An update and some questions.

[shayesmommy]

Ok another update and a few questions..
I am now under the impression that they have spawned every 7 days, thursdays.
Under good observation they eat them within an hour of laying.. Which is faster then the first time.
So last night would be spawn number 4. They did very well i watched they gaurded the eggs. They were showing good parenting then within the hour they started eating them... I instantly took they filter intake tube off and transfered the rest into the 20g breeding tank i got for them. Which is cycled.
I have liquid fry food if they make it that far.
So i guess my questions are..
1. if they eggs dont make it alone. Should i move the parents for their fifth spawn.. Into the tank... Or keep waiting and hoping they get better.
2. Can i remove the eggs off the filter tube. and is there anything else i should do for the eggs to try and give them a better chance.
Any additional help will be greatly appriciated.
The other discus in the tank werent actually trying to get at the eggs or bothering them in there corner at any way. So i dont think they are the problem for the egg eating..
The egg pile was pretty big and if i had to count there were around 50 or so eggs.
Is that still considered small for them to eat?
Im not completely sure who was eating them but it looked like mostly the female but im sure the male was helping.
As for timing and behaviour i would say they are getting worse instead of better..
So should i at least try them in there own tank and see how they do?
Sorry this is so long...
Is there anything else i should know or be doing to give this a shot.
Thanks in advance.
Jen

[Merrilyn]

Try them in their own breeding tank Jen, and see how they go. Make some kind of cage to go over the eggs after they finish spawning. That will stop them getting to the eggs, and hopefully by the time the wrigglers hatch, the parenting instinct will have kicked in and they won't want to eat them.

The other possibility, is that some fish take it into their silly heads that the eggs are 'safer' if they eat them, to protect them from the other fish in the tank!