breeders, I need your advice/help, please?

[Steve_Warner]

Hi all,
I have some fry from a spawn last week that I have put in my invention(see thread) to constantly circulate fresh water over them. My question is I keep losing the fry from all my spawns(current and past) and don't know why it is happening? They appear to develop a large, black belly over time, after hatching, and slowly perish. Anyone have a guess at what this could be? Thanks

Steve

[brewmaster15]

Hi Steve,
Its a guess... but bacterial is my hunch. I have usually a few out the bunch that do what you describe. But its only a few. Best way to find out is to add something Furan2 to the water as a preventative from the time the eggs hatch to free swimming.

how many of the spawn are doing this?

-al

[Steve_Warner]

Hi all,
Al, it's all of them. I'm beginning to wonder about things like pH, Nitrates, hardness. My tank is in the 4's on the pH scale, conductance is about 190, and Nitrates are minimal. They seem to bloat with a black look to the belly. Some of them become deformed, bending backwards, which leads me to believe it's a fluid buildup(from the pressure) or something to that effect. I have tried putting the parents in a 20 with the pot of eggs and the same thing happened in there with those fry. The water was ALL from my 125, where they spawned in, and was kept VERY CLEAN while they were in there. I need a microscope! >:(

Steve

[Lynn]

Steve,

Just a guess....but if your pH is in the 4's, I don't think your problem is bacterial, I think its your water. Most bacteria die or become inactive at that pH. Never heard of anyone raising fry in pH that low...why are you doing it? ???

Lynn

[Steve_Warner]

Hi all,
Lynn, I have only one tank(125 gal) and this is the pH the tank is kept at. My pair has spawned in there repeatedly(and is preparing the site AGAIN RIGHT NOW). I setup a small invention I thought of to keep fresh, warm, tank water flowing over them, since they wind up everytime, after becoming free-swimming, being eaten by the other discus. I might try to put some in my tap water(850-900uS) or do up an R/O-tap mix and see if that does the trick. It's at least better than watching them all perish slowly again and again. :(

Steve

I agree with Brew,
Furan 2 or hyde at 3 drops per gal for 4 hour bath.
hth
cary Gld!

[Chad]

I would add tap water to raise the ph... try to add about 20%. If that doesnt work treat with furan2.

BTW how old are they fry when you pull them from the folks? Are you raising artifcially?

Chad

Keep Ph above 5.5 unless they're wild Heckles. otherwise, you'll find their fin are burnt. Rhinoceros and unicorn discus will develope. Priceless gem.!! Gill Fluke will attack them at that stage. Put some formalin in to stop it. HTH
Jimmy.