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Labeotropheus trewavasae
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Stripping

Based on my experience, I would not suggest stripping eggs and tumbling them.

I breed a number of African species and I NEVER strip and tumble, and I always get bumper crops of fry.

For example:

Labeotropheus trewavasae: 20+
Labeotropheus fuelleborni: 20+
Aulonocara carolinae: 20 - 30+
Astatotilapia latifasciata: typically 30 - 50, but I've had a couple of spawns from my larger adult females of 100+!

The way I look at it: these fish have evolved this mechanism to rear their young for one reason. It works.

Moreover, there are so many factors that I think people don't at all take into account when it comes to stripping and tumbling:
1. Do we know what kind of chemicals or coating is in the mothers mouth while she is tumbling.
2. What is the texture of the inside of the mothers mouth and does this affect the growth of the fry.
3. Do we know for certain the fry don't actually eat until the mother "spits" them out? I've seen certain species actually suck in smaller pieces of food while in the later stages of holding. It's possible that the fry are actually eating in there, but there's now way to be sure.
4. Do we know if there is some sort of behavioral/socialization that occurs during the holding and the mother scooping up the young during their first week of free swimming life?

I could go on and on . . .

The bottom line . . . if that's how the fish breed, that's how I let them breed and raise their young.

I'll wait about 4 or 5 days after I see a spawn and them move the holding mother to a tank where she is by herself. She can then incubate the young in a calm stress-free environment and then let them out when she is ready.

If for some reason the female eats the eggs or doesn't hold them, then that fish shouldn't reproduce (natural selection). The fish that do spawn and incubate eggs to fry are the ones who's genes should be passed on.

In my experience, I always get large and healthy spawns by just letting nature take it's course . . . plus it's a heck of a lot less work for me!




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