Breeding for Dummies

[kimberly]

Hello Everyone,
I recently noticed a tremendous change in my discus behavior after serving them better food and cleaning more often. I have three pigeon blood discus and two of them bred some babies. They do not look alive, but I can not tell either way because this never happened for me before. I saw one of the pigeon blood discus eat the eggs.

What do you think I should do?

background info:
I have kept discus for 10 years, but never kept a pristine tank like this before
-60 gallon tank
-50% water changes a day
-feed 3x day - FDBlack Worms, pellets, flakes, BH
-6 discus in tank with some tank mates (pleco, -clown loach, tetras)
-bottomless tank
-sponge filter and two filters that hang off tank
-i vac after eat feeding and rinse filters at least 2 times a week

[pitdogg2]

I've always wondered how you keep water in a "bottomless" tank?

With the amount of fish in that size tank I'd do larger WC, I'd also get rid of the clown loaches those things get huge and have very sharp spines(under their eyes) they use very well on other fish.

The one thing i can tell you is if you do large water changes daily to every other day and feed good food Discus will lay eggs like crazy. From my own experience.

[Phillydubs]

I think bottomless = bare bottom - - - as in no substrate

[warblad79]

Hello Everyone,
I recently noticed a tremendous change in my discus behavior after serving them better food and cleaning more often. I have three pigeon blood discus and two of them bred some babies. They do not look alive, but I can not tell either way because this never happened for me before. I saw one of the pigeon blood discus eat the eggs.

What do you think I should do?

background info:
I have kept discus for 10 years, but never kept a pristine tank like this before
-60 gallon tank
-50% water changes a day
-feed 3x day - FDBlack Worms, pellets, flakes, BH
-6 discus in tank with some tank mates (pleco, -clown loach, tetras)
-bottomless tank
-sponge filter and two filters that hang off tank
-i vac after eat feeding and rinse filters at least 2 times a week

I'm confused. Do you want opinion regarding your current setup? or Do you want breeding advice?

[kimberly]

I'm confused. Do you want opinion regarding your current setup? or Do you want breeding advice?

Hello War,
I appreciate all the support on here. I have learned a lot about fostering a positive environment for my fish. What do you think about the set up for breeding? I am new to seeing discus having babies in my tank. They ate them, so I don't see the babies anymore.

[Willie]

If you would like to spawn discus, then you'll need to move the pair into their own breeding tank. I consider a 29 gal tank to be a bare minimum and prefer 40 breeders. The tank needs to be bare bottomed. Sponge filter is ideal since it won't trap any fry. If your pair has produced viable spawn, then they'll likely spawn again in 30 days or less. Keep up big water changes, give them high protein food, then sit back and enjoy the spawn - which is the most enjoyable part of this hobby.

I use bushynose plecos in my breeding tank. They do no harm to the eggs or fry, but they're not necessary.

Willie

[kimberly]

I've always wondered how you keep water in a "bottomless" tank?

With the amount of fish in that size tank I'd do larger WC, I'd also get rid of the clown loaches those things get huge and have very sharp spines(under their eyes) they use very well on other fish.

The one thing i can tell you is if you do large water changes daily to every other day and feed good food Discus will lay eggs like crazy. From my own experience.

Pit,
Done-clowns are gone along with the tetras. Now I am thinking about getting a 29 gallon tank for my pair...

[pitdogg2]

I think bottomless = bare bottom - - - as in no substrate
Yes I know it's just a new terminology that makes me crack a smile everytime. It was all tongue in cheek.

[kimberly]

I think bottomless = bare bottom - - - as in no substrate

Haha

Do you recommend a TDS meter brand?

[kimberly]

If you would like to spawn discus, then you'll need to move the pair into their own breeding tank. I consider a 29 gal tank to be a bare minimum and prefer 40 breeders. The tank needs to be bare bottomed. Sponge filter is ideal since it won't trap any fry. If your pair has produced viable spawn, then they'll likely spawn again in 30 days or less. Keep up big water changes, give them high protein food, then sit back and enjoy the spawn - which is the most enjoyable part of this hobby.

I use bushynose plecos in my breeding tank. They do no harm to the eggs or fry, but they're not necessary.

Willie

Willie,
Thanks for listening. Do you recommend a TDS meter brand?

[Willie]

I don't pay a lot of attention to water quality. Back in the day, I used to test everyday. It was never as important as just making water changes. Sorry, no recommendations.

Willie

[RogueDiscus]

I think one of the guys recommended one in your other thread, and I've got this one I got off Amazon that seems to be working well.

https://www.amazon.com/HM-Digital-Dissolved-Resolution-Accuracy/dp/B007KDYOMU/ref=sr_1_20?s=industrial&ie=UTF8&qid=1482726692&sr=1-20&keywords=tds+meter

[LizStreithorst]

You are doing well. I suggest that you re-home the clown loach. They're not a problem when they're young but they become a big problem when they get big. Do you want to breed? You'll need more tanks and have to do more good tank maintenance. It's really not worth it except to the obcessed. I hope that your pleco is a bristlenose and not a common pleco. They get huge. I know. I have one I bought as a little thing back in 2001 when I was new and stupid.

If you don't want to breed, what happened is the normal thing for adult Discus given a good environment. They pair and lay eggs. Either the parents or other fish will eat the eggs or wigglers. If the fry make it to free swimming they're goners for sure. Baby fish are a favorite food of larger fish.

[kimberly]

You are doing well. I suggest that you re-home the clown loach. They're not a problem when they're young but they become a big problem when they get big. Do you want to breed? You'll need more tanks and have to do more good tank maintenance. It's really not worth it except to the obcessed. I hope that your pleco is a bristlenose and not a common pleco. They get huge. I know. I have one I bought as a little thing back in 2001 when I was new and stupid.

If you don't want to breed, what happened is the normal thing for adult Discus given a good environment. They pair and lay eggs. Either the parents or other fish will eat the eggs or wigglers. If the fry make it to free swimming they're goners for sure. Baby fish are a favorite food of larger fish.

I got rid of the clown loaches a few days ago. Thanks for reading this and replying. I just bought a 20 gallon tank today for the pair. I need to buy a bristlenose pleco. I will probably just get rid of this one soon because I clean the tank so much.