Betta Fish: The Explorer- Also a ramble about my shrimp woes.

And there he goes-into the depths of the jungle to forage for detritus worms, escaped blackworms, and other microfauna

At least, I really hope he is. I got a really berried mama and she was strolling out in the open, and he ignored her and kept exploring, still currently ignoring her too.

The berried shrimp is also my oldest, she arrived with Brody the day I got him- a "test" to see if he could cohabitate with cherry shrimps. And she's been here the whole time and hasn't dropped her eggs.

I'm just kinda worried since I found a dead mama and a dead male shrimp, and I haven't seen many except for the red one as of late. The tank is extremely heavily planted and covered in hides though. I salvaged the eggs as best I could and put 'em in a net under the filter outflow- should keep them moving a little and have plenty to eat when they hatch.

Neither the dead mama or the male had looked like they had been attacked- I found them both hiding *inside* the driftwood log The mama's back was all cracked and white so possibly a failed molt. And if she was trying to molt, it's a possibility those eggs aren't going to make it regardless. the male though was fine, I didn't even realize he was dead until I tapped him with the tweezers to be sure- didn't react in the slightest and legs went limp.

I worry about this because I only found them dead *after* I started giving Brody live food. I dearly hope it is merely coincidental…

..I mean just look at this little dummy.

And Hastur the mystery snail really likes green beans.