Copper Marble Spawn Take 2

[DarkMoon17]

I'm pretty proud of these guys, they are pretty big for their age. At 1 week 1 day some are already 3/4 cm and they are eating very well. They've been eating a mix of bbs, walter worms, banana worms and microworms 3 times per day. I've lost a few, but they were tiny so I assume birth defects. My latest count puts us around 150 which is amazing considering how small the mother is.

I moved them out of the 2 gal tub and into a 10 gal today. It hasn't even fazed them so far and they took bbs without question. Hopefully they will be just as unfazed when I wake up tomorrow. I'd usually wait longer, but quite honestly, there wasn't enough room in the 2 gal for 150 hungry fry!

[HD4life]

I hope they stay well, 150 sounds like a good number, I have about 65 right now, not quite a week old. If you get some good strong fry to grow out I would really be interested in a few.

[mernincrazy8525]

i would be interested in a few too. put me on the list!

[Nymmers]

Glad to hear they're doing much better! I'm hoping to spawn my copper/marble/dragon male when he gets here. Thinking if I get a female of NIB's fry to cross the line, maybe we can trade! Haha.

[Tisia]

I want at least one as well, the parents are so gorgeous

[DarkMoon17]

Well, I've got bad news for you all... they all died around 2am yesterday... I don't believe it was from the water change itself, since they did not seem to react at all to the change and they died 12 hours later without showing the normal signs of stress. They ate their bbs dinner at around 7-8pm and looked pretty good. They were all active and looking around the new tank. I checked on them every hour on the hour and somewhere between 1am and 2am they just all died. I really can't explain it since they looked normal just an hour earlier but I NEED to find out why the fry keep dying.

I had been making water changes daily with tap water from the sink. The only thing I did different this time was I used water from the bath tub faucet (my 5 gal bucket doesn't fit in the sink) but I normally use the water from there for water changes on my other fish. The temps were all the same and the bbs was from the same batch they had been fed before the move so those weren't tainted. We have well water so I don't need to add anything but I added Stress Coat just in case. I had floated their container in the tank from 8 am to 2pm and added water from the tank to let them adjust throughout the 6 hour period-by the end it was 50% old water, 50% new water. I checked the temps before adding them and they were the same.

It is a 10 gal tank, 3/4 filled, with a full lid to trap humidity. The holes/spaces in the top are taped over as well. As I can see the humidity in the tank, that is not an issue. I have never had trouble with this set up in the past, but this is the first time spawning in this house.

This was the same tank that the first spawn died in though. They all died about 2-24 hours after they became free swimming. I had cleaned it thoroughly and soaked it in hot water after that incidence. I had also used water from the bath faucet that time.

3rd times the charm. I will spawn them in a different 10 gal tank, filled halfway with half of it separated off so Senshi doesn't tire out. I will only use tap water from the sink for all water changes.

[Nymmers]

Poor Papa Senshi and his fry. Kudos to you for wanting to still try =3 Third time is always the one!

[GienahClarette]

Oh no! My mind is completely boggled. I don't understand what's happening with your water. D:

[DarkMoon17]

I really can't put my finger on the cause. At the moment I want to blame the bath tub faucet water but that's a long shot. It could be that there is some bacteria or something in the tank that the hot water didn't kill. I really don't have an answer and it honestly pisses me off a bit x/ BUT the fry were healthy before they died so it isn't something genetically wrong- I had a very low drop off rate. Sooo we'll try once again. Both parents have recovered from the last time, Hanabi is already "eggy" again and Senshi is busy building nests so-I'm thinking tomorrow... I do have some Ninebettas bettas arriving today so hopefully that will put me in a better mood!

[GienahClarette]

Indeed! I wonder if it isn't a very small amount of soap taint? Older fish might be able to handle it, but perhaps not fry? It's the only thing I can think of now. :C