Discus Fry Deaths

[silviaf]

Hi
I have had a third batch of Discus only to find at the same stage between 4 to 6 weeks they rapidly drop off daily. They swim away from the parents and then become weak and die. I started off with around 60 and now I am lucky to have 20 left. They died this week. The water parameters are correct. I havn't been able to hatch brine shrimp as the eggs were not viable. They are fed Fry liquid and crushed dry food 3 times a day. Water is changed twice weekly.
Can someone please help me. I have had them in 3 different tanks and the result is the same.

Silvia :?:

[Exotic Aquatic]

if possible try to change less water more often. try maybe 20-30% daily. Remember to be non obtrusive with your hose and hold a fine net over the end.

Also try to buy baby brine frozen and thaw before feeding. feed often but sparingly, there should be no waste. If you cant buy baby brine frozen locally just crush regular brine in a pesel and mortar.

[ILLUSN]

4-6 weeks is the classic drop off time for gill fluke once the fry reach that size the smallest infection will destroy their gill tissur, treat the parents with pp before the next spawn.

if you cant get bbs your in big trouble I've never raised fry sucessfully without a good supply of bbs

[olsen3219]

what is bbs

[Discus Planetarium]

bbs baby brine shrimp and yes i would treat the parents first

[olsen3219]

What's a good thing to use.I'd like to do mine with some thing but worry something might go wrong.love me fish.I just do lots water changes and feed well.third happy and love to see me after work.

[silviaf]

Shanks for the info and i agree It is hopeless without bbs. I couldn't get the eggs with the first two batches and then I got some and they wouldn't hatch so again no bbs....I think they starve to death...I also got medication for flukes for the next batch. I don't understand why don't the parents show any symptoms of flukes if they are present?

[ILLUSN]

parents are big, tiny gill flukes in low number do little damage.

fry are small, a single fluke can ruin their gill tissue at the 4-6 week mark.

try increasing the salt with your bbs and see if that helps your hatch rate also try giving them 36-48 hours to hatch in cold weather

[Ben75]

good advice from Illusn, with the PP treatment.
I have also had this problem in the past. I have even treated the 4-6 week fry with pp and that has stopped the deaths.
With regards to BBS i have had success on a regular basis
using a fine pelet, LFS sells it to me i think it is called "proton"
A fine red/orange powder. Have reaised 10 batches on it now and no need
for bbs.
Regards,
Ben

[silviaf]

Shanks again. I got a new batch of bbs eggs and they have hatched I only have 7 young now. I will wait until the next batch and treat the parent for gill flukes before they breed again. What is PP?

[silviaf]

Is it for the gill flukes? Now that I read again.

[silviaf]

Ben shanks for your info too..I shall look for that food.