Against all odds

[CFC]

Some weeks ago the male bristlenose in my large tank vanished,a full search was done removing all the bogwood from the tank and checking inside the filter but the only sign of his existence was a suspicious lump in my shovelnose's belly Cursing my self for his demise i removed the female to another tank to prevent her from suffering the same fate but since have not really thought about it much...........that is till this morning when as i walk int the living room i notice all the fish gathered up by the filter outlet forming what appeared to be a queue,they were feasting on baby bristlenoses which were appearing from within the filter Well to cut a long story short ive managed to save about 30 of them which i have transfered to a fry tank,there may be more inside the filter but unless they come to the top there is no way of getting them without damaging them.If any of the fry survive to adulthood i will be breeding many more generations from this stock,they obviously had some real determination to be good parents by laying the eggs in the one place that none of the big carnivorous fish could get them and i think the poor male deserves it after his untimely death.

 

[nikkidee2003]

sorry bout the death but many congrats on the birth and quick save of the babies and i hope they all grow up to be bautiful fish (which i am sure they will)

 

[StiX]

Are u definatly sure the male bristlenose is MIA ? as u wouldnt have seen him out at all if he was protecting the babys (5 days for eggs to hatch, and another 2-3weeks looking after them)

Also if u look it the back corner of the filter between the silicone on the tank and the filter corner, u may find some up there, thats where mine went (if its one of ur rio tanks that is ?)

Good luck with the babys!

 

[CFC]

Im pretty sure the male is gone,ive had the tank stripped down to nothing twice looking for him as i was that certain nothing could have eaten him but there was no sign of him anywhere,but then i didnt find the eggs either but there just isnt that many places a 4" fish can hide in a empty tank.Had a look down the side of the filter but no more babies there Im not sure how many eggs there would have been in this clutch but i think i have saved a good portion of them 20-30 plus 5 dead ones in the filter media which is a miracal considering all their tankmates are predators,now ive just got to try and raise them,didnt have a algea tank ready this time so its back to veggies and fry tabs.

 

[StiX]

Well the eggs would have been an orange colour and they are quite big also. The average batch is around 80 babies, so theres probably still more around the tank

Feed them on crushed flake and courgette

 

[CFC]

Believe me there wont be anymore fry in the tank,its inhabitants are 2 polypterus's a shovelnose catfish a ceylonese green snakehead a siamese tiger fish leaf fishes and a needlefish,when i found them it was like a all you can eat bristlenose buffet as soon as a bristlenose baby came out of the filter it was gone,i could even hear the snakehead crunching them

 

[Graeme]

Arrrgggg!......










Graeme.