question on raising yellow lab babies

[Carol_Roberts]

I decided to raise some yellow lab babies so pulled two females from the 135 that were carrying babies and put them in a 29 gallon bare bottom with some rocks, roots and a clay pot last Thursday. Today the babies are swimming around the tank.

Do I leave the two females there for a few days to fatten back up before returning to the main tank?
or
Will the females harm the babies now and should go directly back to the main tank?

Females have not eaten any tetra bits yet - babies appear to be pecking at them.

I've never raisedanything but discus and brichardi - any tips for yellow labs?

[jaydoc]

A good chew toy, newspaper and lots of puppy chow are a must!


Oh, you must be talking about the labidochromis variety not the labrador variety! ;)

[DarkDiscus]

Carol,

I used to pull my females and put them in a 20 long which was bare bottomed but had a big clump of java moss and a couple of barnacles in it. I'd give them 4 days to a week once they started eating and then returned them to the main tank.

They didn't seem to bother the babies much as long as there was other good stuff to eat.

HTH!

John

PS. It's pretty nice to be able to give you some advice for a change!

;)

[DarkDiscus]

Oh,

I forgot to mention that I grew a crop of thick, green algae in that tank on the barnacles. I would add spirulina flakes and some shrimp flakes that were finely ground. The flakes would stick to the algae and the moms and kids usually took right to it.

John

[Carol_Roberts]

Thanks John ;D
It's fun to do something different.

[Ardan]

Any pics??? :)

[Moon]

Carol
I would keep the females with the fry for a few days before returning them to the males. I feed my fry BBS and powdered flake.
I used to remove the females to save the fry. Now I just leave them in a 100g tank with seven frontosa. The fry survive amongst the rock. I am sure some of the Fronts eat them.
Joe

[Carol_Roberts]

picture of babies - see mom's nose under the rock?

[Carol_Roberts]

another

[babyjess210]

Carol
Do you sell any of the baby lab or brichardi?? I'm thinking about doing a cichlid tank. Do you have to change water daily also? You have a link for beginners like the one you have for discus?

Thanks for all the info
Kenny

BTW my discus are getting bigger and eating like pigs.

[Carol_Roberts]

Africans are not nearly as demanding as discus. I have a heavily stocked 135 gallon - I change about 20% of the water twice a week. If it contained less fish I could get by with weekly or bi-weekly water changes.

I really don't know very much about Africans - they breed and have babies anyway ;) The brichardi multiply like cockroaches - I give them away to anyone who will come and get them.

[Ardan]

Thanks for sharing the pics Carol. Very cool indeed!! :) :)
Nice color too!

[jaydoc]

Carol, your correct that mouth brooders aren't rocket science but they are cool to watch. I find all cichlid behaviour to be interesting. Even little humphead river cichlids. You know I love your Frontosa and tangynickans too ( why can't I remember how to spell that word?)

Haave a great day
Cary the lesser

[DarkDiscus]

I used to have a ton of brichardi "daffodils" and Carol's right. You can't stop them from breeding. That's why having the frontosas in the tank is a good thing - natural selection takes place and you get some protein for the Frontosas.

I always liked julies for the Tanganyikan community tanks.

Yellow labs and peacocks are great mouthbreeders - and great color!

John

[etr63]

I have a pair of yellow labs. The female is 1 1/2 in long. she just released 20 babies. This is her 3 time. the frist we didnt notice until we saw a babie in the tank. only 1 that time. 2nd she was put in a breeding box and had 9 but 5 died just after being released. I put her back in the tank the next day after she releases. Now What the heck do I do with all these babies??

Earl

[Carol_Roberts]

I'm just crumbling up ONF1 flake and throwing in the tank about 4 times per day. All are doing fine so far.