well first the parents had a batch just outside their cave, then my pleco ate the eggs, then they cleared out the substrate that was in their cave after i put my pleco in my uncles 1500 gallon pond, and then they had a batch in the cave i didnt know about till they brought them out and none of witch were swimming yet but the next day they all were. i have seen some fry dig into the subsrtate but they always find their way out. like i siad normmally i raise them myself because mom and dad ate the first two batches but so far they are protecting them with all their mite from my melanochromis johannii, and my melanochromis aruatus. i love to watch them to and your right mom goes after a single fry, she seems to chase them down all day. but i have seen two personally get eaten by my melanochromis aruatus, but im sure there has been other casualtys that i havent seen. but out of all their batches this one has produced the most.