Who needs to strip fish?

verbal

CCA Members
:confused:I don't get it:confused:

Generally African cichlid breeders will remove the fry from the mouths of the mouthbrooders. This process is called stripping.

Apparently these fry found their way into the filter, so there wasn't a need to strip the females.
 

Hannibal

Members
I am going to pop open my FX5 this weekend to see if I have any fry in mine. I noticed 1 little guy in my tank this morning. The other are either hiding in all of the rock, are in the filter, or were a tasty snack.

I have been looking for a prefilter but cant seem to find anything for the FX5 that wont restrict too much flow.
 

Greengirl

Members
Generally African cichlid breeders will remove the fry from the mouths of the mouthbrooders. This process is called stripping.

Apparently these fry found their way into the filter, so there wasn't a need to strip the females.

I get it now:D
 

ezrk

Members
:confused:I don't get it:confused:

Many African cichlids are mouth brooders, meaning that the females carry the fertilized eggs around in their mouth for 3-4 weeks before spitting the fry out. If you want to raise the fry normally you you try and catch the mother befoer this happens, pry open her mouth and get her to spit the fry out in a seperate container or aquarium. You do this because if she spits the fry in your main tank the other adult fish will eat the fry.

So what happened is that one or more Demasoni spit their fry in my main tank and the fry decided that the filter intake tub looked like a safe and inviting cave and they swam into in, then got sucked down into the cannister filter where I found them.

This is actually a fairly frequent occurence but I have never caught nine of them this way. I also found a fry inside an AQ20 power filter once...
 

verbal

CCA Members
I have been looking for a prefilter but cant seem to find anything for the FX5 that wont restrict too much flow.

I think what you want is the:

ATI Hydro Pond Filter #4

If it clogs to quicky you might want to split the intake and use 2 of them.

You also may be able to DIY something with coarse Poret foam as a pre-filter.
 

STATMATT

Members
I've opened up an FX5 and found 4 live fish flopping around. Size 2.5 inches each.

I was wondering where they went!
 

Hannibal

Members
Thanks Jesse! I think the 10PPI Poret might be the way to go. Should I order from Swiss Tropicals or is there a place local that stocks it?
 
Top