Hi All~
Thank you all very much for the informative comments! I was getting really excited to separate out the dominant pair into the new spawn tank – I had the temperature at 26C, the rain water stained with IAL/alder cones, the pH low….
I do an annual deworming of my entire fish room because I occasionally feed live black worms from the local store. I rinse and feed them every day and the worms look healthy, but I do an annual deworming as a preventative regardless. Fish that readily accept frozen/thawed food receive fenbendazole-soaked brine shrimp, and fish that refuse non-live food are treated with Prazi Pro at the recommended dosage. I have NEVER had problems with this regimen before.
I woke up to all my licorice gouramies either dead or floating. It was completely devastating. I scooped the ones that were floating but still breathing into the new tank – it looks like I might have 3 or 4 females pull through. The males made me cry. They are so incredibly colorful, even dead. Ironically, my pygmy sunfish I treated the exact same way are spawning again this morning. I had no idea that these little ones were that sensitive. I always thought PraziPro was super gentle, and some of my other friends also use it as a preventative de-wormer once a year or when they get new fish. Note in the future – never ever treat with PraziPro (or anything else – I would anticipate that they never get bacterial infections because of the near sterile water conditions?)
I’m going to see if I can get another male from Lawrence…I feel absolutely terrible. I’m glad some of the females were able to pull through.