What can I do with that female mandarin?

[Nano]

I'm a newb to saltwater, but I know with goldfish you can "handspawn" them you know by gently pressing on the belly to extract the eggs, would this possibly work for her if she's in pain or distress? just wondering :P

[daniella3d]

The problem would be to catch her in between the liverock and probably by the time she would be weak enough for me to manage to catch her, it would probably be to late and she would have an infection.

I read that with fresh water fish epsom salt is the only thing that can help (and sometime massage like you are describing) but my magnesium level is already quite high, so not sure that this is working with saltwater fish.

To be honest with you, I would be a bit scared of pushing on her belly the way she looks right now. I have read horror story about a female fish splitting open from having too many eggs and not being able to release them

Originally Posted by nanomano

I'm a newb to saltwater, but I know with goldfish you can "handspawn" them you know by gently pressing on the belly to extract the eggs, would this possibly work for her if she's in pain or distress? just wondering :P

[BlueWorldAquatic]

see if the male helps first, if she's eating ok, it may not be a parasite.

for constipation, frozen peas work too.

[daniella3d]

frozen pea? how do you get a mandarin to eat frozen pea??

She is not doing any better...I have seen her spawn each night for the past 2 or 3 nights but nothing is released so I guess she is egg bound

dunno how this is going to end but that does not look good for her.

Originally Posted by BlueWorldAquatic

see if the male helps first, if she's eating ok, it may not be a parasite.

for constipation, frozen peas work too.

[Myka]

How are you checking for eggs? Or are you just judging by the size of her that she isn't releasing eggs?

[daniella3d]

Both actually. It is easy to see when they release eggs as you can see the mass of eggs rising to the surface and they usually do some sort of jerking back down fast when the eggs are released. I just see them rising to the surface slowly thummy to thummy and then they go back slowly and do it again and again.

And she is not getting any smaller.

I hope I am wrong but it does not seem to be working.

Originally Posted by Myka

How are you checking for eggs? Or are you just judging by the size of her that she isn't releasing eggs?

[Myka]

That doesn't mean to say that she is trying to release eggs. I (and likely you) have seen mandarins (and other fish) do lots of "false" rises where eggs are not released. Mandarins are non-monogamous so it's not like the pair has to get used to each other, but the male may not yet be proven and may not be stimulating the female properly to release the eggs.

[daniella3d]

Maybe, I don't know what to think any more. She did not release any eggs that's for sure. I know they are kind of transparent but it is still visible when it happen.

Originally Posted by Myka

That doesn't mean to say that she is trying to release eggs. I (and likely you) have seen mandarins (and other fish) do lots of "false" rises where eggs are not released. Mandarins are non-monogamous so it's not like the pair has to get used to each other, but the male may not yet be proven and may not be stimulating the female properly to release the eggs.