Can anyone confirm if my C. leptosoma (Mpulungu) is holding?!?..

Today I noticed my C. leptosoma (Mpulungu) looked as if it gad a swollen mouth. I checked and took pictures. Can any of the bros who are more familiar with Tanganykans tell me if she is holding and if she is what do I do next? Leave her in the tank ? Take her out ? Or catch her and and strop the eggs - probrm is I do not have tumblers so what should I do???

[zapbranigan]

Congrats on your spawn! I think you should let it be for a little while till the eggs hatch. It should take 5 days to a week for them to hatch. Then you can strip the female. Fry survival would be much higher when they have hatched even when you don't have a tumbler. Good luck!

[Young Man]

yo bro did you observed her for a period of time and see if she released air bubbles?
i've got no experience with this fish but from the 2nd pic, it looks like the mouth sac is empty bro.. observe her and see if she is actively tumbling the eggs or is she just playing with air bubble that she trapped in her mouth.
if its eggs then CONGRATS! let her hold till the eggs are more developed or going to be free swimmers before stripping

[seagul]

observe her and see if she is like chewing on something. If she does that often it is most likely that she is holding.
If you do not have spare tanks then just leave it as she is for now.
What I like to do is to just wait for about 2weeks and strip her and let the frys go into a grow out tank. So now you have about 2 weeks to find a spare tank if you are thinking of breeding them

Originally Posted by zapbranigan

Congrats on your spawn! I think you should let it be for a little while till the eggs hatch. It should take 5 days to a week for them to hatch. Then you can strip the female. Fry survival would be much higher when they have hatched even when you don't have a tumbler. Good luck!

Thanks for the congrats - problem is I am not sure how many days she has this sac already. ...Actually saw it protruding two to three days ago, however it seems bigger each time I saw it. Another challenge is that it is housed in a community Tanganykan tank My worry is when the frys are relased the others will make a meal of them. Any suggestions

Originally Posted by Young Man

yo bro did you observed her for a period of time and see if she released air bubbles?
i've got no experience with this fish but from the 2nd pic, it looks like the mouth sac is empty bro.. observe her and see if she is actively tumbling the eggs or is she just playing with air bubble that she trapped in her mouth.
if its eggs then CONGRATS! let her hold till the eggs are more developed or going to be free swimmers before stripping

Dun think it is an air bubble as been watching her sac for sometme and it is growing. She also refuses to really eat taking food except very tiny bits here and there. Thanks for your reply. will keep observing her.

[seagul]

My experience with leptosoma "utinta" last time and also mouth brooders in general is that you will see the mouth getting bigger initially. Then one day the mouth sac will shrink. Typically, I will strip them when they hold for approx 2weeks. That is when you can see full formed free swimming frys. However, if you strip it a little too early, you might still see wrigglers. Don't have to worry, with the proper care they will still survive.

If you do not have a tumbler or know how to do a proper DIY tumbler, try not to strip too early. The idea is to strip when you know you will get relatively developed frys.

[Young Man]

Originally Posted by Betta Mania

Thanks for the congrats - problem is I am not sure how many days she has this sac already. ...Actually saw it protruding two to three days ago, however it seems bigger each time I saw it. Another challenge is that it is housed in a community Tanganykan tank My worry is when the frys are relased the others will make a meal of them. Any suggestions




Dun think it is an air bubble as been watching her sac for sometme and it is growing. She also refuses to really eat taking food except very tiny bits here and there. Thanks for your reply. will keep observing her.

yeaps like what bro seagul said, continue to observe and see if the sac shrinks lo.. but the thing that she is eating abit seems wierd.. cos if she has a mouthful of eggs, how does she eat? it's a challenge to observe her hehehe so spend more time and see her movements etc..
anotherthing is if you are worried she will release her fries in the tank then you can strip her earlier lo (:
no offence ah bro, just saying out my views cos holding air is part and parcel of keeping mouthbrooders..

Originally Posted by Young Man

yeaps like what bro seagul said, continue to observe and see if the sac shrinks lo.. but the thing that she is eating abit seems wierd.. cos if she has a mouthful of eggs, how does she eat? it's a challenge to observe her hehehe so spend more time and see her movements etc..
anotherthing is if you are worried she will release her fries in the tank then you can strip her earlier lo (:
no offence ah bro, just saying out my views cos holding air is part and parcel of keeping mouthbrooders..

Many thanks bro - when I said eating I feed these with a mixture of food for frys which is very fine. As for holding air, I am learning something new here bro - appreciate the inputs and education!
Btw observed her today and the sack is getting even bigger

[Young Man]

Originally Posted by Betta Mania

Many thanks bro - when I said eating I feed these with a mixture of food for frys which is very fine. As for holding air, I am learning something new here bro - appreciate the inputs and education!
Btw observed her today and the sack is getting even bigger

oh icic but it does not matter whether the food is big grains or small grains a mouthbrooding female should not be eating by nature since she is tumbling eggs in her mouth. that's why normally if they are eating then more or less the eggs are gone.
another way is that you can actually wait for her to face you, that's when you can actually look into her mouth when she tumbles and you can see eggs if she is holding.
or, you can look from the side and see through the slightly transparent layer of the sac and see eggs or wrigglers in there.

as for holding air, mouthbrooding females sometimes tend to go to the surface or to airstones to gulp a mouthful of air and tumble.
im not to sure why they do that but maybe they are just playing or they are practicing? haha this you would need to wait for the more experienced bros to come in and confirm
good luck!

Originally Posted by Young Man

oh icic but it does not matter whether the food is big grains or small grains a mouthbrooding female should not be eating by nature since she is tumbling eggs in her mouth. that's why normally if they are eating then more or less the eggs are gone.
another way is that you can actually wait for her to face you, that's when you can actually look into her mouth when she tumbles and you can see eggs if she is holding.
or, you can look from the side and see through the slightly transparent layer of the sac and see eggs or wrigglers in there.

as for holding air, mouthbrooding females sometimes tend to go to the surface or to airstones to gulp a mouthful of air and tumble.
im not to sure why they do that but maybe they are just playing or they are practicing? haha this you would need to wait for the more experienced bros to come in and confirm
good luck!

Bro, on closer examination. I was mistaken. When feeding tome comes. She doues not eat. The mouth was moving, huess she is tumbling her eggs and looked like she was eating. You are correct and I stand corrrected.