hollyfish2000
Members
So my mated pair of rainbows in my planted tank have spawned repeatedly over the past year. They still haven't gotten the hang of getting fry to maturity. They do a good job of taking care of the free-swimming fry for about a week, with the number diminishing each day. And then they all disappear. Of course, they are also dysfunctional in their caregiving, in that one, usually the Dad, drives mom off and takes the load himself. I did snag some babies in the summer and raised 8 to maturity. Two of the babies recently paired up (I thought they were too young, but don't all parents????). They have proven to be far better parents. Both guarded equally for the first 7-10 days and then Dad lost interest. But Mom is staying on duty in the nice pit she's got under a very large piece of driftwood. Maybe it's the secure nest or maybe it's a relative lack of small predator (no tetras, just hatchets). Or just luck. In any event, she has two babies and at two weeks+ old and they are getting big enough to figure out how to hide on their own. I hope they make it. I'm just very impressed with how a young Mom with no experience did such a good job. It's also interesting that she continues to guard two fry. From what I read, they'll abandon fry if they fall below a certain number and it's no longer in their best interest to stay with them . . .
