Cichlid breeding...HELP

[cool6453]

New to cichlids a few weeks ago my fish started changed their behavior . So I set up a small tank as a time-out tank just in case. Yesterday I noticed a very small fry ( only 1 ) hiding under a rock up front and found (mom ?) dug in a nest under a plant in the back .... All my fish are now acting skittish , she has not feed or come out of hiding . I have  not seem any more fry, just the one .  My first thought was to move the mom but I read that she might swallow ...the dominant  male is chasing everybody.  The only way to move the mom will mean destroying her nest  I don't know if she has a brood in her mouth or eggs in the nest. She is so dig in that I can barely see her under the plastic plant base. I have the room for the  brood what should I do.

[Laurin Howard]

Apparently this is an African cichlid of some sort.  We used to spawn all our mouthbrooders in a 240gal African community tank.  When we found someone carrying, we would wait until late and night with all the lights off, and net her by flashlight.  They usually don't even move.  Put her in a tank by herself if you're not stripping eggs, and let her find out with the morning light.  It worked great - never had one spit.  The only problem was that occasionally we would have to just remove the whole rock with her in it if she was in a hole.  

 

[cool6453]

Thanks for the help...Kind of going kazy....Yes , I have a small community of small different cichlids everybody is healthy. I'm  new to them and have never dealt with aggressive kind of fish. I don't want to harm her or the fry but I can't see anything and I'm afraid of stressing her to much.  Moving everything is going to stress all the other ones , they all have there own spots to hang out. She's between the rocks and I'm in the hard place. Do I wreck the tank or let it be ?

[Fishmonger_X]

Let it be. If you aren't even sure what you have then the fry are probably just hybrid mutts. If some survive and they look cool than keep them for yourself and enjoy them.

[Fish Folk]

Assuming that you are referring to African Cichlids, once your cichlids mature, providing you have males and females and also providing that they are "mbunas" in general, you will likely get spawning and holding. As others have said, hybridization is rather frowned upon in the hobby. 

Once females spawn, they hold the eggs for 18-24 days. Unless they swallow or spit prematurely, the eggs hatching their mouth, and will be released by the female. In a community tank, the vast majority of fry are eaten. A few of the smaller and more agile ones may survive. We find that Auratus tend to be survivors, but others are scarfed up. 

Some photos are attached . . . (1) Our African Mbuna community tank set up (2) A female currently holding compared to other female not holding (3) Closeup of female holding (4) Male Auratus

 

Edited November 29, 2020 by Fish Folk