Discus Breeding Tips Wanted

[Brody4]

I have a pair of Discus that spawn regularly, they are in a tank by themselves, bare bottom, with one potted sword and a flowerpot for egg laying. No problems with laying or fertilizing and I have witnessed this on several occasions. The problem is, when the eggs are less than half a day away from hatching, they are eaten. The hours prior to this both parents look after them. I shifted the tank to a spare room, incase there was too much activity around them, same thing happened, I have taken the male out and left the female with the eggs, again the same thing occured. Water parameters are perfect for breeding, and there is only a handful of unfertilized eggs with each batch, which are picked off by them early on. The female is between 12-18months,and I have tried changing the male, so one male is 4 years and the other 12 months. This has been happening 3-4 times a month for the last six months. I used to keep the same water changing routine going while the eggs were there, but for the last few months, I stopped all percieved interferance, so the water remained unchanged for the 2-3 days the eggs were there. Still don't even get to the wriggler stage! Any ideas would be appreciated

[mr pleco]

thats discus for you 8) nah bvut seriously could be just age and inexperience you can try a egg gaurd or try an older female but i would stick with what you have and have some patience ...hard to hear i know but eventually they will get it right and least when you expect it

[Luke*]

yeah put some sort of mesh over the eggs to protect them and once they're actually wriggling the parents might finally 'get it' goodluck matey

what sort of discus are they?? pics?? :bounce:

[vincent discus]

try to lower your PH to 6.5

[Adrienne]

I'd say that the female is still too young as is the younger male. My young male has only just realised that he should fertilise the eggs, not eat them! Now he needs to learn that when he fertilises them he shouldn't knock half them off the pot. :roll:

[Bilbo]

I agree with Vincent. Lower pH and soft clean water for breeding and have it about 29c. An egg guard never worked for me it just delayed the parents eating them until they hatched. Most times they will grow out of eating them after 3 or 4 trys but artifically hatching might be worth a go if they continue to eat them?

Some great new methods for doing this now that dont involve the stupid food smear round the top of a bowl and 12 - 16 hours every day.