# When to put female yellow lab to 10 gallon fry tank?



## clintgv (May 6, 2010)

Hi guys. This is the first time cichlids has bred for me. So I am wanting to know when I should put my 2 females in the 10 gal fry tank tank so they can spit them out. So far the eggs has been in both females mouth for a week now. Should I put the females in the 10 gallon tank in week 3? or is that gonna be too late. I don't want them to spit the babies in the main tank and get eaten .

Thanks, Clint.


----------



## Mferko (Jun 8, 2010)

14-18 days and they can be free swimming, i usually strip mine after 3 weeks (or a few days less) tho and just put the fry only in the small tank so the moms can go back to eating.

to strip them: go get a cheap funnel from the dollar store, rinse it, get a container of their aquarium water ready, then put the holding female in the funnel upside down and slowly pour water down the back when their gills flare, all the fry will be flushed out into the 10g below the funnel, then put the mom back in her tank.
this way no fry get eaten and the females can go back to eating asap (and not each others fry)
u can prly do it on the 14th day, thats what i did with the aceii i sold u.


----------



## clintgv (May 6, 2010)

Ok sweet. So I got one more week to go to make it 14 days . Sounds like a good method to use. 

Thanks.


----------



## clintgv (May 6, 2010)

Ok so. I'm going camping for the long weekend this friday-monday. Just wondering if I should try to take out the frys in her mouth? I don't see any eggs in the mouth anymore. But they are still swollen looking. Should I leave it in the females mouth and just do the funnel method as Mferko said above when I come back from camping or do it now? I just don't want them spitting it out in the main tank and the other mates eating them. 

Thanks, Clint


----------



## Mferko (Jun 8, 2010)

id suggest moving the holding females to the 10g in the offchance that they spit, but they shouldnt.
its usually 3 weeks and after that sometimes theyl let the fry out to eat a bit, or let some food in their mouth for them, but they keep recalling them for a while (sorry, 14-18d is the earliest they can be stripped, but the yolk wont be fully absorbed into their body yet)


----------



## clintgv (May 6, 2010)

Oh ok. Well this saturday will be the 14th day I believe. Maybe friday. Not to sure, but it's either one of those day. Maybe I'll strip when I come back from camp (Monday) or give it another half a week (Thursday)?

Thanks, Clint.


----------



## Mferko (Jun 8, 2010)

i generally did mine the third weekend after i noticed them holding, roughly 20 days.


----------



## clintgv (May 6, 2010)

Alright. I'll do the same then . 

*Note to self: 14th day will be Friday/Saturday 

Thanks a bunch Mferko,
Clint.


----------



## clintgv (May 6, 2010)

So today is the 20th day and was just wanting to know if it will be ok to strip the fries now? Any african cichlids breeder think it will be ok to strip them now? This is the first time a fish have bred for me so im still a noob on these things 

Clint.


----------

