Well.. After several months of keeping these awesome shell dwellers, we shrunk a bit from 5 to 3 and ended up with 1 male and 2 females. I failed as a parent protecting now what I suspect were two males.
However- after the three settled it was clear that breeding might ensue. Which did AFTER one female was singled out to breed with and the other pushed to the corner above the sponge filter.
I removed the odd female and she is happily getting along in another tank, while the remaining pair had a very nice group of fry 20-25 at least.
I decided to move the male to another tank as well and allow mom to care for her young. For well over a month this little tank was a poster for shell dweller breeding and considering sending a pic of mom and babies.
As usual last night I checked filters, tank temps, and a late feeding prior to heading to bed. All was well. Today around 1pm I was headed out, went to check tanks and feed fish, and there she was. Laying among the shells- dead... I was shocked. There was absolutely no change in tank parameters, no reaching in the tank, no food change. Nothing IN the tank that could have killed her...
I refuse at this point to chalk it up to a life cycle. I can't imagine it was old age.
Any ideas? BTW- I don't think I have lost a single fry in that tank. Not that I can count them.
-Marc
However- after the three settled it was clear that breeding might ensue. Which did AFTER one female was singled out to breed with and the other pushed to the corner above the sponge filter.
I removed the odd female and she is happily getting along in another tank, while the remaining pair had a very nice group of fry 20-25 at least.
I decided to move the male to another tank as well and allow mom to care for her young. For well over a month this little tank was a poster for shell dweller breeding and considering sending a pic of mom and babies.
As usual last night I checked filters, tank temps, and a late feeding prior to heading to bed. All was well. Today around 1pm I was headed out, went to check tanks and feed fish, and there she was. Laying among the shells- dead... I was shocked. There was absolutely no change in tank parameters, no reaching in the tank, no food change. Nothing IN the tank that could have killed her...
I refuse at this point to chalk it up to a life cycle. I can't imagine it was old age.
Any ideas? BTW- I don't think I have lost a single fry in that tank. Not that I can count them.
-Marc
