Why won't doscus pair up and spawn?

[mpayjr]

My discus are in perfect water conditions for pairing an spawning. But they will not pair up!!! I am postive that I have 2 males and 3 available females, yet none of them will pair up. The females bicker amongst themselves and the males bicker amongst themselves. One male is about 3 years of age and used to have a female partner but she was seperated from him by accident at a local fish store. The second male is about a year and a half old. The oldest female is almost 2 years old and the second female is a year and a half. The third female is about a year and a half also. Does anyone know why they have not started pairing yet even though they are at the age? Oh yeah one other thing, I have noticed that they sometimes twitch their two bottom fins (the hanging ones) and I had once heard that that means they are in "heat." I'd anyon could help me that would be great! Thank you!

[Hollowman]

I am sorry to say that twitching ventral fins are not an indication of sexual behaviour.
My fish twitch theirs all the time, but generally just to clear their faeces from their butts :lol:

In general I would say that there has to be some sort of attraction. What strains are they? Are they all of the same size? Have you tried forcing a pair?
You also need to try and get them in the best condition possible, great water and conditions, great food etc. Some of my friends feed chopped earth worms to get them in condition.

Lowering the temperature for a few days can also help trigger a pair, but you should see some pairing behaviour beforehand, like bowing to eachother, or the body shimmer.

I would probably put a pair of the same strain in a breeding cube and see if they like eachother, it can take a few weeks, or not at all, just sit back and wait.
hth

H

[mpayjr]

Thanks lol I should have known. Everytime I see them do that is when they have feces.

I'll try the temperature drop. Today I actually saw my fire red discus bow to my cobalt blue. But the queen of the tank (I like to call her that) didn't approve and nipped at him.

The strains I have starting from oldest to youngest are: wild green tefe (3 years old, proven male, had a former mate), blue turquoise (queen of the tank, bossiest, non proven female, 1.5 years old), high-fin blue diomond (non-proven female, 1.25 years old), cobalt blue (non-proven female, 1.25 years old), red fire(non-proven male hut w/ a point on end of dorsal fin, 1.25years old)

The rest all less than 8 months old. (5 of them)

[mpayjr]

Does anyone else have any other recommendations that I could consider trying?