Today I performed a nineteen gallon water change -- or roughly a 50% water change -- and I also washed out the foam filter pads in both of the Penguin
330 Bio-Wheel filters. As usual, I also cleaned off the film of algae that grows on the side and front panes of glass. I leave the back pane alone.

To cut down a little on the bio-waste, I've been trying to feed the fish
about every other day; although sometimes I give in to their pleadings -- a.k.a. collectively eyeballing me through the glass -- and feed them
everyday. Cutting back their food really hasn't made any noticeable
difference in the amount of detritus that collects on the tank bottom,
because even when I don't feed them, they all nibble on the algae that is growing on the rocks. They seem to all have a habit of nibbling on the algae
in the late afternoon hours.

In fact, while they are busy nibbling on the algae is also the best time to
get a body count. While I can't get an exact count, I'd say there are about
two dozen fish in the tank right now. Except for the four original males,
they are all Mama Mbuna's offspring from her currently seven spawns.

As I may have mentioned before, what I find interesting is that in spite of
all of the fry which have been born since last June, I have yet to spot
another bona fide female mbuna in the tank. There was one fish which I
thought might possibly be a female, but as it turned out, its egg spot had simply been bitten off, but has since grown back. So all of them -- without exception -- appear to have egg spots on their anal fins, and Mama Mbuna remains the only female in the tank.

I don't know if a low female-to-male ratio is something that is endemic to
this particular species of fish, or if perhaps it has something to do with genetic manipulation possibly being conducted by my LFS's supplier in Asia. While some fish breeders do make it a habit of holding on to their females,
in order to make LFS's more dependent on them for their fish stock -- thus increasing the breeder's profit margin -- still, I would think that by now, after seven spawns, I would see at least a few more females in the tank.



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