Jules, Yea, they spawned and you missed it. She will hold the fry without eating until they hatch. After she releases them, you will have to be fast to see them, as she will call them back in the instant you enter the room. I hope your tank is not in some heavily trafficked room, like the parlor or kitchen. If so, she may starve to death. As it is, she will get pretty thinbefire the fry come out. I once had Dwarf Egyptian mouthbrooders, and was able to get her to cough up the fry by netting her and holding her by the tail at the top of the tank. Then the fry could be raised separately. If she is is a location that doesn't yield her enough privacy, you might want to separate them, or risk losing the first spawn, and relocate her tank to a more secluded location. Bob Dixon