Pair in 90 Gallon

[mr limpet]

I have a chance to get a mated pair of Checkerboard Pigeon Discus at a good price.They are around 7 inches.Would like to put them by themselves in my 90 gallon display tank.Tank is filtered by 1 FX5 and 2 AC 110 filters.Is it possible for them to breed and raise fry in a tank that large?Or is it too large for the fry to find the parents to feed off of them?

[Altum Nut]

There is no rule that you cannot but recommendation from others including myself would say it's not wise. You can keep them in a 90g and confirm the pair if there is any activity. You can also divide your 90g down to 1/3 using poret foam which many have done with success. But before that, do you currently have any other fish in the 90g?
There are reasons when it comes to the proper TDS and water quality involved for hatch rate and numerous w/c's if fry hatch. A minimum 20g and up to 40g tank is best suited as a breeder.

...Ralph

[MadMatt]

Hello Mr.Limpet,
Ralph is 100% correct. Although it would be very cool to see the mateing rituals and such, a 90gallon is huge to breed in, at best you would have very low success rates with your fry, as for reasons Ralph has suggested.
I use 20g to breed in and many use 20-30g respectively, a 40g is about the largest I would go, its a nice grow out tank as well (40g).
When it comes to a 90 show tank your wc would be crazy and having to change 50-80% daily would be insane, although there are many people that do it, breeding is a whole other level, its not like breeding jelly bean cichlids, where they are almost good "any how, any where". You would need to change lots of water and wipe down the inside of the tank virtually daily and many breeders do, also bare bottom would be preferred. My 20g's are a work out to keep this routine up daily, I can just imagine doing this to my 90gallon and trying to breed in it.
Although if your up for alot of work it would make nice pictures.
:)
If I missed anything Ralph is a super experienced Breeder he knows alot more then me, but to say the least a 90g would be an incredible amount of work to breed in.

[John_Nicholson]

I keep my brilliant pair in a 75 gallon tank. I have raised fry in a tank as large as a 120 and I have seen it done in a 265. The amazon is a big place....LOL. If you put the pair in the 90 without a lot of other fish then you have a chance. You would have more success in a bare bottom 29 gallon but you do have a chance in the bigger tank.

-john

[Larry Bugg]

It really depends on what your intent is. If you are more interested in having a pretty pair in the display tank and the breeding is a secondary intent then there isn't a reason not to do it. If you are interested in setting up a breeding program then it really isn't the best way to go. As others have mentioned a 20 or 29 would be best with that. Because you are dealing with a pigeon pair then it could make attachment a little more difficult. Pigeon fry quite often have a more difficult time finding mom and dad to attach since they don't turn as dark as non pigeon strains do but some pigeon pairs have absolutely no problem at all.

You don't have to change lots of water for a pair especially in a tank that size. A pair in a 90 won't require near the about of change as a pair in a 20 would. I also don't wipe down the sides of my pair tanks daily unless they have fry in the tank and even then it doesn't always happen daily. What is the downside...........if it doesn't work as you want then you set up a smaller tank and put them there.

Is the tank planted? A proven pair in a planted 90 with fry attached would make a pretty cool display!!

[mr limpet]

89239Heres my tank. They would be only fish in tank.