Why Strip
Holding females do not eat for 21 to 28 days — they lose significant body mass.
First-time mothers sometimes swallow fry under stress.
Stripping frees the female to recover and produces higher fry counts under controlled care.
When to Strip
Day 14 to 18 for eggs near hatch — no stripping needed earlier, fry still yolk-sac.
Day 21 to 24 for fry about to release — least stressful.
Technique
Catch female gently in a net or plastic cup.
Submerge in small bowl of tank water. Hold female upside down (belly up).
Use a toothpick or pipette to gently open her jaw underwater.
Fry and eggs float out. Return mother to tank immediately.
Fry Care After Stripping
Transfer to a small hatching jar with airstone and methylene blue.
Yolk-sac fry need another 7 to 10 days before free swimming.
Free-swimming fry need BBS immediately.