I came down in the morning, and the fry had him pinned up against a log. He wasn't resisting, and they were chowing down, I was amazed. I should have taken a quick pic, but wanted him put of there asap.
The fry have left the female alone, other than a little chewing on her fins, but they would swarm the male.
As you know, I have had plenty of bloat issues over the last couple years, and I ended up getting the male as a 10+" adult. I got the female as a 2" juvie at the 2006 ACA, she grew to 10" in about a year.
I'm beginning to believe that temp is the most important factor in keeping the immune system of the young from deteriorating.
All my water perameters matched collection data. In the past, I tried the low protein food regime, tried adding salt, and nothing seemed to prevent the young from kicking the bucket. Then re-reading the collection data from Louiselle(BB), Stalsberg and deRham(oh island in the sun) all temps where the were caught Odo, ranged from mid 80s to almost 100'F.
I also remembered teaching my kids to snorkle in a secluded cove on St Maartin (a nearby island), and the water (even with an outlet to the Atlantic) was like hot bath water, duh, what took me so long to remember and wake up!
I have been checking with some of the people who ended up with my fry,(including Sooner) after I got a call from 1 person who said all his were dying, his temp was @80. All others who I've communicated with that have maintained 84'F and above seem to have been successful. In fact one guy in Chicago says his temps hover just below 90 and lost only 1 out of 12, and that was, just after he received them.
I don't believe these temps are required for adults because they move to deeper water, but because fry would tend to hang out in shallows, where water is warmest, I believe there must be a developmental optimum range. This does not negate other factors of stress, or nutrition, but any species that comes and has evoled in a very stable environment, may be more sensitive slight variation.
Anyway, that's my theory until it falls apart, and I'll quit blathering.