A question on stripping

[jak]

Hi all,
Would someone please explain what you do with a turkey baster in regards to stripping?
Do some of you really use toothpicks?  
I have milked some of my fish and always found that if I hold them out of the water with a thumb and index finger over each cheek I can get them to open their mouths once their head is back in the water and the eggs/fry just roll out. I would be too worried about damaging the fish or eggs by sticking anything in their mouths. I don't milk any mbuna because they just don't let go and I figure if they hold on that tight, there is really no need to milk anyway.
I only milk a colony of cross breeds that I have and use that as live food and prefer to let nature run its course with the rest of them.
Replies on the turkey baster will be eagerly anticipated  ;D
Anita

 

[Damerf28]

Hi Anita
 Yes I did state that I used a toothpick to get some fry out of Africans a couple of times when I was young. It was suggested to me bye a long time breeder buddy that I knew. It works really good ands its not what you think Im not trying to stab the fish or anything. I just hold the fish over the water and with my thumb open her mouth gently! And the fry usually fall out of their mouths I just used the toothpick because its small and I kind of just guide the fry to fall out I dont try to harpoon them remember I said I used flat or round toothpicks like mini touge depressures. LOL

Anyway I havent done this for some time now and I kind of just got back into Africans about 3 years ago. My first fish That I have bred since I got back into Africans I let her release them on her own. But I have used this toothpick thing before and had great success with it. Why do you think it will hurt the fish doing it this way?  

 

[jak]

Hi Dave,
LOL  ;D ;D  I must be imagining a bit of a horror movie. I assumed the toothpick was actually put inside the fish's mouth to pull the eggs out. This would only hurt the fish or the eggs in my opinion. You only guide the eggs out? So they land safely??I'm still not sure I understand the concept but it's the turkey baster that intrigues me. How do you guys use that??   ???
Anita

 

[Somonas]

Well. the whole turkey baster thing sounds draconic but it's really not.  it only works for small fish (obviously).  Remove the ball, put the fish in it head first, put the ball back on, suck up some water, and gently squeeze the ball. the water movement up and down will force the fry out of her mouth.

I have not tried this yet. I am just re-iterating what I am reading in the Tetra Press Tropical Cichlids book.

 

[Damerf28]

Holy cow thats sound very tramatic to me I wouldnt want to be put in that thing! Hey Art and Anita if I have to do it I think I will still opt for the tothpick thing LOL. Unless you guys have any better ideas?

 

[jak]

Traumatic???  ;D ;D I couldn't stop laughing when I read it !!!! Sounds downright lethal to me. Personally, I isolate the fish to a small tank on it's own or in to floatie icecream container if the fish is small enough and leave it alone - totally. The female will spit when she is ready as Art now knows. Congrats by the way. I only move them after at least two weeks so that if they spit in the net, the fry have a much better survival rate.
I have a colony of electra and it's near impossible to get the females to hold (genetic imprinting??). The only way I have ever got fry from them was to partition the tank and isolate the female that way. As soon as they saw a net anywhere near them, they just blew the eggs out of their mouths like cannonballs.
I prefer to let the mums do the work themselves - it's is such a great sight it's really worth it.
Anita

 

[Somonas]

Well the new chisumulu lab and the zebra have been in this 15 gallon tank for 2 days and have not spit.  hmmmm.  Patience, patience  ;D  I am going away on vacation for a week, when I come back I am sure they would have spit by then.

I suppose it depends on how long you want to stay in your mother's mouth...  they can't stay in there forever