Hope I'm doing something right

[DiscusEden]

Hi guys,

Well, I carefully followed your advice about water changes, species, feeding, stocking, fertilising & lighting, and I think I'm finally starting to get something right.

The tank is thoroughly overgrown, but very little algae now (touch wood), and I wanted to wait until the latest lot of royal whiptail catfish hatched before stripping the plants out & re-planting half back. How blaze about all of this I am now! :roll: Oh, and didn't do it last weekend 'cos I wanted to leave the discus be with their 4th lot of eggs.

Anyway, stuck my head around the corner of the tank to check on the whiptails, and while half of them hatched, this is what I found!

Didn't know where to put the photos, as they cross species, so I put them in the discus section. :roll: :D

Oh, and this all started 'cos I was hunting the apistos with the camera 'cos they now seem to be a pair hanging out - one blue, one olive. Yay! Didn't find them with the camera though... But still happy!

[fish_r]

congrats on the eggs DE hope u get em through ?

[DiscusEden]

Highly unlikely fish_r, but thanks for the well-wishes!

I'll go turn the lights back on now - you just reminded me, thankyou! Better give them 1/2 a chance.

At least this explains why the golds chased off the germans from that area when the german blue pair seemed to be building a nest (?) in the substrate nearby last week.

Thanks again for the congrats!

[fish_r]

so are they eggs or fry ? if there fry u should leave some lighting on, but if there only eggs, just wait till u have fry till u leave the lights on.
dont leave all ur lights on 24/7 either or u might get algae problems, just leave a tube or 2 on so they can see whats coming :) i just use moonlights at night when i have fry and they seemed to be able to see what was going on...

[Merrilyn]

Well done DE.

You are definately doing something right :P

[DiscusEden]

Yay!

Thankyou both!

Yes, I've been leaving only the lower spectum lights on at night. They're still eggs, but I'm leaving the light on as there are some greedy critters in that tank!

[DiscusEden]

OK, other people may keep this to themselves, but it's too good!

The discus were trying to spawn on the log tonight & I was watching them fighting with the blue rams - I just got close to the log & discovered why - the german blue rams spawned on the log today, just above the discus's favourite spot - the best part is - the rams won!

[DiscusEden]

Hey guys, I promise to let someone else get a post in here soon - but guess what! Those eggs have tails, and they're moving! How cool is that! I've never had eggs hatch before! What do I do? leave them in there until they're free swimming, or what? Yay!

[fish_r]

wow DE what are u doing to induce these fish lol ur not putting little blue pills in the tank are u ?
congrats on the fry too, as soon as u see em free swim i would be syphoning them out and putting them in one of ur smaller tanks and try raise em on there own ? as u have lots of hungry mouths in the tank with them.
but wait for others to pitch in as i'm not very experienced at raising fry as u know...

[Ben]

Looking good mate. Royal whipies are buggers to grow out!

[DiscusEden]

Looking good mate. Royal whipies are buggers to grow out!

'Specially when the rams keep eating them!

Thanks Ben!

Out of a number of layings I've only got one (I'm pretty sure it's one) that's pulling through, and that's on pure neglect. The ones I tried to move to a safer tank all died. :( I was told by a lfs that moving them before they're 4cm will kill them, even with the same water, temp etc. Any truth in that do you think?

[scott bowler]

well it all looks good DE well done you are doing some thing right good for you .love those rams hope you some babes from them hehe . oh and the whips hae babes too hehe

[DiscusEden]

Thanks Scott!

I looked tonight & got all disappointed 'cos there were only about a dozen free swimming, then a couple of hours later saw Dad pick one up in his mouth & spit it into a hollow in the log. Had a better look at the log & while I can't see properly, there might be all 120 or so in there!

Will leave them with parents tonight & play with them tomorrow. Yay!