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How to Care for a Mouth Brooding Cichlid

Many species of cichlids are mouth brooders, meaning they pick up and carry their eggs in their mouths. While paternal mouth brooding occurs in one or two species, the majority of mouth-brooding cichlids are maternal. A cichlid will typically hold the eggs in its mouth for three or four weeks. You may suspect that one of your cichlids is mouth brooding if she does not eat normally. Because she is holding the eggs in her mouth, the maternal mouth brooder cannot eat. In general, there is no extra care required for a fish that is mouth brooding. However, extra steps may be required to care for the eggs if the mother releases the eggs before they have hatched.

Things You'll Need

Paperclip or other small scooping tool
Small cylindrical container
Fish tank or large container filled with water
Air tube

Instructions

- 1
  Place the cylindrical container in the fish tank or a separate tank of water.
- 2
  Scoop the eggs up carefully using a small tool such as a paperclip. Be as gentle as possible so that you won't bruise the eggs.
- 3
  Place the eggs inside the cylindrical container.
- 4
  Place the air tube so that the flow of oxygen moves the eggs inside the cylinder. Adjust the flow of oxygen so that the eggs are tumbled around gently rather than violently. The goal is to oxygenate the eggs and keep them moving in a way that imitates the mouth tumbling action that the mother makes when holding the eggs in her mouth.
- 5
  Look at the eggs several times each day to ensure that there are no problems. If there are dead eggs or eggs with fungus on them, remove them from the cylinder to ensure the survival of the others.
- 6
  Watch the temperature of the water closely. A warmer temperature will encourage the eggs to hatch more quickly. However, warmer temperatures also allow fungus to grow which may result in lost eggs. For best results, start with a lower temperature of around 78 degrees Fahrenheit and slowly work up to a higher temperature of 80 to 82 degrees Fahrenheit.
- 7
  Estimate how long the female held the eggs before releasing them and determine the length of their stay in the cylinder accordingly. Eggs usually incubate in the mother's mouth for three to four weeks. The eggs should be left to tumble in the oxygenated cylinder until they are free-swimming.

Animals & Science