My first Callochromis fry!!

[thedavidzoo]

Today is day 21 of my Callochromis holding. I decided not to strip her (after my paracyp stripping disaster). I scooped her in a net and placed her in a submerged breeder box. Being at sand level with her kin seemed to stress her less.
Within a minute or so she spit 5 fry (they ate microworms immediately). I don't think there are more. I immediately set mother free and she started eating. What a good girl. She had become sooo skinny with a concave belly.

Anyway, I hear they are way easier to keep alive than yellow calvus fry. My 44 calvus have dwindled to 6, I swear they literally disappear before my eyes. I don't even find the bodies anymore...

Question: 2 of the fry have bent tails, upward. I assume that is from bein crammed in that tiny mouth. Will they straighten out as they grow more?

 

[longstocking]

If the spines are bent... they will not straighten out. They are deformed. Feed them to your calvus

They are easier to grow out than calvus.

 

[thedavidzoo]

Hmmm, I'll take a closer look at them the next few days. If it looks bad, they will become food

I already have a hunchback cyp that is too big to feed to any of my gang. Too bad because color-wise he is the prettiest. Hope it is not genetic in case he does produce fry.

Besides stripping, is there anything else I can do to encourage a 21+ day holding, bulging, huge paracyp to spit?