Test tube Babies?

[BASSNMAN]

In one of my 50 gal I have a variety of barbs and tetras. Several months ago, I noticed a small fish in one of the lift tubs of the UGF. It appeared to be a rosy barb about 1/2 inch long. I have a pair of Rosies, so I guess they spawned and eggs or fry got sucked through the coarse gravel in the tank and survived to this size. I don't know how long I takes to fry to get to this size. Over several days, I was able to collect 14 more out of the tubes. My wife and I call them our test tube babies. Any one else heard of something like this?

[_dan_]

wow thats different... never heard of that before

[smallfry]

That same thing happened to one of my Platys (who is now a very active adult male)!

I was doing a water change one day and noticed him swimming in the UGF tube!!!! 8O He was also about 1/2 inch. He lived in the tube and/or under the gravel....the thing is Platys are livebearers! So as a baby fry he somehow burrowed himself down under the gravel into the UFG.

I never knew anyone else this had happened to until now!

[Menagerie]

There's lots of food down there for fry to eat, so it's not totally unheard of. I like the name you and your wife gave to them

[smallfry]

As they grow and get bigger, it's important for them to be freed. When I rescued my Platy he was very long....but extremely FLAT.

[Terry]

You will probably find that when your barbs scattered there eggs they fell to the subsrate and they were pulled down under the gravel to the plate, and the eggs hatched there. I had this happen to me once with some Danio's.

[Nion]

I had this happen with Tin Foil Barbs about 3 years ago. Quite a surprize. I had to tear down the tank to get all the babies out from under the UGF.

[TankGirl]

Pretty cool surprise - congrats on your babies!