how soon can a mommy have more babies?

[groan]

I just noticed yet another fish is holding in my tank-o-plenty.
The problem is that she just released her last clutch - batch - pack on Jan 8th!!!
a month later and she is holding AGAIN!!!

im concerned that she has not bounced back enough from the last batch...

she is a Pegasus raised Lemon Jake about 2.5 inches long.

[darkdep]

I typically see 6 weeks between batches.

[pegasus]

 
I've seen it done again within 2 weeks after I would have strip the female. Don't worry, a female will not starve herself to death for her brood.

[groan]

great, thanks guys.
I may have to do the 'let nature take its course' on this batch. and leave mommy and babies in the tank.
i'm not ready to start up more tanks nor am i ready to become a full blown breeder.

[groan]

 
Came home today to see my fat female Afra is no longer fat.
i had thought it was over eating or something worse...
now the fat has gone to her mouth!!!

I now have 3 holding and no more tank space except my hospital 10 gal...looks like it will become a maternity ward!

I want to save these ones, that way i will ahve 3 different types of babes. if any more come along i'm afraid nature will be taking its course.

If i get a sick fish i will have to go out and buy another 10 gal i guess...

weee!!!

[darkdep]

Good for you!!  I see a new victim of MTS in the works!!

[zippity]

With nature taking its course, sometimes it can be cruel. I agree with this method as I am not big or care much about breeding but my last 2 female auratus both died when they were holding. My latest female died only about 4 weeks after finishing her last holding. That one she held for almost 40 days so when she started holding again she was still thin and I was worried about her health. Sometimes I chased her hoping she would spit them out.

I would agree with Pegasus about the females wouldn't keep them due to hunger, hence my female estherae luckily swallowed them all or spit them out and now she is eating again. My female gigas held at same time as my last auratus and I am watching her daily but gigas I think are much hardier than auratus. I also have snow white socolofi holding. So this may just be with the species of auratus where they shouldn't hold more than 2 batches very close together, give them time to recuperate is what I say regardless just to ensure the health of your fish when they hold again.

That is only my 2 cents!!!

[pegasus]

Holding for so long will leave your females in a very weak health and will become an easy target to aggression. Stripping your females will keep them in good health and what you do with your fry is your business ...our your tank's business.

If you want to get your females to release earlier without stripping, try to set up a maternity zone by piling up smaller rocks, smaller caves were the fry will be safe. Hopefully the female will see it that way too.

[groan]

whats the general rule for mixing fry? i could put babies together if the batches are not that large...
thanks for the insight, and I will definately keep track of how long they hold for.

[groan]

With Pegasus's suggestion i dug out some smoothe river stones I had collected years ago and put them to good use.
Here is my new nursery in the big 70 gal. I'll build it up as i get more rocks and make it a permanent fixture

[pegasus]

The new brood can join the previous brood after 2 or 3 weeks, as soon as the new brood can hold it's ground in the feeding frenzy.

I like your rock pile!

[groan]

can you mix different fish in the same tank? for example can i mix my jake fry with Afra fry?

[pegasus]

To your last question... yes
In general the fry have a similar growth rate and you can differentiated them after 3 months then it should be fine. It also help that they would eat the same food and enjoy the same environment. (Ph etc.)