Confused Discus !!!!

[benjohnson]

Hi

I have a pair of Red Turquois that have bred many times, however this is the first time of any great success. I now have 18 fry which are 5 days old , and are all swimming happily on their own.

Dad is being their main food source, because mum has lost interest (and did so within a day of them hatching)

She has now gone and laid more eggs yesterday , even though their is still fry in the tank, and Dad is still looking after them , aswell as having his turn on fanning the eggs !!!?

I didnt think they were supposed to breed again while they had young... does this mean they are going to eat the young at some stage and concentrate on the eggs they have laid again ? Dad is still lookign after them as of this morning, and after a quick count, all little ones are still accounted for ..

Any suggestions on what I can . maybe need to do to resolve this ? Seems to me she is a bit confused

Ben :roll:

[mistakes r crucial]

Hi Ben,

No mate shes not confused, sounds like shes just young and has a great libido lol.

If they were my fish I would be taking the fry away from the parents as soon as the new lot of eggs turn black. Five days is a little bit soon to be taking them away in my opinion but sometimes you just dont get any choice. I've had a situation just today where I had a first time Web Leopard pair with about 30, 7 day old fry and she laid again this morning. I took them all out this afternoon and put them in a little tank of their own.

It just means a little more feeding and a very small water change morning and night and hope for the best. I use tiny 12in x 8in x 8in tanks for a week or so, just an air stone and feed 'em brine shrimp until they're old enough to go on to bigger and better things.
MAC

[stonedavid]

Hi Ben,
Have had it happen several times, and most times the parents will rear both batches at the same time.
I find that when this happens, the first batch will always have the head start on the food etc, i tend to feed the babies more regularlyand then take the first batch of babies away when they are self sufficient. Sometimes i forget and both batches grow with no ill side effects.
Pete

[mistakes r crucial]

Hi David,

Do you leave them regardless of age if the parents spawn again? I have done that twice and both times they ate them, all be it very small spawns. It is easier doing it your way so I might try it again.
MAC

[stonedavid]

Hey Mac, If both batches are only about a week apart and both not large batches will keep both in together. The further apart the hatchings that makes it more difficult, ie the first batch will have too much growth on the smaller ones and they tend to hog all the food. If this happens i always take the first batch away. If the parents are happy with rearing 2 batches thats ok with me, as long as they look after and they dont make more work for me, ie babysitting fry lol
Pete

[mistakes r crucial]

Hi David,

You're not wrong re babysitting fry although I'm luckier than many as I work from home. Even so, I would prefer to leave them to get on with it, I have enough kids to look after already lol! I'll give your way a go next time it happens.
MAC

[stonedavid]

Yeah i understand what you mean. I wouldnt stress too much about the fry if the parents are happy to do it, let them thats my motto.
Pete

[benjohnson]

Well...

It has all gone wrong !!!

I woke up this morning to find I only have 2 of the week old fry left. I assume they have eaten the rest. The other lot of eggs hatched last night, although I casn only see about 8 of them aswell.

Now, he is really picking on the female , and bullying her around the tank , IVe chucked a plastic plant in there to give her some cover from him , seemes to have chilled out a bit but still gets a bit tetchy if he sees her.

So now I have 2 1 week old discus, potentitally 8 12 hour old fry , and a couple of parents who are bickering.... what am I doing wrong !!!??

[stonedavid]

Hey Ben, Your doing nothing wrong, its just the parents sorting themselves out. From what it sounds like one parent is happy to have 2 batches of fry and the other parent doesnt know what he wants. Just let them go and eventually they will work out a compromise. Should the male keep attacking the female to the point of hurting her and damaging her then take her out, or divide the tank. Happens to us all matey i have a pair that have breed for the last 2 years and the other day they had a huge fight, happens in any marriage.
Best of luck
Pete