Just when I Thought I Was Finished

[Mrs D]

Had just decided to go back to basics and focus on my tetras and gourami, and find new homes for my discus - a pair that weren't doing anything present me with this last night -

http://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h101/MrsDragon_2006/IMGP7496.jpg

http://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h101/MrsDragon_2006/IMGP7497.jpg

Can my life get anymore exciting?

[swampy1972]

What did I tell ya.. Leave them alone (no tinkering) and look what happens. :wink:

I'm really very happy for you after the trouble you've been having. I hope they go well for you

:wave2 :wave2 :wave2 :wave2 :wave2 :wave2 :wave2 :wave2 :wave2 :wave2

[Mrs D]

Can I turn the breeding cone so I can monitor it better or should I just leave it alone?

[swifto]

Leave them alone,in a couple of days you'll have wriggles if they don't eat'em first.Good luck.Its very rewarding when u get thing right.Now to remember what u did to get them to do this is the hard part. : :roll: :lol:

[Discus Planetarium]

well done mrs D looks like you have a good batch of eggs i hope the dont eat them if they do she will lay again in another 3-4 days or so,they will get it right soon..the white butterflys i have for sale just layed on the sponge filter lol,they have a berrding cone but they didnt use it so i hope i get fry out of them soon,so far so good.....

[Ghoti]

Well cut me legs off and call me shorty!!! :lol:

Good to see you are turning the corner Mrs D. I guess you'll be keeping them now. Congratulations.

Cheers,
Scott

[swampy1972]

Leave them alone,in a couple of days you'll have wriggles if they don't eat'em first.Good luck.Its very rewarding when u get thing right.Now to remember what u did to get them to do this is the hard part. : :roll: :lol:

+1. Leave them alone to do their thing.

If they do eat the eggs take the opportunity to make a cage out of wire mesh that sits just off the eggs. The idea is to allow them to get close enough to fan the eggs to prevent fungus, but not let them get close enough to touch them.

When they spawn again, simply reach in and sit the cage over the cone without disturbing it.

Good luck :wink:

[Mrs D]

Ummm. Am still going to downsize, but may keep this pair and some of my juveniles in the community tank. I have to free up the 5ft so I can get some space for my gouramis. The males are trying to take chunks out of each other.

[swampy1972]

Ummm. Am still going to downsize, but may keep this pair and some of my juveniles in the community tank. I have to free up the 5ft so I can get some space for my gouramis. The males are trying to take chunks out of each other.

Bugger the Gouramis I say.. get rid if them and clear out the 5ftr and use it as a bare bottom grow out tank for all those Discus juvies you hopefully soon to have :wink:

[Mrs D]

Don't let Bubblynutter hear you say that!!!

[Nev]

+1 for that!
Gouramis aren't real fish!
And a tank of baby discus would look heaps better.
This could be you feeding the kids.
http://i1118.photobucket.com/albums/k608/Nevdenton/2011-11-24110831.jpg

[Mr Wild]

Now THAT is a picture!

[swampy1972]

Don't let Bubblynutter hear you say that!!!

I'm not scared!! :P

Exhibit A - thanks Nev :wink:

http://i1118.photobucket.com/albums/k608/Nevdenton/2011-11-24110831.jpg

[Mrs D]

Update - eggs looking a bit fuzzy this morning. Mould, fungus?

[swifto]

If their white their not fertile.

[Mrs D]

Some look definitely white, but it looks like a soft fuzzy layer of mould.

[swifto]

Some look definitely white, but it looks like a soft fuzzy layer of mould.Hey Mrs D both are signs of not being fertile.But dont worry they will get better,mine have eaten 5 batches of eggs now and i'm not worried as they are a young pair.rob

[Mrs D]

Thanks Rob.

[Mrs D]

Oh My Gosh! I have 1 wriggler!!!!!!

http://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h101/MrsDragon_2006/IMGP7543.jpg

It's the 3rd little bump. The darker one. and it has a tail about a hair thickness and it's moving and not by water movement!!!

[Mr Wild]

Well congratulations! I doubt it will make it but you have a proven male + female there. Now just give him more time to get his job right and you will be off and running. What can I say ? The boys are slow..........

[swampy1972]

Great stuff, congrats!!

Discus are a funny fish when it comes to breeding. They're the only fish that I've ever kept that really need practice at the breeding process.

In your case it looks like the male may have missed the mark while fertilising - do you have much water flow in their tank? Then again, it may have just been a 'bad batch' of eggs from the female.

I'd suggest feeding them up to gain condition and reduce any current prior to their next attempt and see if that helps.

[Mrs D]

LOL, thanks Kath. Yeah, I doubt my chances of keeping one single fry, but at least it's not all negative for a change.

Do you think I should but a tiny string bikini on the female to help the male along? (hope this isn'y going to degenerate the thread)

[Nev]

If mine are anything to go by, they'll be trying again in about a week.

[Mrs D]

ROFL Hubby just told me that it might not be the male's fault. "Maybe the female just doesn't do it for him"

[Mr Wild]

ROFL Hubby just told me that it might not be the male's fault. "Maybe the female just doesn't do it for him"

hahahaha well that is a different perspective! Look at water flow like swampy said and if all that is good it is just practise makes perfect!

[Mrs D]

Update -

1 little wriggler still alive and now seems to be moving around the leftover eggs.

I do have an internal filter in ther. I laid it on its side so that the flow is pointed straight up as I read somewhere that the discus didn't like a lot of flow - caused exhaustion due to having to swim against it?

Well, I'll see what happens with this one. Can I still do my water changes and siphoning the same as before? They are due now.

[Mr Wild]

Yes you can just be extra careful and slow movements so you don't upset Mum and Dad. Refill slowly so there in no current. Even airline from bucket would be fine.

[Mrs D]

Great, will get shoes on Little Dragon and go do water change now. :)

[Mrs D]

Water change done very gently, wriggler still there.

Came home this afternoon and the cone is very nicely cleaned off. Can't find wriggler, but I knew his chances weren't good.

Mr W - you were talking about water flow. I have an internal filter in the tank with the flow pointed straight up. Should this be turned off, and if so, should I put in an airstone or anything else? Box filter?

[Nev]

Use a sponge filter away from the cone, free swimmers go to the darkest round thing in the tank.

[swampy1972]

Use a sponge filter away from the cone, free swimmers go to the darkest round thing in the tank.

I'd definately get a one of these and a gentle airflow - far better than an internal power filter.

One thing some people do to help the fry avoid going to the black sponge is to slip a light coloured stocking over it when eggs are laid and leave it until they're well established with the parents.

I'd also tend to avoid water changes so soon after the fry hatch. Do a bit of searching through the forum to see how long others leave it, but I'm almost certain most don't do any within the first few days of hatching.

You'll be all set for their next try :wink:

[BobbyBruce]

Hi Mrs D,

Congratulations on the "successful" spawn. There are sure to be more.

One question, have you treated the adults for parasites, worms, gill flukes, etc. Gill flukes are reported to take out many of the swimmers in the first couple of weeks and I certainly found this to be so with the spawns I had. Treating the parents and the tank for parasites prior to allowing spawning activity will greatly reduce your losses and result in better growth rates for the fry.

Also, do you have the capacity to hatch brine shrimp. Newly hatched brine shrimp are very good for the fry, once the egg sac has been used they are not very good from a nutritional perspective.

Looking forward to seeing some pics of your next spawn.

Regards,

Bob

[Mrs D]

Thanks Bob. The discus had been wormed in the month prior to spawning. I can hatch brine shimp, just need to look up how to get it set up.

[swifto]

Hi MRS D,weather it's a single wriggler/fry or a huge batch that = success.Mine have just spawned 4 the fifth or sixth time,but I no in the morning they will have eaten them again.So just keek doing what your been doing ok.rob

[BobbyBruce]

Hi again Mrs D,

The gill fluke seem to be the biggest agent in knocking down your fry so suggest you treat the parents for that.

I have used Kusuri (wormer plus) which I acquired from Marlon (Boxters) which works well treating for worms and fluke (body & gill). Contains flubendazole and while it is not guaranteed to eliminate all fluke it certainly keeps the numbers down/under control.

Regards,

Bob

[Nev]

Hey more advice for ya.

Don't worry about the brine shrimp hatching. Just buy the frozen baby brine shrimp. Give it to em after a week of living of mum and dad. They'll be wolfing it down a week later.

[Mrs D]

Just been watching my pb pair spawning again! :D :D :D

[swifto]

Good to here.If they are like mine,they will spawn every week until they get it wright.

[Merrilyn]

Congratulations, there's no stopping them now.

Give yourself a big pat on the back, because it means they are very happy little fish. :wink:

[swampy1972]

Just been watching my pb pair spawning again! :D :D :D

We all warned you :P

Fingers crossed for 100 little wrigglers this time..

[Mrs D]

LOL. Just remember swampy, if all goes well you will be stuck with with a couple of these!!!

[swampy1972]

LOL. Just remember swampy, if all goes well you will be stuck with with a couple of these!!!

I'm counting on it :P :lol:

I'd hold off on doing a water change so early this time. I wouldn't be messing with it until they're free swimming, only then would I consider small changes. You gotta remember that a small change in parameters will be felt as much greater due to their small size.

Once they're happily swimming around with the parents it's just good water and good food all the way :wink:

[Mrs D]

5 or 6 wrigglers that I can see this time. :D :D :D Let's see if they survive. Also lovely fat chunky spider sitting on glass on back side of tank keeping warm. Didn't have camera (6.15 this morning) or I would have taken a pic.

[Nev]

I don't do water changes as such at your stage. I Just syphon out the poo that's not near them without upsetting them. Then syphon some back in.

[Mrs D]

Thanks Nev. Will do.

[swifto]

:lol: Good on u Mrs D,keep up the good work if stressful but very rewarding when all come's together.Now the real work begins. :lol: Rob

[Mrs D]

LOL, yeah. The cleaning of the breeding tank and starting over again. The buggers ate all my little wrigglers (all 5 or 6 of them) even quicker than the first time.

[swifto]

Chin up they will do this a number of times.And in the end they will get it right .It just makes them a strong bonded pair :D :D

[Mrs D]

And very fat and healthy?!!! ROFL

[swampy1972]

It's all a learing process for both the fish and you. I'd take the opportunity to make a mesh guard for the breeding cone and see if that makes a difference.
Good to hear the numbers increased. It means they're getting better at the spawning process.

[Mrs D]

Umm, there is something small swimming around in the tank. Thought Hubby had dumped in one of the baby guppies as a feeder fish, but it's tiny!

Have watched it for a bit - it absolutely zooms around the end where the parent are, and finall saw what appeared to be feeding off the mother.

Am I a grandma now?!!!

[swampy1972]

Hey congrats!!

See, they are learning.. In a few more attempts you could expect to see a cloud of fry on the parents :wink:

[Merrilyn]

Well done grandma :blob

[Mrs D]

He He He. I just found another one. :D

[Ghoti]

Well done Grandma :lol: Now to nuture ad watch them grow.

And to think you contemplated moving them on :shock: I mean to say...

Cheers,
Scott

[Mrs D]

Hmmm, I may still do that. Can't find either baby, but now that we've had our storm and weather change here, parents are smooching and rubbing up against each other. Have moved all my juvies into my new 5ft tank. These were some of the first ones I got and funny enough, the ones I have had the least trouble with.

[Mr Wild]

Well then they are the ones to keep - showing signs of a strong immune system.