fernival,
Yeah, my overall design for my nursary system will include the birth tank, the fry tank, and the juvenile tank. Currently I only have one tank for all.
Hepcat,
I heven't read a great deal on the issue but its kind of easy to tell if she is pregnant. Her stomach will inflate and she will get fat. If you look right behind her stomach between the anus there will be a dark black spot that will grow larger as she gets nearer the time for birth. The black spot you see is actually the eyes of the young fry blocking the light passing through her body.
When she is ready I don't know what the normal behavior is, but when ours gave birth she stayed around the plants in the corner of the tank and hovered right over the plastic end of the heater as she gave birth to each. I witnessed about 6 of these births and each came anywhere from 4-7 minutes between with the fry comming out tail first. The fry immediately swam away either up to the surface of the water, but I observed that more than half preferred to stay low in the cover of the plants leaves and along the substrate.
The female, from what I hear, can yeild several births from a single pregnancy and I have heard that they can birth 20 or more fry at 14-24 day intervals. I am waiting to see the truth of this in our female who still looks as if she is holding more fry.
I'll update you with any new developements.
Michelle,
I'm sorry to hear that. That's why I want to set up the nursary system so that I can eliminate this from happening. I hope your others do well!
-Aaron
