I need advice QUICKLY!

[OfPirateMind]

Okay....so it's not health related per se...BUT it is urgent!

2 weeks ago I bought 4 discus....this past weekend 2 paired off and last night they decided to spawn on a sword leaf…all the eggs were still brown this morning and I have no idea what do! I want the fry but I wasn't prepared for this!

I have a spare 30 gallon tank but it's empty. I would like to move the family if it's possible because I do have 7 other discus and 1 in particular who was interfering with the pair...I think he was trying to fertilize or something, it was funny watching the 2 males. I put a plastic barrier to split the tank and keep others out but I don't know if that's good enough because the fry could still pass through.

So anyway I was thinking of taking water from where they are now and filling the empty tank to transfer them and just test water and change as much as possible until it's cycled, but I dont' know it's a good idea.

I also need to know what to do when they hatch, do I feed them? do I leave them alone? Should I get brine shrimp do they eat something else?. I'm totally clueless, please help!

Thanks everyone.

PS (for the parameter junkies) 55 gallon tank, 6.8 PH, 0ppm nitrites, 10ppm nitrates, temp 84 degrees, rena xp3 canister, 20% weekly changes, they eat beef heart and frozen bloodworms...that's all i can think of right now.

[ILLUSN]

fill new tank with water from old tank, move the plant in, if possible cage the leaf/plant so the parents wont eat the eggs.

if i were you I'd move just the male in.

feed the babys with freshly hatched brine shrimp.

i believe if you move the fish they will eat the eggs/fry but there's nothing you can do about it now.

make sure you have a seasoned sponge filter in the new tank.

[OfPirateMind]

Thank you Illusn....but I dont' even own a sponge filter let alone a seasoned one. I'm going to by one on my way home.

I was definately going to use old water and start water changes once they hatched, but now I'm wondering if inserting a clear divider in the tank they're in now will be ok until the fry are free swimming and transfer them then to give Mr. and Mrs. Ricardo a chance to be good defensive parents and the empty tank a chance to cycle.

And why leave just the male with the fry? Do females tend to be cannibals first?

BTW, I don't know what you mean by "gace" :?

[karisdiscus]

I think what he means by gace is to put like a wire around the plant or block the plant some how so the parents can not get to the eggs and eat them. like in the pic. it is not my pic or fish I found it on the internet :D

[OfPirateMind]

Oh! :D Thank you Kari....Sorry guys I'm way across the Pacific Ocean, never heard that word before that's actually a great idea, but for some reason I keep worrying more about the other fish not so much the parents, I forget they can eat them too....I'll try and find a way....I think I have a wide plastic tube somewhere would that work?

[ILLUSN]

sorry i ment cage, way too early in the moring after 2 hours sleep (DAMN FISHROOM!) females tend to eat eggs more then males

[OfPirateMind]

sorry i ment cage, way too early in the moring after 2 hours sleep (DAMN FISHROOM!) females tend to eat eggs more then males

Christ I know what you mean! We tried to breed a couple of years ago and nothing ever happened, we didn't think it would this time either so, this being the first time we've ever witnessed spawning...we ended up staying awake, like idiots! :D

[Mr Wild]

Thats normal for me! I watch them every time never tire of seeing this little miracle in my tanks.

Good Luck!