moba ratio is 5f/2m. I have 5 F1 adults that will celebrate their 3rd birthday next month, but I haven't sexed them......just waiting for a tube to drop on the females.

Lloyd, I used to feed strictly Hikari frozen foods...........krill, mysis and bloodworms. About a year ago, I started feeding a combination of sinking pellets..........NLS Thera A (3mm), Dainichi Ultima and Dainichi Color FX. I mix them up in a air-tight canister that I keep in my refrigerator.

I feed only 1x daily. I don't overfeed, only what they will eat in about 4-5 minutes. I have 7 wc mobas, 5 F1 adults (3 yrs old) and 2 3"+ juvies. My adults range from 5" to 11'+. I feed 2 tablespoons of the combo pellet mixture daily and I will skip feeding them a day or 2 during the week.

I feed my F1 fry NLS Thera A sinking pellets (the smallest .5mm size) 1x daily.

I think while feeding is very important, I also believe my 50% weekly water changes, the cichlid buffer recipe of epsom salt, baking soda and Instant Ocean, and my lighting schedule helps.

I am a firm believer in consistency.........water quality, food, lighting, temp.................

I use moonlights and 50/50 lights that I have in 2 light bars for a total of 4 tube lights in my 180g tank. I run my lights on an auto-timer. Here's my schedule:

6am - 6:45am (moonlights)
6:45am - 8am (reg lites)
12noon - 1pm (reg lites)
7pm - 10pm (reg lites)
10pm - midnite (moonlights)

My mobas don't get spooked when the lights come on and I am able to enjoy my fish. My room receives lots of indirect light during the day as well.

My tank is in my den and right next to a main walkway so there is plenty of traffic. The only time they get spooked is when I carry a large tall item by the tank. I don't do that often.

To maintain the best water quality I also use 2 6080 Tunze Streams like the saltwater reefers use to circulate my water and move debris off my sand bottom. The Tunze's are very powerful powerheads and they create a strong tornado-like effect and waves in my tank. The auto-timer turns them on 4x daily (6am, 12noon, 6pm and midnite) and they stay on for 15 minutes each cycle. These streams help move any poop and the tiniest particles of uneaten food to either of my 2217 eheims.

Lastly, regarding temp, I keep my water temp between 77-79 degrees. I use a ranco single stage controller that operates 2 500w titanium heaters. The ranco is a commercial grade temperature/thermostat controller. When the water temp goes below 77, the heaters turn on and stay on until the water temp hits 79 and then they kick off.

My sand bottom is CaribSea aragonite select and I use texas holey rock to provide caves for my colony. The sand, rock and cichlid buffer recipe move my tap water's pH from 7 to 7.2 to 8.3-8.5.

Do a search under Ron R. to see lots of pic I've posted here, but here are a few:









my wc moba alpha male. nice trailers!!!!!!!









another wc moba male









F1 moba fry in a diy floating nursery









more fry









tumbler pics of egg-bound wigglers









F1 moba juvie from my wc black moba momma









my wc black moba momma. I call her that because she is almost jet-black and has been that way since the first day I got her from TNT Cichlids almost 4 years ago.









full tank shot
Hope this helps you and others here Lloyd!!!!


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## Ron R. (Oct 21, 2003)

Razzo said:


> Congrats Ron - that is an awesome clutch of eggs.
> 
> Also, thanks for your help.


Russ, hope I was able to give you some new ideas bro!!!!


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## lloyd (Aug 24, 2005)

thanks for all the detailing, Ron. i do not have any artificial lighting on any of my moba tanks, but i will shop for more info re: tunze streams on timers. i like that concept. nice looking fish too.


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## DCMW1 (Jan 26, 2003)

thanks for posting the info about your tank. can you also comment on your water change schedule and your water parameters? thanks.


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## alexrex20 (Aug 26, 2005)

350 F1 fry... you could've paid off a nice Honda with the money you made off those fish!


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## cichlidgirl1 (Sep 17, 2007)

Wow, nice clutch Ron. :thumb: What is the record anyway ? That must be close to a record...especially for a moba !! I like your black female. I had bought a tiny black burundi, hoping it would stay black, it ended up staying black for around a month, then it changed to normal coloration LOL. I can still pick it out of the group because its black stripes are inkier black and its dorsal is very dark blue(more of a blue/black) but the rest of the fish looks normal LOL.


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## Ron R. (Oct 21, 2003)

cichlidgirl1 said:


> Wow, nice clutch Ron. :thumb: What is the record anyway ? That must be close to a record...especially for a moba !! I like your black female. I had bought a tiny black burundi, hoping it would stay black, it ended up staying black for around a month, then it changed to normal coloration LOL. I can still pick it out of the group because its black stripes are inkier black and its dorsal is very dark blue(more of a blue/black) but the rest of the fish looks normal LOL.


Not sure about this being a record, but it's my personal best.


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## Ron R. (Oct 21, 2003)

DCMW1 said:


> thanks for posting the info about your tank. can you also comment on your water change schedule and your water parameters? thanks.


wc...............50% on a weekly basis............I use the cichlid buffer recipe found here in the library section.......epsom salt, baking soda and Instant Ocean.

My water temp is 77-79 degrees and my pH is between 8.3-8.5.


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## Razzo (Oct 17, 2007)

cichlidgirl1 said:


> ...What is the record anyway?...


42 is amazing and I am envious.

CG, I have a friend who got 55 fry from a WC Kap that carried full term. That's the most I have heard of.


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