Paleatus Showing Parenting Skills?

[bronzefry]

I have 4 adult Paleatus cories, 2 male, 2 female. They have 3 offspring who are now 8-9 months old. They used to be in a 29 gallon tank. This tank became overcrowded and I got a 75 gallon tank. This family of 7 has been living in the 75 gallon since December, along with Callistus tetras, Pristellas, Otos, and (2) L-188s (I think-still trying to identify).

The tetras and the cories have been laying eggs on a monthly basis. I let the other fish eat the eggs. From experience, I've learned that if I save the eggs, they have this tendency to hatch.

Guess what? The Paleatus eggs are hatching and surviving without any help from me!

Last week, I saw a group of Paleatus fry swimming around the bottom of the 75 gallon tank. They appeared to be 2-3 weeks old. I got out a net breeder and set it up. I got a 3 ounce cup and scooped up 5 fry.

Here's what I'm trying to understand: the alpha female who laid the eggs starts acting wierd. She's swimming frantically all over the tank. Up and down the glass. The alpha male is following her and nudging at other fish in the tank. Breaking up tetra schoals. Soon, all the Paleatus were doing the same. I thought I was saving the fry, but did I upset the family instead?

I work in the room with this tank, so I see a lot of the behaviors. Several times an hour the alpha female comes up to the net breeder and gently touches the underside with her long barbels. She does not appear to be feeding. The Tetras come to the net, in a shoal to see what she's doing. She drives them away. A Paleatus male will come to help her.

I'm used to seeing fish eat their own eggs. I've read that cories don't have parenting skills. Any ideas as to what I'm seeing, if anything? And, do I just return the fry to their mama?

[bronzefry]

I released the 5 fry back into the 75 gallon tank last night. Since then, an interesting dynamic has occured. All of the Cories have taken over one corner of the tank and will not allow the Tetras or the L-187B's near. The Otos are welcome, however. I tried to take some photos of this:




The Tetras can get to about the green tubing. Once they try to pass this point, they are greeted by Paleatus Cories and turn back.



I've seen the fry a few times last night and this morning. They are in the cabomba. This is where most of the Cories are sitting. The Cories have had several opportunities to eat these fry, but don't. I'm going to try to take better photos of this.

[bronzefry]

I think I may have been seeing a turf battle in a relatively new tank and there happened to be some fry that survived and got in the way. I could be wrong(I often am). I haven't seen any of the fry today. All the fish seem to be milling about and shoaling regularly. Nobody is pushing anybody around. No fighting for space.

I think it's like when Cories "wave." At first, I thought they're actually waving to me, but they're not(anthropomorphizing?). Or when they line up in a row, from largest to smallest. It's just something they do.

I probably made things worse by placing the fry in a net breeder in the same tank.

I'm going to buy a few small tanks to have on hand for just such emergencies.

I seem to learn only one way-the hard way.

Blaaaaahhhhhh.