55 Gallon Tank Neon tetra birth with one survivor? Highlander maybe?

So either one of my tetras went through Mitosis or they spawned and only one of them survived. I had 9 tetras for a bit my water conditions are less than ideal I would say for breeding as my heater sucks at life and I am waiting for Amazon to replace my new one (it broke during shipping). This morning my wife informed me that 'we missed a birth' and I was thinking 'Oh who was having a baby that we planned to give them something?' she then informs me that she counts 10 tetras in my tank (I had 9 for the past several weeks). I did notice a slight spike in my ammonia and nitrites this morning, but has anyone ever heard of this? I know usually fish lay like a bajinnion eggs and only a small percentage hatch and survive, but one out of an entire spawn? That blows my mind any other thoughts (and no we did not miscount, I have been counting them several times a day to ensure I didn't have a mysterious death again)

 

Is one considerably smaller than the others?

 

Is one considerably smaller than the others?

noticeably? yes, but I would think that a baby tetra would be alike a millimeter or two long at most.

 

Very, very unlikely that Neón tetras would spawn and any young survive, they are quite difficult to breed and need very specific conditions. I think it is much more likely that you missed one each time when you counted 9.

 

Very, very unlikely that Neón tetras would spawn and any young survive, they are quite difficult to breed and need very specific conditions. I think it is much more likely that you missed one each time when you counted 9.

That's what I was thinking as well, but we counted a million times when we first got them and it was 10, one died (I removed it personally), and then I had a new one so I have no idea on that one... LOL. My wife still maintains that they bred LOL

 

Hmm strange. Well if you have soft water with pH 6 or below, and plenty of plants where eggs and fry could survive it’s not impossible.

 

noticeably? yes, but I would think that a baby tetra would be alike a millimeter or two long at most.

At hatching, yes, but that fry will hide in the bushes until it grows large enough to join the adults, which apparently it has. Accidental spawning of Neons is not unheard of, though it is uncommon. In a well-planted tank the fry will find plenty of food living on the surface of the plant leaves.

 

At hatching, yes, but that fry will hide in the bushes until it grows large enough to join the adults, which apparently it has. Accidental spawning of Neons is not unheard of, though it is uncommon. In a well-planted tank the fry will find plenty of food living on the surface of the plant leaves.

Maybe they went highlander on each other //shrug//