Help: how to take cichlid babies out of the castle? PLEASE..

[iwishuwould]

Hi all..
Thank for all of your advices on previous post. I returned the parents to the big tank, but I have another problem.  Before there were around 50+ wigglers, but lately the mom took them up deep inside the castle, I lifted the castle up and moved back and forth. I tried to force the babies to come out, but only 15 of them came out.  I don't know what is going in there. I use the hose to suck it  but no one came out. I pump air into the small holes (from top of the castle) but no one dropped out.  There are place inside of that castle (I bought from petsmart) I can not see.  I let the castle there for one night, no one came out side. Do you think the babies still in there? What should I do? I don't want to kill the rest of them (if they are still inside). I am thinking the male could have eaten the babies that was why the female bite off the tail and fin of him (I posted for help a few day ago regarding my sick male cichlid) ??  How can I make sure that no more babies are still inside? Thanks all.

[Stormbringer]

hard 1 mate all i can suggest is you put the castle in a tank and make sure that all airs out of it and leave it a couple of days maybe a dif tank from  the male and female if any babies still in it they will eventually come out but they may be dead already tho , problem is more you try to get them out the more they burrow into it catch 22 mate

[Adam]

Your best bet might be the hardest for you... just leave it alone lol.  When they become free swimming they will come out and follow mom and dad around, so you should see better how many of them survived.  Its possible some got eaten but usually if some get eaten they all do.  It happens where parents will eat some and not all but its rare.

[fnesr]

Agreed, I'd leave them alone.

[iwishuwould]

The last few days I left them alone, but no one came out. Today my husband took the castle completely out of the water and looked inside, run the water thru them from different angles. We are sure that no one was there now. Thanks alot.