My First Fry*

[Keith Perkins]

*Okay, they're really my first fry that have made it past day 1, but you get my drift. This pair went through one whole spawning cycle and never got it right, but the first time on the second cycle seems to be the charm. It's been over 5 days now since they went free swimming and so far all is well. There are only just over 2 dozen, but after nearly 20 unsuccessful attempts from 2 different spawning pairs I'm not complaining at all. Dad is a Blue Diamond and Mom is a Red Turquoise, yes I know it's a mixed marriage, but it's love.

Is there a name for this cross?

Ps. There is also a 1 one minute video on youtube, search KEITHS DISCUS FISH

[Scribbles]

Great pictures! Congrats on the fry.

Chris

[Keith Perkins]

Thanks, they're nearly 3 weeks old now and really getting big. :) There are now 2 videos of them on you youtube, here's a link to the latest one of them at 12 days free swimming. I was lucky enough to catch mom passing them off to dad in the video, that's always a cool sight. Dad is also shimming after he gets the fry, not happy that I'm up close filming them.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QlO6mt8DWzg

[Disgirl]

Very cool! That is a good video of the happy family. Getting a grow out tank ready for the babies soon? Good luck with them!
Barb:)

[Keith Perkins]

Very cool! That is a good video of the happy family. Getting a grow out tank ready for the babies soon? Good luck with them!
Barb:)

I'm currently agonizing over where they are going and when. I've got two spawning pair and the fry currently in a divided 72 bow front, and 3 other adults that were originally also in the 72 now in a 55. I'm thinking they'll first get moved to a small acrylic tank I have for a bit, and then go into the 55 along with a divider. At least that's the plan at the moment.

[David Rose]

Best of luck raising your fry!

[Justice]

Hope all goes well, I would like to see what this cross looks like when the fry grow up.

[scottthomas]

Thats great. Just have to be patient. I had a pair that just spawned for the 21st time before I had fertile eggs and fry. 2nd time is super good.

[Keith Perkins]

Best of luck raising your fry!

Much thanks.


Hope all goes well, I would like to see what this cross looks like when the fry grow up.

I'll try to keep posting updates, for some reason it seems like my videos turn out better than my pictures. At this point they all appear to have bars like their mother.


Thats great. Just have to be patient. I had a pair that just spawned for the 21st time before I had fertile eggs and fry. 2nd time is super good.

Just to be clear, it was their second spawning period, not just their second time. They spawned about 9 times before going into a month long rest period, then started their second spawning period. My terminology is probably wrong, but I hope you get my meaning. By the way Scott, I graduated from KSU and lived in Marietta for about seven years.

[scottthomas]

Wow, now you live in Wisconson. Lol my sister and also a friend of mine moved to Wisconson recently. I dont know why anyone would move from warm sunny Ga. to Wisconosi:grin:n.

[Keith Perkins]

Wow, now you live in Wisconson. Lol my sister and also a friend of mine moved to Wisconson recently. I dont know why anyone would move from warm sunny Ga. to Wisconosi:grin:n.

To get away from all the people who can't spell Wisconsin? :D :laugh: :D

[Keith Perkins]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0m-i95yKYgc

Here's a link to a new video of the little ones at 20 days free swimming. Besides the interesting little ones, dad is a real hoot in it. Take a look and tell me how much fun you think I'm going to have with him when I go to separate the little ones from the parents. :)

[Eddie]

Great video! The babies look great too, nice fast bellies. Great job!

Take care and all the best,

Eddie

[joanr]

They may look something like these, this is the result of a BD x RT spawn. As adults these guys still had bars but turned a real unusual blueish goldish tone.


http://forum.simplydiscus.com/picture.php?albumid=78&pictureid=676

[rich815]

Great video! The fry look great! Yes, papa is not too keen on your making the family movies! Anxious to see how this cross turns out for sure.

[Keith Perkins]

...Great job!



You realize all I do is give them food and water, right? :D


They may look something like these...as adults these guys still had bars but turned a real unusual blueish goldish tone.



Hmm, I REALLY don't want to dis your fish or anything but I was hoping for something more colorful from this pair, I guess time will tell. My very first discus was a very plain brown so if they do turn out looking like yours I'll still enjoy them, just not sure what the local fish shops will think.


Anxious to see how this cross turns out for sure.

I'm even more anxious to see how they turn out now after seeing Joan's pictures. I'll keep posting videos from time to time, assuming of course all remains well.

Thanks for your interest everyone, the posts make the water bucket hauling and bbs making a little easier.

[Eddie]

You realize all I do is give them food and water, right? :D
.

Yup, thats all you really need to to do. And people think that discus are hard to keep. :D

Take care,

Eddie

[joanr]

You won't really know until they have had time to color up, those pics were only at about 8 weeks. As adults they were a shimmering blueish/copperish color. Not to say yours will look like these, with a cross you will get many variations. What's important is that they are healthy and happy.

[Keith Perkins]

...What's important is that they are healthy and happy.

Amen to that.

[Keith Perkins]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3LO9SiI8-LY

It's another week, up to four now, so it's time for another video update. I stole an idea from Martha and taped a U.S. Quarter (ten pence size I believe) to the side of the tank for size reference. My wife and I are in some disagreement about whether some of them have reached that size or not, so unbiased opinions on the matter are welcomed.

[joanr]

They are adorable, look very healthy and happy! Size looks fine for their age. You will always have some smaller than others, just the way it goes. I see they have bars, and some are lighter than others. You won't know for several months what they will look like as adults color wise.

[Eddie]

They look great to me, but I am far from an expert. I see you have an extra adult in the tank. The pair doesn't attack that fish?

Eddie

[Keith Perkins]

...I see you have an extra adult in the tank. The pair doesn't attack that fish?

Eddie

There are actually two other adults in the tank, a pair of spawning Marlboro Reds. They are on the other side of a plexiglass tank divider I made though, so there's no way for them to get at each other. Of course the parents don't always see it that way and still attempt to chase them away from their babies frequently.

[Keith Perkins]

...I see they have bars, and some are lighter than others. You won't know for several months what they will look like as adults color wise.

I note yours had bars too. I don't think there are two different colors, I believe it's just the tank lighting giving that appearance on the video. As you say though, time will tell on their eventual coloration. I sure hope I don't run into anything unexpected so I can actually see how they turn out.

[mmorris]

They're looking good, Keith. I find it's tough to compare fry with coins because at this age, they just aren't the same shape. Notice I drew and cut out of paper little discus 1 in. total length (tl), 1 in. standard length (sl), 2 in tl, 2 in sl and pasted them on the glass as the fish grew.
...let's go, keith, polish up those artistic abilities. :D

[Keith Perkins]

What makes you think my drawings would more closely resemble the shape of a small discus than a coin does? Perhaps I could get a better baseline comparison if I netted a few of the fry, measured them, and took the right size ones to the office and photocopied them. Would you suggest putting them on the glass or putting them through the autofeeder? :D

Welcome back, hope you had a good Christmas.

[scottthomas]

Great job. Those fry are growing nicely imo.

[Keith Perkins]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q9g6oVtESGc

Time for another video update. The fry have been free swimming just over 6 weeks now. It's a little hard to see, but some of the larger ones are developing a BD like blue sheen. Happy viewing.

[joanr]

They are really happy swimming around in wonderland, but why not? That is an awsome looking tank for a BB! Gave me a few ideas on how to put some interest in my plain ole BB. The fry are getting a little blue sheen to them around the gill plates, and definately have bars. Good looking fry!

[Keith Perkins]

...That is an awesome looking tank for a BB! Gave me a few ideas on how to put some interest in my plain ole BB...

I've always liked driftwood, and so do the parents. :) I had PVC spawning tubes in the tank for a while, but they're just too ugly for me when the tank's in the living room. The other think I always found ugly were those dumb stickers on the bottom of the tank, and always in a spot where you can't get them off! My answer to that was to get a few weighted artificial plants and silicon them to a piece of slate big enough to cover the sticker and hold the grouping of plants. I've got two sea fans between the back glass and the background, the smaller of which I found on the beach in Cozumel (CozyKeith) on my honeymoon. I think it helps to have that incorporated into the decoration when my wife starts to think I'm spending TOO much time with the fish.

[Scribbles]

Your fry look good. I like your tank too.

Chris

[Keith Perkins]

Added a still photo at seven weeks that better shows the color developing.

[Eddie]

Added a still photo at seven weeks that better shows the color developing.

Cool pix, you can see the red in their eyes. Do you have them in a substrate bottom tank?

Take care,

Eddie

[Keith Perkins]

Cool pix, you can see the red in their eyes. Do you have them in a substrate bottom tank?

Take care,

Eddie

It really looks that way in the picture doesn't it. No, that's the rock base that the driftwood is attached to. To bad you can't see how good it looked before I had to reduce it to post it.

[Eddie]

It really looks that way in the picture doesn't it. No, that's the rock base that the driftwood is attached to. To bad you can't see how good it looked before I had to reduce it to post it.

Ah, cool. Doing some great work with them. Just when you think the Adults are your babies and then have some REAL babies.

All the best!

Eddie

[joanr]

They are surely coloring up now, and a lot of blue sheen to the base. I think they will be nice adults! Great job with them!

[GlennR]

Great thread & great fish.

Thanks for sharing.

[Keith Perkins]

They are adorable, look very healthy and happy! Size looks fine for their age. You will always have some smaller than others, just the way it goes. I see they have bars, and some are lighter than others. You won't know for several months what they will look like as adults color wise.


I note yours had bars too. I don't think there are two different colors, I believe it's just the tank lighting giving that appearance on the video. As you say though, time will tell on their eventual coloration. I sure hope I don't run into anything unexpected so I can actually see how they turn out.

Joan - I have to make sure you look at all my videos, you've apparently got quite an eye. I've been reluctant to jump the gun, but it appears to me now that there are going to be some wide variations in the coloration of the fry. A few of them having gotten quite a darkish blue, while the rest remain light.

[joanr]

Yep, that's to be expected when you have a cross such as your pair. I don't know what you were planning to do with the fry, keep some or try to sell them? In either case they look nice and healthy and you can wait and keep a few of the best looking ones for your community tank. If you want to get serious about breeding them it's always best to have a same strain or similiar strain pair to start out with. I couldn't bear to have mine wasting away at the LFS here, and they were not easy to sell since they were a cross, but luckily I finally found some folks who fell in love with all 12 of them because of their nice shapes and dark red eyes. They didn't mind the blue/copperish coloring.

[Scribbles]

Looking good! :thumbsup:

Chris

[Keith Perkins]

I don't know what you were planning to do with the fry, keep some or try to sell them? In either case they look nice and healthy and you can wait and keep a few of the best looking ones for your community tank.

A community tank is what got me into this mess in the first place. :D I just bought a nice group of 2 1/2 inch assorted discus and the next thing I know I have two spawning pair. If the second pair get it right some day I'm really going to be wondering what to do. I have a couple of individuals who are interested in a portion of the fry and a couple "local" fish stores that actually know something about discus who will take the rest. The one thing about being in Wisconsin is there aren't many discus available, makes the better LFS anxious to get any. I wish this pair was matched, and I wouldn't at all mind getting a good male RT, but so far I haven't pursued it.

[Keith Perkins]

I know I'm biased, but here's a pretty cool picture of the parents latest effort.

[Eddie]

Thats a nice size spawn.

All the best,
Eddie