Today there was quite a stir in the tank, as Bully Boy went totally berserko and was on the rampage again, seriously persecuting the other three males.

I immediately suspected what was going on; and sure enough, when I caught
sight of her, female #1's ovipositor was extended again, and she was holding for the second time. The first time was on June 1st, so this makes her
second spawn in exactly forty days. I knew that her time was near, as she
was really gobbling down food during the past week, getting ready for the
long incubation period ahead, during which time she would do without food.
Last time, it lasted for seventeen days before she released her fry, and
began eating again.

I am not certain who fertilized her eggs this time. I suspect that it may
have been Bully Boy again, but with the other three males fully mature now, going crazy in the tank, and aggressively flirting with female #1, who
knows. Maybe it was a case of fish polygamy! Eek!

Anyway, earlier, I had decided that this time around, I would just leave
female #1 in the main tank, and let the fry take their chances with all of
the adult mbunas. However, once again, I am already softening in my stance, because it is apparent that she is not going to get any rest; and as long as she is in there holding eggs, Bully Boy is going to be on the war path with
the other males.

The thing is, there are so many rocks in the tank, stacked in such a
particular order in order to create an established network of caves and tunnels, and now nicely covered with algae, that just the idea of tearing
down the tank in order to catch her, does not appeal to me. I am thinking
that maybe if I drain the water really low, she might come out into the
open, and I will have an opportunity to catch her and put her in one of the waiting twenty-gallon tanks. Of course, if I lower the water level, Bully
Boy will really have the other three males cornered, and will probably do a number on them.

And then there is dear little Junior. I would really feel terrible if the little guy became somebody's snack while the water level is low. He has been doing so well with his survival skills; and I have great faith that he will continue to elude the hungry mouths in the tank. But if I lower the water level, will that turn out to be a fatal mistake?

BTW, two days ago, on Wednesday, I did an approximate 50% water change;
maybe even a little more.


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