What next, discus fry four days swimming with mum & dad

[Karen]

My discus for the first time have successfully hatched and are caring for their babes. Have been feeding off their parents for four days.

Two questions at what stage do I need to feed them?

And with what?

I have some descapulated brine shrimp, will that do, or will I have to start a brine shrimp hatchery?

Thanks in advance for any advice.

[Faran]

Congrats! The fry will spend the next few weeks feeding off the parents, and when the bodies change from a tadpole shape to a more fish-like shape you should start dribbling BBS over the sides of the parents. The fry will start recognizing the BBS as food and will soon go tearing after them whenever they see them. They'll eventually become independant of mom and dad and can be removed to another tank, but take your time, and there's no real rush until you see the skin of the parents start becoming damaged from the feeding.

Another option is to ignore the fry and keep on feeding the parents. If you crush up the discus processed food into a fine powder, the fry will start eating it when they're ready and will transition on their own with little to no aid from you. The mortality rate with this method is much higher and it's really a "survival of the fittest" method of raising fry.

Best of luck with your endeavours, happy to help.

Blue

[Adrienne]

sorry, a question from the totally ignorant about discus - what do you mean feeding off their parents? I envisage a calf feeding off a cow but know thats not what you mean. Honestly, this is a serious question I'm asking, not trying to be funny?

[Alan]

Several species of fish give of a mucus on the side of their bodies that the fry need for their first feedings.

Discus is one and the Uarus that I have just succeeded with do also, there are others too.