Thank you Peter, – but that is really interesting to me.
I always keep paroes in pairs as well, and my observations are really just that, – observations which I wasnt sure had any meaning, but it still has influenced my own practise.
I will keep having paroes in pairs for breeding, I am not at all arguing against that – but I think for me its an important knowledge now. Like I have these new p. tweediei, which I have seperated out in 3 tanks, 3 pairs, – but they show no interest in each other, their activity level has decreased quite dramatically from when they were all six together, the females hide all the time, to the point of me getting worried, and one male showing slight signs of odinium.
And I have been thinking in my mind quite strongly if I should put them back together again, because then they seemed to be quite well and fine and lively. These were wild caught fish as far as I know, so maybe being suddenly without any flock is unfortunate for the normal development and their well being ? Who knows ? 🙂 Interesting :).
I am not talking for that one should keep a paro-tank as close to nature as possible by for instance having bettaes etc – but more about that it might have some importance when having fry grow up healthy etc – then this knowledge could be helpful in a way.
But I am getting a bit beyond the initial question of PatrickG’s about fry growth 🙂 .. but very interesting indeed.