New Pair in Quarantine

[BobbyBruce]

Hi All,

I recently acquired these discus and four others from Rod Lewis (Fishmania) which I have in a four foot quarantine/grow out tank.

Two of these fish have been showing more than a passing interest in each other over the past week or so and last night they spawned for the first time. Sadly this means that it is unlikely that they will continue to grow. I was hoping they would be much bigger before this happened.

Anyway, I have attached a couple of pics of the pair, spawn in situated on the end of the driftwood. The plants, etc, in the background is just a "background" pic. The tank is a bare bottom tank.

[mpayjr]

Hey Bobbybruce,

I know how you feel about your discus pairing. Mine just paired and they are only 6 inches. I was hoping for them to be at least 7 inches when they did. But, its still nice to know you have an actual pair. If you want them to grow more, then seperate them for awhile. Then they can grow more. After you can put them back together when you feel they are big enough. Usually, when I do an "arranged marraige" (in a sense they already were) they will pair again.

It's a beautiful pair and they look very round. I hope you have some responsible parents too. hahaha. I'm still trying to get my new pair to stop eating their fry whent they hatch.

[Mr Wild]

Very nice, cannot go wrong with Rods fish!

[BobbyBruce]

These fish have spawned for the second time in a week.

Quite frankly I would prefer if they put some of their energy into growing. I would also rather a brown/brown or turq/turq pairing. Still it's only practice time.

Anyway, here are some more pics.

Regards,

Bob

[BigDaddyAdo]

Even if you dont keep them as a pair you have atleast confirmed the sex of the fish.

[TW]

Very nice. I really do love a nice brown discus !

[Mattzilla]

very nice

well done and good luck with them

[Tommo]

That Brown is sensational :)

[BobbyBruce]

Hi All,

Thanks for the positive comments.

The second spawn hatched a couple of days ago, parents were guarding the far side of the spawning site so I felt that there were some wrigglers there.

Last night as I was doing a water change the male (blue turq) in particular was quite intent on keeping the siphon away from the filter but my old eyes were still seeing nothing.

Today at lunch time I have seen a number of fry feeding from the flanks of both the male and female.

Light conditions have prevented me from getting any worthwhile pics but will make a further attempt this evening.

Regards,

Bob

[BobbyBruce]

Hi All,

Sorry I didn't get the fry pics posted up earlier.

The pics are not very good and very difficult to make out the fry.

I now have a pair of blue turqs paired up and spawning in the q tank.

I have moved the two extra browns from the q tank to the 4x2x2 as they were getting badly beaten up. See pics in the photo forum. These fish have come from Rod Lewis in Queensland.

Regards,

Bob

[BobbyBruce]

Hi All,

I finally got some good pics of the male guarding fry. I thought they might be free swimming today but they are now attached to the bottom of the wood directly above the eye of the male in these two pics.

This is the third spawn for this pair in three weeks and I have only had the fish for six weeks now.

Enjoy,

Bob

[BobbyBruce]

Hi All,

Fry are free swimming today. It is looking as if I will need to shift out the other pair of turqs this weekend (to my main tank). With luck I might then have a go at raising some of the fry from this pair to see what I get.

Enjoy,

Bob

[Mattzilla]

looking great

[BobbyBruce]

Hi All,

As you know I have had wrigglers which became free-swimming on Thursday in my q tank and have been feeding off the flanks of the parents over the previous three days. I have obviously lost a number to the box filters, natural losses and "probably" the blue turq pair that remain in the same tank.

The blue turq pair also spawned (2nd batch) mid-week and I have wrigglers with them today.

When monitoring progress/losses this evening I was astounded to see fry on the flanks of the blue turq pair. I can only assume that the fry from the brown/blue pair are drifting around the q tank and taking advantage of the other pair. Opportunistic refugees.

Sorry, no pics at this time. I will endeavour to get some early tomorrow or tomorrow evening.

Regards,

Bob

[swampy1972]

I've heard of breeders doing this deliberately for parents that aren't great carers once their fry are free swimmers. Sought of like surogates..
I'll be interested to hear about their progress.

[BobbyBruce]

Hi Again,

The blue and brown have spawned again and have a number of fry on their flanks today.

In other news, the blue pair have spawned also and have a good batch of wrigglers on their site. I am expecting them to be free swimming either tomorrow or Wednesday. Anyway, a couple of pics of the blues at home.

Regards,

Bob