blue ram sudden fry death

["John McCrone" <j.mccrone@btinternet.com>]

Two spawns in succession, all my blue ram fry have disappeared overnight.
Any ideas?

Rams are in a planted 20 gallon tank on their own. Both parents were caring
attentively to fry and about 100 fry were into second day free swimming.
Come in next morning and fry gone.

1) Parents ate them? That's what I thought first time. So I put a dozen or
so in a breeder trap just in case. These died as well.

2) Starvation? Ram fry are very small and even sifted daphnia looked a
little large for them. But the tank is well established and has a lot of
micro-life (I checked with a lens and found quite a variety). It's a
possibility they weren't feeding well enough though.

3) pH crash? Odd that all deaths happen at night. The water is very soft,
being 90 percent RO, and so may not be well-enough buffered. It tested at pH
6 this morning which is all right. But it could swing at night. On the other
hand, it is a low light tank with just slow-growing java fern and crypts.

4) Ammonium spike?  Seems unlikely given there is a large established
external filter, only two adults in a 30 inch tank, and parents being
lightly fed with live food. Sand substrate, but the tank smells good, not
sulphurous or anaerobic.

5) Disease? I had to treat Rams for hexamita when I first got them. But fry
looked in fine health evening before.

6) Heat? Tank is heated to 30 degrees which should be OK.

Cheers
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from John McCrone





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