I think I could have posted this in the humor section because it made me feel pretty silly.

A few days ago I noticed that one of my Acei was holding again, and a couple of days later I saw a second Acei mom holding. I noted it all and figured I had a good two weeks before I absolutely had to get her into a separate tank to spit.

But then I remembered my Sad tale (below in this section) of the Lab. Mbamba spitting the night before I was to isolate her, and the Acei spitting while I was having breakfast before isolating her. So I thought, "This time I'm doing it the first weekend that comes up, so I take no chances."

And even though she had not been holding long, her buccal cavity seemed huge. Last night I thought I could see little eyes in her mouth as she pumped water through her mouth and throat.

This morning I manage to snare her and get her into a 5G with a heavy blanket of low-lying plastic plants on the bottom. I have her in the tank for less than a minute when I see some tiny blue specs moving... and see her spit fry after fry right there in front of me! Fully formed, no egg sacs.

If you ever ask me to check on your fish during your vacation, just don't count on when I say I spotted a holding female. I'm obviously lousy at it! :blink:

Don

Way to go, Don!

Congrats!

Don't feel bad, Don...We do that all the time, especially when we have multiple moms of a species holding! My calendar hanging in the wall in the kitchen is total chaos. I've gotten to the point where I just write in the strip date rather than the holding date, but it seems they usually wind up releasing the fry before we get around to stripping them!

Kim

It sounds like your timing was just perfect on this one. B)

What about the second holder? If she's just a couple of days behind this one, she might be about ready too.

I've been watching her all night, because I can't find the top of my breeder box so I can't just put her in it in the separate fry tank. She could easily jump out, and then I worry about her harming the 24 or so fry that are in there from the first mom.

I have a business meeting coming up so I'll be out of circulation for about 36 hours. She looks like she's nowhere near as far along as the first one, so I think I have to take the chance and leave her in the main tank. If she hasn't spit when I get back I'll be able to figure out a way to get her isolated.

Thanks for staying interested in this issue! I plan to use your photo trick to count fry when I get back. :D

My latest chapter on the issue of "timing holding females" is that I was just out of town 2 days on a business trip.

My Lab. Hongi was holding her second brood when I left. When I returned she was anxiously begging me for food... and there were no fry hiding in the plants at the bottom of the tank.

dumb dumb

I have about 12 fry who are growing well from her first batch, as well as 3 other holding females right now. But I love those Hongi and would have loved having more.

dumb dumb

Don, you're going to have to start taking those fish with you on your business trips...I can see you sitting in a conference room with one of those little plastic tanks with a handle on the top. You could just say "Excuse me for a moment", whip off the top to your ink pen, strip her there at the table, and never miss a beat in the meeting. Giggly

Or, you can hire a fish sitter! They would need some sort of medical degree for the "birthing" ...

Kim

Great idea, Kim! Giggly

Don, maybe you can trick your fish into thinking that you're
leaving to go out of town, and just when she thinks it safe
to spit the fry out, you'll be ready for her! :ph43r:

The good news Don is that our fish are very prolific when it comes
to breeding so there will be more opportunities down the road! whoot whoot

But sorry about this time! worry wart!

On the Floor Laughing

If I could bring one of those tanks with me, you're right... I probably WOULD put a handle on it and set it up in a long meeting!