# Didn't expect this...



## Superfly724 (Sep 16, 2007)

I bought a Dragons Blood Peacock Cichlid a couple months ago from a LFS. It had a little color, and I was hoping it would color up a bit more. A couple months passed and it never really gained any color, but I was hopeful. Then it got real big. Like, a big belly. Got fat. I was actually thinking it was Bloat, but I decided to wait it out. Went to check on it today and, to my surprise, found out this is a female fish and she now has a mouth full of eggs. Her stomach size has gone down, her mouth looks real weird, and I can see little white dots kinda floating inside her mouth.

Now, I was going for an all male tank. I had no idea this would happen, and I actually didn't want it to happen and that's why I started an all male tank. I'm not big in to breeding yet and don't really have the resources to do it. What do I do now?


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

Easiest thing to do (assuming you want random peacock fry) is fill up the 10 and, give her a sponge filter and some hiding places. Offer flakes only, if she won't eat, stop feeding her and siphon out anything uneaten. In several weeks she should spit out little fry. Cichlid fry are big enough for ground flake. I think "dragon blood" is already a hybrid, so you just sell/trade the fry as peacock hybrids. Pretty males will sell. 

Or: "strip" her. Physically open the fish's mouth and force her to spit the eggs out. Then you can raise them in an egg tumbler, or just feed them to other fish. There's a good chance she will spit eggs when you net her anyway. Breeders do this to get the more fry as the mother will breed again sooner if she doesn't sit around brooding (usually without eating) for a month.

Or: trade her in mouthful and all. (likely she will spit them in transit).


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## Redwings (Dec 22, 2009)

Do what emc7 said or just leave her in the tank and I'm sure the fry will be eaten or sucked up the filter and most likely all will die.


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## Superfly724 (Sep 16, 2007)

Though I am kind of happy that my fish are comfortable enough to breed, I wasn't really planning on this. There's a small chance that I'll fill up the 10 gallon and attempt to raise the fry, but I doubt I'll have much luck. I'll be removing a lot of fish soon, so I'll probably just get her back to a store when I do that.

Lesson learned: When stocking a tank in a specific way, be extremely patient. Don't buy fish on a whim because you're excited about stocking. Take your time and get it exactly right.


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## Blue Cray (Oct 19, 2007)

Ugh I have the same problem with my fish only I don't mind the breeding as much as the fact the male started pecking at the rays, now the stupid cichlids are in the corner of the tank with a divider giving them little room. I know they need more but the rays are more important. I got the cichlids for free and the rays are worth a couple grand so they must stay alive lol.


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## Guest (Jan 5, 2010)

I wouldn't suggest leaving them in the tank to be sucked up by the filter, often times the fish can survive in the filter. I mean, not often often, but it happens, and is not unusual that they will feed on crap in the filter for a while. But usually they'll just be eaten. THey can also do a little damage to your impeller if sucked up.

You can "strip" her if you want. You do this by taking a thin object like a tooth pick, put the fish in a bucket with some tank water, pick her up, open her mouth with the tooth pick and let the eggs drop out.


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

There is a risk to a brooding female left in the tank. If she isn't eating and also gets chewed on by other fish, she could end up in bad shape. If you leave her there, make sure she finds a hidey hole and keep an eye on her. IME if you can catch a female cichlid, she probably needs isolation. If she eludes you, shes fine where she's at.


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