CICHLIDS & PREGNANCIES

Question
Hi there I hope you can help me , one of my many cichlids has given birth ! I mnot sure which one as i am unsure how to tell if a fish is pregnant or just given birth , I have recently put a breeding net in there to prevent the one survivor from being eaten , unfortunately i think the other four or five have been eaten , but i managed to save one , have i done the right thing and how can i tell which fish has given birth ??? is she likely to breed again within next few days or weeks ? please help a fish lover !

Answer
Hi Paul,
 Cichlids are not livebearers and as such cannot give birth.  Many African cichlids and some South American cichlids are mouthbrooders, meaning that one or both of the parents carries the offspring in the parent's mouth.  

 When a female cichlid is carrying eggs, they still need to be fertilized by a male, so you need to have a male in the tank to fertilize them, otherwise there will be no more babies.  A female cichlid can have a batch of babies as often as every 3 weeks or so.

-- Ron
  rcoleman@cichlidresearch.com
  Cichlid Research Home Page <http://cichlidresearch.com>