| They should spit after 21 days, stripping fish should only be done by experienced fishkeepers (that have seen it done and or done it before). Its very stressful on the mother and only done when the mother has been holding so long she looks as if she will die (kind of like the 40 week humans that they will induce, induction is not a prefered method) there is a "mother-nature" thing about the babies not being "born" until ready. Only rarly does it need to be intervined. (of coarse speaking from a mother who will have to be induced at 38 weeks pregnant due to some complications this time and a fishkeeper who has stripped her cichlids when need be) I have had only 2 mothers I have had to strip, and that is because they will hold until the point where its life or death.
I would get her a nice cave fixed up in a 10g tank and make it "feel" nice and safe and let nature take its coarse. If she goes to the point she really has started loosing color then consider stripping her, keep in mind though to throw in a couple (just a couple) flakes her way when feeding the fish, holding mommas still can munster a flake in their mouth sometimes, any nutrition helps. They do eat the young even as soon as when they spit. | 
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isnt that what he said? 
africans are tricky!