Wow, she is massive! But very beautiful.

I hope things work out, as that fish is a keeper.

Yes she is huge. Yesterday her and the new male did the spawning under the moonlight so she did accept that male! But she did not release any eggs though...so are those eggs stuck in there?

I saw them rise at the surface a few times thummy to thummy but still no eggs were released?? why?

Give the guy a break! It's his first time!! hahaha

just wondering, are you sure they are eggs that making her that huge?

Usually eggs are dropped or reabsorbed by the female if a male is not around.

I have never seen a mandarin like that, is she eating fine?

Ken - BWA

Well ... personally I worry a little that your female (and mine for that matter) are egg bound. I see this problem in my FW fish from time to time and with these small fish it's either something that eventually fixes itself ... or it doesn't. I don't think there's anything we humans can do to help.

I think she is bunged up with all those white worms...

Yes she is perfectly healthy and eating well.

I am pretty sure it's the eggs that are making her so big. she is not fat and I doubt that she has internal parasite because that much would surely make her very sick. It's not the first time I see a pic of a female full of eggs either :)

Yes unfortunately that is a very good possibility. :(

I hope that the stimulation of mating with the male will eventually push things out.

I have heard of it in fresh water fish but not in marine fish yet. I cannot even find one reference of this on google for marine fish. Maybe that's because they so rarely breed in aquarium?

she rarely eats white worms as all the other fish get to them before she can have any. She only eat pods in the liverock so far.

I'm pretty sure that is how I lost my female orchid dottyback

poor thing :(
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...ttyback003.jpg