Please help.....

[Jeffreyb13]

I have had discus for 4 years and have never had a spawn, not even a female lay eggs. They were always younger, but you would think sooner or later, it would happen. Anyways, I got fed up and sold all but 3 of the 22 I had, and I had a very nice variety. I went to a local guy to get some breeding size fish and picked out 4, 2 males and 2 females that were obvious pairs. He had all 4 in a 75 and they were fighting over the breeding cone showing all the signs, so I figured this was a can't miss and spent $600. I got them home and set up the same exact tank as his with half ro water and half water from my exisiting tank, tested the water and all the number were right, 85 degrees, etc. The alpha male and his mate are fighting, the second male sits in the upper corner and won't eat, move, or fight back against the alpha. His girlfriend seems to be happier with the alpha, and the alphas mate seems lost in transition.

The first day the signs of spawning were there. The head shaking, the cleaning of the cone, now nothing. It's like the alpha is more concerned with taking over the tank, and just doesn't even pay attention to the females.

I am seriously at a loss here. Money, anger, you name it. I can't understand what I am doing wrong, and why I should even waste my time anymore with these things. I love the fish but they can be a major pain in the backside. I have read up on all of this. Everything is perfect as far as what "the experts" say.

So I guess I just don't get it.

[Northwoods Discus]

The fish don't listen to the "experts". But maybe try a divider in the tank between the 2 "pairs" The only confirmed pairs are pairs with fry attached.
Bill

[zimmjeff]

Patience young grasshopper. They work on their own time table and sometimes what works for one may not work for another. recheck everything from water to food and tank position. I have a pair right now that won't lay in their own tank they want company so I put them in the 125. good luck. Jeff.

[TNT77]

You moved the fish from an established territory to a new one there will be fighting. If you want them to spawn separate the pairs as Bill suggests or in their own tanks. If not they will settle down eventually.

[Jeffreyb13]

I would seperate them and put them in their own tanks, but now I can't figure out which 2 are pairs. I know which one the dealer said were pairs, now I am not so sure. Even if I put glass between them, if I seperate the wrong ones, then I messed up again. It's easy to see who the alphas are, but they swim around all day long just biting at the bravo male. Even his supposed ex shoves him around. I don't know, does anyone want to buy 2 males and 2 females, all over 5"???lol

[Larry Bugg]

You disrupted them which is ok, but when moved to a different tank with only 4 of them now they are going to work out the pecking order again and 4 is not a good number for this. You said you got 2 males and 2 females. What was the basis for the knowledge that it was indeed 2 males and 2 females? Discus are very hard to sex. Did the local guy say he had seen the females lay eggs and the males were proven by fertilizing eggs? Showing breeding signs does not always mean male and female. I've had two females lay eggs together. Are they all the same strain? Were the pairings desirable strain mixes? If the strains were a good mix then I would either give it some time and see what happens or I might separate what I thought were two male and female pairs in their own tanks and see what happens.

[Chad Adams]

Patience..... It's well worth the wait & you will be glad.
What else do you have in the tank? Decorations? Plants? Bare-bottom?
What are you feeding?
What is your Water Change habits?
I personally think 85 is too high for breeding.

Chad