# How long will she hold fry??



## Georgia Peach (Sep 23, 2005)

Both of my yellow labs are still holding! I can see little fishie eyes trying to poke out - LOL - how long do they usually hold them??


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## conaquavict (Apr 6, 2006)

Usually for about 3 weeks. The number of fry is generally quite small, with young females producing around 8-10 fry and older more experienced Labs producing around 30 or so fry.


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## Georgia Peach (Sep 23, 2005)

its been since March 28th so its about time for her to let them loose then!


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## Osiris (Jan 18, 2005)

Peach, i forgot to reply to this. I had already thought they would be born! That is a very long time holding. Here's what i would do.

Put that container in the tank that i sent...

Get few q-tips. And a towel, and Net.

wait until the fish are pretty restless, sleeping. Take q-tip and stick both cotten ends into the water to get them wet. Then, with the net catch one of the females, while she's in the net grab her with the other hand.

Using the Q-tip cotten, gentle put it to her mouth, on her lower jaw, it will catch on her teeth, open her mouth with her head dipped in the holding container, and the fry will swim out into the container, do it until you dont see anymore fry, if you can hold the female completely in the container and make sure hang onto her, she will go after and eat the fry if their loose. 

Then put her back in the tank and do the same thing with the other one. This way you have best option of salvaging the fry.


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## Georgia Peach (Sep 23, 2005)

hmmm, okay... today makes 3 weeks since I noticed her holding - should I try to do that today or wait a day or two to see if she lets them loose??


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## Osiris (Jan 18, 2005)

I would do it today, tonite, when go to sleep, chances are she's going to spit very soon, and moment their out of her mouth, they get eaten up by the others or after she's done spitting she begins to eat them..


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## Georgia Peach (Sep 23, 2005)

ok! thanks for the info - Ill get my stuff ready..


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## blcknwitecuban (Apr 17, 2006)

So.... What happened?


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## Osiris (Jan 18, 2005)

She has to wait til tonite to do it lol.


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## Georgia Peach (Sep 23, 2005)

OMG, I tried right after I logged off! dang fish!!! LMAO

Ill try again tonight - Im probably gonna have to take out all my rocks to get'em - they are quick little boggers.. hehehhehe


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## Cichlid Man (Jan 19, 2005)

I always remove the mothers from the main tank and place them in a smaller one by themselves so that they can release them in their own time. I've never had a malawi mother eat her own babies, even though the mother always virtually starves herself in the proccess of brooding.


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