Pairing behavour???

[Woll]

We have just moved the 4 discus into their new 4ft tank. Now that they are in their larger tank i have noticed that 2 of them are always together and if one of them swims off, the other will race after it to catch up to it. They are also chasing away one of the other 2 remaining discus but ignoring the tiny new one. Does this sound like pairing behavour to anyone? I hope so, one is a pearl pidgeon blood and the other an ocean green and i think their offspring would be very nice.
Thanks

[goldenpigeon]

yes it does sound like you have sumthin goin on in ur tank this is the early stages of them pairing maybe in a couple of weeks (could be) or even a few days they might spawn !!!!!

[Woll]

Cool, i hope so, any one else think that too?

[Merrilyn]

Yes Woll, the first signs of pair bonding are that they always hang together, and they will drive a third discus away. They will eat together, and always be near each other.

Next step will be the bowing behaviour, where they swim up to each other, and bow their heads slightly.

Lastly, they select a site for their eggs, and will begin cleaning it and defending it from all other fish.

And last, is the actual spawning. This courtship can take anything from 2 days to 2 months to complete.

[Woll]

thanks for that ladyred
How old/big do they have to be before they can breed, or will they only start to pair off when they are old enough to breed?

[Merrilyn]

Somewhere around 12 months is the usual age. Could be a bit more or a bit less, depending on the strain of discus.

[chris]

Wait till you see them bow to each other it really is an awesome sight
Good luck Woll

[Woll]

Well, there has been a devolopement, but not for the good i dont think. 2 of the 4 dicus are hiding and looking dark. One of them is one of the suspected pair, but its still hanging around his "friend". Hopefully its nothing more than they are still getting used to their new home.

[Merrilyn]

Forgot to mention, that shivering is another sign that spawning is imminent, and they can turn dark when spawning too.

It still sounds like everything is okay, just keep watching them