yellow lab breeding

champb21

Feeder Fish
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Jul 25, 2006
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wht the min tank for breeding yellow labs? also how should i set it up all rocks in the tank for them to hide in? How many in the tank can i have so they can breed? i plan to move them into a 10 tank when fry are born and keep parents in bigger tank.
 

Potts050

Jack Dempsey
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Aug 15, 2006
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Never had them breed in anything smaller than a 30 gallon, Never tried anything smaller though. I have better luck with mbuna if I keep a display tank with healthy active males of differrant species (avoid conspecific colour patterns). Lots of rocks and caves with good entrance and egress.

I keep my hens in another tank and feed them a rich diet of good veggies, brine shrimp, and trout pellets as a staple. Once I feel they're properly conditioned I introduce them to the display tank. Your display tank needs to be rocked well enough that each male has a well established and respected territory. You will likely see the female holding within a week or two.

I have a 60 gallon tall that I use for Metriaclima, Labidachromis, Haplochromis and Pseudotropheus all at the same time using this aproach.

I used to strip fry but have found that with experienced females, I get a lot more fry if I give her a quiet 20 gallon with lots of smaller rock work and let her spit.

Good luck champ, spawning is the most rewarding part of the hobby IMO.
 

mitch4ya

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Oct 20, 2005
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I totally agree with Potts. I keep a similar setup with Pseudotropheus in the tank with the Labidachromis and about every other week I pull out a different female and put her into a 20 gallon and wait for her to spit them out. I also get more fry when I allow the female to spit them out at her own pace. Of course now I have more fry than I need which keeps me very busy and the local fish store and friends well stocked.
 

Red Devil

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z24frank;562009; said:
does anyone have any pics of the mom with them in her mouth?how do I know when shes preagnant per say?
Here is my Electric yellow Lab holding babies ... this will be here second set of purebred fry.
 

z24frank

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Sep 9, 2006
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ok so how do you feed your other fish without feeding her?or does she just not eat?I really cant see the eggs in her mouth either.
 

Red Devil

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z24frank;563911; said:
ok so how do you feed your other fish without feeding her?or does she just not eat?I really cant see the eggs in her mouth either.
she sometimes makes an effort to eat ..but does not eat..just swims over like she wants to but then realizes she can't.. in this picture she is just beginning to hold.. we have already taken her out and put her in her own 20 gal tank..so this way we do not tease her with the food anymore.. although i will drop a tiny bit in once in awhile in case she does want it because once she positions the babies in her mouth some of them are able to eat too. And if she is able to i would not want deprive her of it.. it takes about 21 days to have the fry be spit out of her moutb.. then i usually leave her with them for a couple of weeks so she can eat and fatten up again..I will post her pictures again in a week or so and you should be able to see her puffed out mouth.. you will not see eggs in her mouth just fullness.
 

z24frank

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Sep 9, 2006
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ok so not to sound stupid but can you explain the whole process from begining to end on how they breed and what else.basically everything that happens from start to finish?
 

Red Devil

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I would love to explain it to you but i am not an expert .. i think that you should get the beginning to end with an expert or some knowledgeable source..you would want all the picticulars and the water perinmeters... etc.. i do not want to advise or mislead anyone , these are only my second batch of yellow's.. and i am concidered a beginner breeder myself or i would not be on here.. I am learning all the time.
 

z24frank

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Sep 9, 2006
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I really dont need the water parameters,Im just curious as to how they mate(are they like guppies and he just bumos against her?)or what do they do?then second how do the eggs get in her mouth?does she drop them from an egg tube then pick them up in her mouth?And how does he fertilize eggs that are in her mouth?
 
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