Spawning showdown at the ok corral

[SusieQ]

Hi there... Please feel free to move this to another forum if more appropriate. Wasn't sure to go here or breeding..
Well after considering everyone's feedback, I decided to forgo adding angels to my new 4x2x2 120 gallon and instead add more discus..
So I went and got 4 more semi adults and set them up in my 55 QT on Wed.
Yesterday,Sunday, I look in the 120 (only set up for a few weeks with 4 discus and a bn) and my Gold master pair who got to the wriggler stage before have spawned again on the right hand side on the xp3 inlet tube. This is their 4th attempt but I thought since the setup was so new they would not be that comfortable yet.. They had begun spawning in the old 72gallon "community" tank.
Then today Monday, I find that there are eggs on the lefthand side of the tank on the powerhead with my rose reds guarding them... They have never spawned before..
So I have this huge tank with a bn that hides and 2 discus on each side of the tank daring each other to cross the line in the sand... It's a riot to watch. No one's harming anyone just a lot of posturing so far..
Question... should I put in a divider or something... would that lessen the stress... No one is really eating now as they are busy guarding their "turf" and eggs... Will they be ok??
I know when I add the ones in qt that will change the mix.. I was gonna qt for 4 weeks because I got them from the same breeder and same tanks as my original ones... Should I lessen the qt to diffuse the situation??

Well as I'm typing I looked in the qt tank and there's eggs on the filter inlet tube from my new Gold Masters.. I've had them less than a week in this tank with the other 2 new discus... Must be something in the water..
I had no real intention of breeding but love watching the behavior.. It's gonna get real interesting when everyone's together in the 120... Any suggestions other than "got find some breeder tanks"..

Seriously, will they hurt each other??? Will they keep doing this even when they are all in the same tank?? Any special advice about feeding them... they are all about 5 inches but the new ones haven't really had much to eat yet as they just arrived in their new home and I thought were still getting used to it.. Never had this situation before and really not setup for babies... just want everyone to be healthy and happy... Any advice would be great... Thanks Sue

[tzwms]

SusieQ,
You know of course that 80% of the people who read this forum are green with jealousy!!!! :mrgreen: You may even start getting hate mail!! :D

But seriously, I wouldn't change anything right now in the big tank. It will just upset the parents and could cause them to eat the eggs or wrigglers. With a 4 foot tank, they are fine as regards fighting. I also wouldn't add any of the new fish until the babies are free swimming if you can wait. Same reason as above.
Whatever you have been feeding, continue it in the main tank, but at both ends. Only feed what they will eat in 2-3 minutes and don't worry if it isn't very much, they have fat reserves to get them through. The same goes for your qt tank.

I would continues your water change regime, whatever it is.

HTH :D

[SusieQ]

Hi...
TZWMS.. Thanks for the quick reply....
Well this morning the eggs in the 55 qt tank are gone so I guess caviar was on last nights dinner menu.LOL... So don't know if that was a female with eggs or a new pair not knowing how to defend their eggs... Will have to wait and see.. Nobody is hungry this morning... I wonder why?? LOL
The 120 situation is as it was... a faceoff... so will have to wait and see about wrigglers etc.. Nobody hungry there either.
I will take your advice and just wait and see and keep up with doing what I do normally.. I did shut off the powerhead tho... You should have seen the discus fighting "upstream" to lay the eggs and guard them with the powerhead, a maxijet 1200 going... poor things.. I can't believe they choose that as a site rather than the lighter colored intake tube on their side..
Well I am off to do water changes and will keep you updated.. Do you think they can keep wrigglers alive with the other pair in the tank???
Thanks again.... Sue

[tzwms]

Sorry to hear about the caviar!! I think that you have a good chance of both sets of eggs hatching and growing. Since both pair will have young at almost the exact same age, the worst that might happen is they will try to steal young frm one another. Should really be interesting when they all get to the free swimming stage.

Good luck and post some pictures. :D