Brooding Aulonocara

[Troy]

I have a situation and have not yet decided what to do. I have a female Aulonocara Hansbaenschi. Who is in a 55gal species tank with 2 males & 5 females. After a large water change I had two females spawn and both were holding for the 4 traditional weeks. One female released but one of them is still holding 6 weeks going on 7 weeks later. Has anyone ever had a female hold this long?  

History:
I have had only one previous spawning from this group and due to a shortage of small rockwork many of the first group of fry did not survive. Those that did were killed in a breeder net box placed in the top of the tank. Which was attacked and the fry were chewed through the net and the fry were crushed. I am not sure if this was the female trying to save them or a more probable answer was they were though of as food, when on the bottom of the net.  

All this being said I have 10-15 fry hiding in the rockwork now of my tank and have been feeding them a lot of fine crushed flake and they are fine but I am worried.
I see this female getting thinner she seems to be sucking small amounts of flake in but does not seem to want to release. I have been waiting for her to spit. But it is incredible to see her desire to hold and protect these fry in her mouth. I have never seen a bulge in a females mouth like this!  :lol:  (sorry my mind stepped into the gutter for a few seconds after re-reading this).

I have some concerns about the fry in the rocks getting picked off. But I am not inclined to force the female release I like to give the females their own timetable. I think it makes for better parents. I do not have an extra 10 gallon tank for her to be isolated and my tank is very tall and do not have a divider big enough. Even if I did, it is soon time for me to vacuum the tank and I am trying to decide what to do. In a few days I am going to take out the adults & collect the fry and vacuum. Do I put her back in hope she will spit / force her to release or give her some more time? If I opt for giving her more time how much more? (Another week?)  

I need to get a second objective opinion. Thanks for your time, Cheers..... Troy.  

[artw]

7 weeks is far to long.
Take her out and strip her.
By this time you should be more concerned about the females health than the fries'.    
In my experience if females hold onto fry that long the fry seem to have a lower survival rate anyway - I had a few that came out crushed, (dead)

the easiest way to strip fish.
This sounds barbaric but it really is not
Take said fish out and put in a 5 gallon tank or bucket with aquarium water.
Get a small bowl.  with same water.
Get a toothpick.
Take the fish,  gently open it's mouth and push it's tounge down using the toothpick like a tongue depresser.  open her mouth underwater and gently rub under her mouth with your finger and the fry will swim right out
you might have a few stubborn fry at the end this is why you put the fish back in the 5 gallon and give her a couple minutes rest.  Finish, toss her back in the main tank and in 10 mins or so she'll  be looking for food

I did this last night for 4 fish and have another 8 or so holding eggs..  mouthbrooders... ugh;)

[ambushman2j]

personally I just find holding the fish out of water in the net for a minute or so will usually make her spit them out into the net..but usually I just take her out and put her in an isolation tank 5 or 10 gallons and let her spit herself..

preferably after day 12 of her holding I will take her out, put her in a smaller tank by herself and 99% of the time she will spit them in within another week..

[james]

Hi Guys
Stripping is fine for Most. But, the best way to get your AF to spit out their frys and to also max  their survival. I find is to tseparate the female early. ie 3 weeks  holding Put her into a separate tank with lots of hiding area. Under these conditions ( isolated from any threat of any other fish she will release earlier and no frys will be lost). You must however take her out as soon as you discover the frys have been released. She will begin to eat them evenually

James

[ambushman2j]

personally I have had no problem with the female eating her young..I have left the mother in there for about 5 days after she has released and lost none..but I do agree with isolating early..I take my females out 12 days in