The strangest find

[Fishdude]

So I'm in the middle of this big move to a new house and over time my tanks have been a bit neglected, none moreso than my 10g cherry shrimp tank. I put it in a weird spot when I set it up so that maintenance was hard and just didn't do much of it over time. I assumed that things had gone south and I'd just have to move on and start over.

First of all the cherry shrimp are totally fine, the colony has thrived apparently despite my negligence due to it being planted. Once light got through I realized they were all good. Then I spotted something I did NOT expect - a juvenile corydora. Here's the thing- I didn't put a corydora in that tank. In fact I have never kept any cories, juvenile or adult, in a 10g tank. The presence of this fish is a complete mystery.

How, fishkeepers? How did this happen?

[xXInkedPhoenixX]

@Fishdude whoa Immaculate conception. How long ago are we talking this neglect? Could the egg ridden with a more recently added plant??

[Fishdude]

On 7/15/2021 at 11:32 PM, xXInkedPhoenixX said:

@Fishdude whoa Immaculate conception. How long ago are we talking this neglect? Could the egg ridden with a more recently added plant??

I'm talking have not changed the tank water in months neglect. This is probably a 3 month old corydora plateaus and it looks happy as can be. I feed the tank periodically when I remember to. Like, this was my great shame of fishkeeping and somehow a cory was born from nothing.

[xXInkedPhoenixX]

Wow! That's so crazy! But so cool! You have a pic?

[ccurtis]

You mentioned it was a planted tank. You likely had a cory egg on a plant you put in that survived and overtime hatched and grew. The shrimp didn't eat the egg and are not going to eat a live fish. I am sure with the molts from the shrimp, random bits of food and micro-fauna it survived. Congrats on having a thriving eco-system. 

 

 

[Fishdude]

On 7/15/2021 at 11:49 PM, ccurtis said:

You mentioned it was a planted tank. You likely had a cory egg on a plant you put in that survived and overtime hatched and grew. The shrimp didn't eat the egg and are not going to eat a live fish. I am sure with the molts from the shrimp, random bits of food and micro-fauna it survived. Congrats on having a thriving eco-system. 

 

 

Yeah I suspect it's from my previous attempts to establish Java moss from another tank. I've hatched and raised cory fry before I just never expected to see one there!

[ccurtis]

That's a pretty good guess, java moss always has surprises when it's in takes with other fish. Getting a cory to make it an pretty cool though. What type is it? 

[Demobanana]

On 7/15/2021 at 8:49 PM, ccurtis said:

You mentioned it was a planted tank. You likely had a cory egg on a plant you put in that survived and overtime hatched and grew. The shrimp didn't eat the egg and are not going to eat a live fish. I am sure with the molts from the shrimp, random bits of food and micro-fauna it survived. Congrats on having a thriving eco-system. 

 

 

they eat molts?

[ccurtis]

To an extent, most scavengers will pick at them. They are a source of protein and calcium in low levels from my understanding. 

[Guppysnail]

On 7/16/2021 at 12:13 AM, Fishdude said:

Yeah I suspect it's from my previous attempts to establish Java moss from another tank. I've hatched and raised cory fry before I just never expected to see one there!

Congrats nature always finds a way. Must be one healthy tank despite nonintervention! A few weeks ago I had a broken piece of hornwort I threw in my snail tank. I thought I got nematodes in there but it was cpd fry🤣