Most of my fry have died :(

I posted here
http://www.bristlenoseworld.com/the-breeding-cave-f8/advice-needed-please-t571.htm about our first spawning, well the fry started to emerge from the cave a couple of days ago and all bar one have died, most seemed happily swimming around then found dead on the substrate. This was a "let nature take it's course" first run as suggested but would really appreciate some advice for next time.

We don't have a separate tank to move fry to so will have to be something in the main tank. Is it par for the course, water tested and changed before they emerged and all seemed fine and they obviously haven't been eaten so any suggestions welcome. The coolie loaches were nibbling on the bodies is it possible they could have killed them?!

High keez2871- I'm gob smacked to tell you the truth, I have never had this happen to me and really feel for you- it must be a killer let down.
First off , you said you had a lot of guppy fry in with them- yes - how did they appreciate the tank clean? same issue or no drama at all.
You also said you checked water parameters - how did they shape up?
As for the coolie loach , I highly doubt they were responsible for killing a whole batch of fry- eating corpses I can understand.
The only other thing I can think of is something un-variable has happen eg, a huge spike in temperature, something else had accidently got in to the tank like fly spray or insect killer or something stupid like that.
If you are going to continue to keep the fry in your main tank you could try using a breeder net and catch them as soon as get the brown colour but not left the cave, this way you can eliminate wether they are being predated on or it's water issues.
Sorry I can't help with actually fixing the problem.
J

this is a real shame...........
they will spawn again for sure maybe set yourself a seperate tank up just for fry, if you are really serious about saving them then you have to make sacrifices sometime's ie. removing other fish especially the loach.....

Its all about getting it right and believe you me i have had this happen lots of times...there's lots of precautin's you can take like fry savers and egg tumbler's...

But like J said the water has to be right as well as everything else you do..

Ive had a full batch of eggs turn white with no sucess atol and this was due to not enough oxygen due to the father kicking them out and not fanning them...so i have a specially designed fry saver now with an air stone init just in case he kicks them again...

Im sorry we couldnt help any further we can only offer advice on what we know the rest is up to you....

Thanks for your advice. Not had any other kind of fry yet to compare this to, certainly no kind of sprays as we don't use them in that room. Will try the net thing, hopefully I will be able to section off the whole corner with the cave, obviously won't be any help if its water problems, though like I said all levels seem fine apart from kh which I assume is always slightly higher because we're in a hard water area. Just have to wait for round 2 now! :|

kezz2871 wrote:

Thanks for your advice. Not had any other kind of fry yet to compare this to, certainly no kind of sprays as we don't use them in that room. Will try the net thing, hopefully I will be able to section off the whole corner with the cave, obviously won't be any help if its water problems, though like I said all levels seem fine apart from kh which I assume is always slightly higher because we're in a hard water area. Just have to wait for round 2 now! :|

dont worry about it i think iam on round 47 or sumert lol...

High keez2871, do you get to look @ plecofanantics(sorry boss), there is a thread there that some unlucky dude has just lost 10 mature bristlies in the space of a week, with absolutely no explanation as to why it happened- so it is obviously something that can happen to anyone.
On the bright side your B/N have worked out how spawn so it shouldn't take them long to have another look.
J

Kurosaki J wrote:

High keez2871, do you get to look @ plecofanantics(sorry boss), there is a thread there that some unlucky dude has just lost 10 mature bristlies in the space of a week, with absolutely no explanation as to why it happened- so it is obviously something that can happen to anyone.
On the bright side your B/N have worked out how spawn so it shouldn't take them long to have another look.
J

:roll: