Stripping Yellow Lab

[szidlon]

Well I finally decided to get over my fear of stripping a fish and have one question.  It looks like there are still one or two fry left in her mouth.  They don't seem to want to join their brothers and sisters in the open water.  Is there a trick to getting the last couple to swim out? Or will she spit them out herself now that the majority of the fry are gone?  Being as there's only one or two left is it worth the stress on the fish to try and strip them?  

:think:  I guess that's really three questions....

[eklikewhoa]

Re: Stripping Yellow Lab

If you got a good majority of them I would leave them. Everyone that I have seen spit naturally.

[szidlon]

Re: Stripping Yellow Lab

I do normally let them spit naturally, but I won't be home for most of next week and didn't want the fry to become a nice tasty meal for her with no one here to promptly remove her from the nursery after she spit them out.

[FBIXTREME]

Re: Stripping Yellow Lab

well, I usually stripped my cichlid 'til there is none inside her mouth. I always use my thumb nail and press down gentle on her jaw, and shake her a little. I totally think it is cruel to leave those babies to get eaten by other fish.

[szidlon]

Re: Stripping Yellow Lab

I think I got all of them now.  They won't stay still, but it looks like about 20 or so.

[Tiapan]

Re: Stripping Yellow Lab

congrats on the nice size clutch of babies

[armthehomeless]

Re: Stripping Yellow Lab

It is kinda scary the first time you strip a fish. I wasn't willing to do it on my own fish for fear that I would hurt it. So I did it to someone else's when they weren't looking....

congrat on the fry. I just got about 25 more yellow labs myself on saturday