Free Cory!

[Ruskull]

So I was cleaning out the Rena XP3 that's on my son's 55 gallon and when I was pouring out the last of the water from the canister I saw something small & brown trying to squiggle away.  I grabbed it out of the tub and threw it into my 36 gallon thinking it was an Otocinclus because that's what it looked like.  When it came out front though it was a 1/2 inch long little baby Three Lined Cory!  The Corries must've mated and one of the fry got sucked into the filter!

That filter hasn't been cleaned out in at least 2 months maybe longer so I have no idea how long it was in the filter.  He/she looks healthy though but it's color is pinkish where it would normally be more white/light gray/light beige.  This fish has probably never seen light since it was a fry.  Now it's in my 36 gallon with some big semi aggressive Gouramis..........

Obviously I plan to scoop it up and move it back to the 55 gallon with the other Corries as soon as I can catch the little bugger. 

 

[l_l_l]

Woah!
Fish are really amazing!
I can't believe the fry survived in the filter for all that time!

 

[Ruskull]

I know, he was very close to being sucked down the drain as I first thought it was just some plant debris..................

 

[Donya]

I had a similar thing happen some years back with an XP2 on a tank with guppies. When it came time for a bigger than normal cleaning, I found they'd established a small population in the bit underneath the plastic baskets. From the size of the fish that came out, they must have been in there for several months. They were all really pale to colorless, although I vaguely recall them coloring up a bit after going back in the tank.

 

[Llegmore]

The same thing recently happened to me with one harlequin rasbora fry. It's amazing what they can survive. Mine was pretty colourless to begin with as well, but it's getting brighter and brighter as the week goes on. Congrats!

 

[Ruskull]

Thanks Llegmore, sorry for the really late reply.
 
I finally caught the little guy/girl & put him in my son's 55 gallon with (9) other Three Lined Corries.  I'm sure he'll be happier there, not that he didn't grow twice the size since I first found him.  He still has a slightly pinkish color when compared to the other Corries............