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Was watching a pair breeding amongst a group of 22 "Blue Flash" and had some questions and observations.
Questions first:
Why does the male repeat the "kissing" behavior of the female. When she was done collecting milt he would spin right around and kiss at her vent as if he were collecting as well?
Also, I watched them do an exact replica of the mating ritual without an egg released for an hour, took a bathroom break, when I came back her mouth was full of eggs. Do they always pretend to release, backup, and pick up invisible eggs for an hour and then do the real thing all at once?
Other unrelated thing is that some thing is killing them one by one. I know about "cyp slimming" but this is a different version of it I think. Only one slims, and I mean SLIMS, slowly and dies. Then, within a week another will start? They're still breeding but the slimming is only happening to females. I watch my tanks a lot and this group is very peaceful. Good male balance etc. no real harassment to speak of.
I have done the standard anti-cyp-slimming treatment of bathing Praziquantel and Metro for a week and have dosed the metro in the food for 2 weeks. Then I moved to Nitrofurazone in the food. No results still dying. They're reproducing faster than they die but still I'm irritated by the losses.
The wird things are that a.) only females are effected b.) The Melanogenys and Calvus tankmates are not effected. The Calvus are definitely not effected. The enants are actually not growing at all so maybe...
The only precursor I've noticed is what I thought was battle scars at first. I notice a couple of what look like bitten off scales, not a wound but just like a scale or two has been removed along the back or side. I'm not sure if the "scaled" cyps are the ones slimming but I will say that the males don't have the so called "battle scars" and of all you'd think they would if it were from fighting. Anyway....

Questions first:
Why does the male repeat the "kissing" behavior of the female. When she was done collecting milt he would spin right around and kiss at her vent as if he were collecting as well?
Also, I watched them do an exact replica of the mating ritual without an egg released for an hour, took a bathroom break, when I came back her mouth was full of eggs. Do they always pretend to release, backup, and pick up invisible eggs for an hour and then do the real thing all at once?
Other unrelated thing is that some thing is killing them one by one. I know about "cyp slimming" but this is a different version of it I think. Only one slims, and I mean SLIMS, slowly and dies. Then, within a week another will start? They're still breeding but the slimming is only happening to females. I watch my tanks a lot and this group is very peaceful. Good male balance etc. no real harassment to speak of.
I have done the standard anti-cyp-slimming treatment of bathing Praziquantel and Metro for a week and have dosed the metro in the food for 2 weeks. Then I moved to Nitrofurazone in the food. No results still dying. They're reproducing faster than they die but still I'm irritated by the losses.
The wird things are that a.) only females are effected b.) The Melanogenys and Calvus tankmates are not effected. The Calvus are definitely not effected. The enants are actually not growing at all so maybe...
The only precursor I've noticed is what I thought was battle scars at first. I notice a couple of what look like bitten off scales, not a wound but just like a scale or two has been removed along the back or side. I'm not sure if the "scaled" cyps are the ones slimming but I will say that the males don't have the so called "battle scars" and of all you'd think they would if it were from fighting. Anyway....