Ziss breeder box and babies getting in

[Emika_B]

Aloha all.  I’ve got quite a doozy here - I have mystery babies in my Ziss breeder box!  Backstory - In the quarantine tank I had a school of rummy nose tetras and a school of dwarf neon rainbows.  Quarantine time is up, off they go into the main tank.  While I’m siphoning up the quarantine tank to get it ready for the next round of fish I see something that looks like a tiny air bubble but doesn’t move like a bubble should.  Eeep!  Baby fish!  I immediately did research on breeder boxes/specimen tanks and found the Ziss to be the safest bet as far as water quality for the little guys.  The box comes in and after a bit of acclimating the babies go into the breeder box in the main tank.

Time passes, they’re all getting bigger.  They have long-ish bodies so I’m guessing they’re rummies not rainbows.  Fine by me!

Today I was taking a look and I saw my six babies, all looking good.  But then there was something much smaller than these six.  There are at least three that are half their size.  I know I only put 7 in (seem to have lost one along the way).  It’s not a case of late bloomers.

So, my question is - have any of you had new baby fish get into a Ziss breeder box?  I’m not encouraging the fish to breed but it’s been rather warm lately and I’ve had to top off the water, a gallon or two, each day.  That may have triggered spawning, I don’t know.  The breeder box is in a corner surrounded by long, thick valisneria so it would be a good place for a baby to hide.  Perhaps the air stone sucked them in?  If so - yay!  If not - my babies are making babies 😕

[StevesFishTanks]

Likely sucked in the uplift tube while seeking out a place to hide. 👍

[lefty o]

aliens, its the only answer.

[Emika_B]

Wouldn’t it be cool if it was aliens?  Tiny aliens in scuba suits pushing the baby fish into the water intake, like ‘beam them up, Scotty.’