Faran Posted January 17, 2006 Report Share Posted January 17, 2006 Well, lots of good news about exciting spawnings these days with Billaney (as usual, hehe) and PJ and the rest. So here's my little addition. They've managed to do this in a community tank but will be moving to their own tank in a few days if at all possible. The chances of them raising the young in a busy comm tank is pretty slim so I'm not holding my breath.... just hope they still want to start a family after the move! Little history about the parents - Dad was the sole survivor after a bad shift down from Palmy. He barely made it, but pulled through. Even after 4 BNs spent most of the day stuck to his side. With a LOT of Melafix he's healed up nicely with hardly any scarring. Colouration is blue turq. Mom was aquired from a person up in Auckland who was converting the tank to Marine. The whole brood settled in nicely after a 9 hour drive with only one loss, but I believe it was a pre-existing condition rather than stress. Colouration is Tefe Green and she looks amazing under very good lighting. This is the third spawn - first on a heater, second on a filter intake tube and I've finally managed to convince them that a pot is the way to go. As I said before, they have a breeding tank curing as I type and should be ready for "the next go"... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vjarn Posted January 17, 2006 Report Share Posted January 17, 2006 very nice and very jealous Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tanksman Posted January 17, 2006 Report Share Posted January 17, 2006 Ditto - Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Faran Posted January 17, 2006 Author Report Share Posted January 17, 2006 No need to be jealous. I've learned time and time again not to count my eggs before they've hatched. Besides, there's no telling yet if both parents are fertile (or even opposite sexes) let alone the fact that they'll be a cross-breed from two strains. Still a wcked experience though (the mating/spawning dance and caring for the eggs) so I'll let them do their thing. Anyone have any ideas what the offspring would look like? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shiuh Posted January 17, 2006 Report Share Posted January 17, 2006 heck......nice!!!!!!!!!!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kim&Dan Posted January 17, 2006 Report Share Posted January 17, 2006 Congrats Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billaney Posted January 17, 2006 Report Share Posted January 17, 2006 Way to go Blue !! Great picture too, Discus breeding is the ultimate !! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LYNDYLOO Posted January 17, 2006 Report Share Posted January 17, 2006 Totally gorgeous, I want some Discus someday, now I feel a case of MTS coming on. Beautiful colours. Good Luck wif ya eggs, I got Angel fry at the moment, I have told those fishies time and time again please don't lay ya eggies on the filter but they just wont listen, how'd ya get yours to listen to ya then. Getting ready to move the fry to a 2ft tank as wont be long and they'll be free swimming figured it would be alot easier moving them before they got to that stage, my filter is just a mass of wrigglers, really exciting stuff. Keep us posted Lynda Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Faran Posted January 17, 2006 Author Report Share Posted January 17, 2006 Thanks for all the encouragement, guys. I try not to get excited about spawnings as I've had far too many disasters... like this morning finding out that a BN or Cory got a hold of about 10 of the eggs (no, I wasn't counting, just comparing to the pic above) Lynda - I tried telling them time and time again but they just weren't listening! I think they understood it was a bad idea last ime, as the eggs were gone within 24 hours and we missed what happened to them. This time dad seems even protective towards mom while guarding the eggs, so I can only imagine she ate them. To discourage the discus from using the filter intake tube, I added an airstone below the tubes to prevent access. I then added a suitable breeding surface (had to get pots since cones weren't at any of the LFSes) and hoped for the best. The airstone is just to the left of the edge of the picture and I thik it's doing a fair job of circulating water over the eggers (thanks 2 Winston for that idea). After all, they call them bubble walls for a reason. Oh, just be careful not to position the air so it gets sucked up... makes a heck of an annoying gurgling noise when air gets in filters, then all of it goes out at once... Good luck with the angels, I hear the wriggler stage is quite hard to get past... Blue Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anthony Posted January 17, 2006 Report Share Posted January 17, 2006 nice one faran hope they survive for you Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Faran Posted January 17, 2006 Author Report Share Posted January 17, 2006 Thanks Ant, here's hoping! So the eggs have hatched and the parents are catching the wrigglers and guarding them next to the clutch of remaining eggs. Whew, a successful hatch.... glad to know they're not 2 girls (as Kim was thinking they were)! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caryl Posted January 17, 2006 Report Share Posted January 17, 2006 Fins crossed for you and the fish guys Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Faran Posted January 19, 2006 Author Report Share Posted January 19, 2006 Thanks for that Caryl Well, the wrigglers were looking great until this afternoon. My other full-size discus decided to fight its way past the parents and eat them. By the time we realized what was happening there was only 4 wrigglers left so decided to let them start over in the breeding tank. Darn shame, but pretty much expected. Will let you know how it goes next week (we hope) with the next spawn. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billaney Posted January 19, 2006 Report Share Posted January 19, 2006 Thanks for that Caryl Well, the wrigglers were looking great until this afternoon. My other full-size discus decided to fight its way past the parents and eat them. By the time we realized what was happening there was only 4 wrigglers left so decided to let them start over in the breeding tank. Darn shame, but pretty much expected. Will let you know how it goes next week (we hope) with the next spawn. Sorry to hear that Faren As you say next time will be THE time Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Faran Posted January 23, 2006 Author Report Share Posted January 23, 2006 Set up the new breeding tank last Wednesday and finally moved the pair over on Sunday. They must like it, as they spawned the next day. Parents are busily fanning the eggs and watching over them and the only problem I have now is getting past dad to do the water changes. He even attacks the ramshorn snails when tey get too close to the pot Fins crossed for wrigglers tomorrow or Thursday! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ryden8 Posted January 24, 2006 Report Share Posted January 24, 2006 hi you asked me a question on trade me couldnt answer cause it dissapeared cheers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anthony Posted January 24, 2006 Report Share Posted January 24, 2006 oh good one faran hopefully these ones survive fingers crosed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LYNDYLOO Posted January 24, 2006 Report Share Posted January 24, 2006 Good Luck Guys, hope these one's survive. My Angel Fry seem to be doing really well, loving the M/worms I got off you and also feeding them on BBS, which they also enjoy. So here's hoping, it's all going too go as planned, even if I get a couple out of this lot, I will be happy, must have at least a couple of hundred fry, when they get a little bigger I will post a pic of them. Once again GOOD LUCK with yours. Lynda Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Faran Posted February 2, 2006 Author Report Share Posted February 2, 2006 All I can say is that discus aren't that difficult to own.. but breeding them sure is! I've gotten into the lazy habit of doing hose water changes in my fishroom and blame the deaths of the first batch in the breeding tank on that. I read on a few forums that restraining from water changes until the fry are free swimming may prevent the parents from eating them, so I tried that.... to find that the quickly diminshing water qality kileld off a majority of the eggs before they even hatched. My next attempt will involve a water tank pre-warmed and adjusted to the proper parameters for water changes while the eggs/wrigglers are developing and, of course, for the delicate fry. The last change I will be making for this next attempt will be the replacement of the tall terra cotta pot with a proper breeding cone from the LFS. I really don't hink this will make a tick of difference, but you never know! The main purpose will be to try and get a tighter clutch of eggs for easier fertilization as the last few batches have been amoeba-shaped and I've noticed that the egggs on the outside die first - either due to improper fertilization, or the parents aren't able to fan the complete clutch all the time and miss a few at a time resulting in death. Oh, I've laso changed from a single sponge filter to a dual-sponge filter to TRY and keep the water qual better... Crossing my fins for the next spawn which SHOULD happen next Monday afternoon if they keep to the current schedule. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ryden8 Posted February 3, 2006 Report Share Posted February 3, 2006 hi b&k have you trying taking 1 parent out 1 reason discus eat alot of young and eggs is because they want to spawn again also if any1 out there has probs with egg eating discus try making a cage with chicken wire mesh works mint Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tanksman Posted February 3, 2006 Report Share Posted February 3, 2006 hi b&k have you trying taking 1 parent out 1 reason discus eat alot of young and eggs is because they want to spawn again also if any1 out there has probs with egg eating discus try making a cage with chicken wire mesh works mint Can't resist. Do you put the egg eating discus in a chicken coop on the lawn? That will stop it eating eggs allright Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Faran Posted February 24, 2006 Author Report Share Posted February 24, 2006 So that pair of discus stopped eating the eggs.... and failed to care for the fry once they hatched... So they've been moved back into the community tank as if yesterday to learn some proper parenting skillz. Last week I noticed two more getting awfully friendly and have kept an eye on them. One of my 300W SS heaters crapped out a few days ago during a water change (luckily I watch temps very carefully those days) so I had to pop a new one in. The new couple decided it was a prime spawning site and started cleaning it this morning. Being a good discus owner and not wanting boiled eggs or burnt lips and bits I switched around the broken and new heater. This was the result as of 7pm. Dad is a red turk (still developing markings) and mom is a RSTGxRoyal Red like the mom in the other couple. Don't expect much from this spawn but have read that it's better to let them spawn a few times in the comm tank to learn to protect & care for them. And to top it all off... I have a proven breeding pair of red turks coming down at the end of the weekend. When it rains it pours.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luke* Posted February 24, 2006 Report Share Posted February 24, 2006 Awesome! they look good really nice red eyes. Keep us posted brother. Funny thing, my pair laid again today (my female is sister to Blue's female). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billaney Posted February 24, 2006 Report Share Posted February 24, 2006 Good luck this time , fingers, toe's and eyes crossed for you :roll: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Faran Posted February 24, 2006 Author Report Share Posted February 24, 2006 Again? That was fast. Am expecting the other (first) pair to spawn tomorrow. They're actually in the pic right behind this pair. The four of them have taken over one side of the tank and pushed all other fish to one half... wonder if the two pairs would raise the broods together? Hmm.... Your pair are siblings to BOTH my females Looking at the pics a little closer, I think the male in this pair might be a leopard. Some small spots in the pattern. All these fish had poor colouration when first picked up but are coming along nicely. I'll post a pic of the first female soon. She's a full on RSTG and a STUNNER. Too bad they won't care for the young. Bad fishies! Back to the community tank with you! Thanks Paul!!! Umm... comm tank so no big expectations. Strong expectations for the Red Turk breeding pair coming down this weekend tho! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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