My Electric Yellow Cichlid is Hiding all the time at the bottom his mouth looks puffy???

Question

I have two electric yellows ones medium sized the other one is bigger in size they have been doing circles alot, do you think she is pregnant although its the bigger one not the med sized one doing this??? do males hold babies in there mouths maybe its a she how can I tell?? the other medium one has a brighter black top fin is he male or female??? they had eggs on them I don't see them now. I thought he might be sick but I doubt it he swims around we he wants and he eats once in a while.

Answer 1

yellow Cichlids will hold the eggs in their mouths,  once the eggs become baby fish (fry) the will still seek shelter in their mothers mouth for a while.  she will not eat while holding eggs.

Answer 2

Lance,

I've already answered you before, males do NOT hold the eggs in 9 times out of ten of African cichlids.  In the case of the fish you have, now that you took the time to mention the fish, Labidochromis Caereleus, the yellow lab, I can tell you for a FACT this is a maternal holder.  

When you say they were moving around, how fast was it?  A rapid swim around each other is a fight over territory.  If it's slower and deliberate, and you see the male shimming his tail, that is spawning.  Here's what spawning looks like.

http://s200.photobucket.com/albums/aa25/...

http://s200.photobucket.com/albums/aa25/...

This happens to be a cross breed happening, but I've got those fry isloated and they will eventually become a food source for my Datiniod since these fry are going to be worthless anyways, but that is an actual spawning in my tank a month ago.

I just took this one today.  These are Protomelas Steveni, albinos spawning.

http://s200.photobucket.com/albums/aa25/...

In each of these, you can see the male who's shimming his tail.  What he is doing, is excreting sperm while the female, the one you see pause and look like she's eating something (picking up her eggs) chases those egg spots on the males tail.  This is how the eggs get fertilized.

This is an outright fight.

While these are a male and female Auratus, notice the speed at which they circle each other?  This is NOT spawning, but a fight over dominance.

http://s200.photobucket.com/albums/aa25/...

So based on what you saw, compare and think which one it looked like.

Like the others said though, here's a way to tell for sure if that female is holding eggs.  The next time you offer food, watch VERY closely.  If she passes near the food, but does not OPEN her mouth to eat, she's holding eggs.  Sometimes in the first time they spawn, you don't see as pronounced of a pouch in her mouth.  As they get older, you won't miss it.  The bulge in the throat/mouth area is a clear sign a female is holding eggs, and she will not eat food while holding the brood.

Answer 3

If its throat is puffed down and its not eating then its most likely that it is holding.

Answer 4

its a her and her mouth is full of babies when she spits them out you will need a separate tank to raise them feed them bbs (baby brine shrimp good luck!  

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