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pauly
06-30-2003, 12:12 AM
Hello all you knowledgable discus people ,
I am wanting to start breeding discus , but I want to set my self up with all the right stuff first. Ie. amount of tanks needed to breed , and grow out fish from 2 or 3 pairs .What size tanks do you recomend ,and also what type of the type of rack and filtration set up will I need . I hope this is not too big an ask any advice would be appreciated . :)

Pauly.

jeep
06-30-2003, 12:50 AM
Hi Pauly,

For breeding only I would recommend 29 gallon tanks but a lot of people use 20's. 20's are little cramped for my taste...

If you want to grow your own breeders I would start with 6 - 10 juvies and let them pair off, assuming you get a male and female willing to pair off. With those numbers I think your chances are good. If you want to start with a proven pair then hook up with a reputable breeder and be prepared to spend some money. Don't buy a "proven pair" from someone on the sellers word alone unless you know their reputation.

The rack is up to you and the space you have available...

As far as filtration, I would recommend sponge filters only for breeders, at least while they're breeding; Less turbulance and great efficiency at eliminating ammonia and nitrites.

Give them all the time they need and all the attention you can give!

good luck, Brian

RichieE
06-30-2003, 10:38 AM
Ive used 20 and 29 gall. and like the 29 better. Its a little more forgiving if you miss a water change. Add a sponge filter, reliable heater and pump.Rich

pauly
07-01-2003, 02:53 AM
Thanks guys ,
Do you think a 29 g for breeding , and a 55 g to grow out per pair , will be enough , or will I need bigger and more grow out tanks and a few holding tanks to store and pair fish up in ? I saw the "mini rack " set up on a past thread , I can go bigger than that if needed , but it is sort of what I had in mind . ie. Two or three levels , with one 29 g for breeding and a bigger 55 to 60 g for growing out and holding fry , per level . Am I on the right track?

jeep
07-01-2003, 08:23 AM
Thanks guys ,
Do you think a 29 g for breeding , and a 55 g to grow out per pair , will be enough

Not sure what you mean, but you can fit quite a few juvies in a 55 and seperate them as they grow. If you mean to grow out 1 pair in a 55, I think it's a little big and as juvies they may be a little insecure. Form your pair in a large tank and transfer them into the 29 when you're confident they have paired off.

"Mini-rack"? Are you talking about heavy duty shelving from Home Depot or just building a mini-rack. Either way is fine, althoug I've been thinking about the industrial shelving myself. It's very neat, compact and not very expensive.

Yes, you're on the right track!

Carol_Roberts
07-01-2003, 06:55 PM
29 is fine for a pair. 55 gallon doesn't hold many babies for very long. I'd have some 55's and some large 75 - 125. How many spawns will you have at one time?

pauly
07-01-2003, 11:46 PM
Thats just it , I'm not sure how many spawns I will have on the go or how big they will be ,I'm just a beginer . The thing is , instead of spending money on tanks etc. and starting of small , I might as well spend just a little bit more money , on a decent size set up first off and save money in the long run . I'm trying to short cut all the trial and error .There are very very few people in NZ breeding discus ,so I see a bit of a money making oppitunity here doing a hobbie I enjoy.
I'm thinking three pairs , each pair of different strain ,and having a pair and strain per shelve .Ie. a 29 g tank (breeder) and then next to that a 55 g ,or as Carol suggests maybe a bigger 75 g - 125 g , for the fry. Will I need another tank too hold fry and grow out per strain ?
I hope you all follow what I talking about . I know there is no way too short cut the trail and error , but if I can get a decent set up to begin with , I will save a lot of time and money in the long run .
I hope I'm not asking too much here . I know everyone has different methods , views , and prefered set ups , I just need pointing in the right direction . I thank you all for your help .

Pauly.

April
07-02-2003, 01:42 AM
one suggestion Pauly is. breeders prefer to be high up. so...most breeders have their grow out tank underneath and their breeder tanks on top. so..say you have 3 29 gallon tanks on top. usually 2 feet long..that gives you 6 feet underneath. so you could get a 100 gallon tank under. or 108. of course you guys use metric. but you get the idea.
for growing out fry you need a big tank if you get alot of fry
and you will have some tanks for keeping young ones or starting with young ones to grow out. if you breed you need to keep some of your next generation to grow out and breed later. or your generations could all end. and you need to keep extra males around.as not all males are fertile or good dads.
55s or 60s are good to grow out groups of youth.
but i say you need a 100 gallon at least for fry growout.
we have at least 6 or more members on here from new zealand. more lately.
you should go to the locator section and start a thread for new zealand. maybe some of you can meet and swap or get togeather to import fish. as i know its almost impossible.
but maybe the other members have some fry. who knows..
but yes if you could get them going you will have a market im sure.
keep us updated.

pauly
07-02-2003, 03:30 AM
Thanks April .
It's a good idea about the thread , but I'm not sure I can be trusted with the responsibility . :-\
Hmmmm looks like I might need a bit more room for tanks , I'm sure my girlfriend wont mind if I turn her half of the garage into a fish room . Lol I'll be lucky .
I dont think I'll get so big , its only a hobbie nd I don't want to make a fortune out of it , I just want the satifaction of breeding and raising quality discus .

Everyones help on this topic has been very helpful and I thankyou all .


Pauly

Ps. I'll post a NZ finder thread later , cheers .

Willie
07-05-2003, 08:15 PM
Most critical set up is a dedicated quarantine tank. Plan on it.

Willie