So cool to see all your hard labor paying off. I'm excited to keep following you and see how the babies turn out. Discus genetics have always fascinated me.
Printable View
So cool to see all your hard labor paying off. I'm excited to keep following you and see how the babies turn out. Discus genetics have always fascinated me.
Yep, the group pulled at 3 weeks are doing great, I’ve no idea why the others haven’t considering once they were pulled they were placed in identical set ups, the only difference I can see is the age at which they were pulled so maybe they are more independent because they were separated sooner.
Yes, there were some that were showing an extreme delay in growth so these were culled. The biggest fish in the second group is almost as big as the smallest in the first group although there a lot more variance in size and there’s definitely a bully. They aren’t as well shaped and one should definitely be culled as it has a short gill plate, however I intend to keep growing these out and see what happens, as you say they may put on a growth spurt at some point.
Yep, can’t wait to see these guys colour up, I’m hoping I get at least a couple like the male but it will be interesting to how they compare to both parents.
Congratulations. Getting discus to spawn is the most exciting part of the hobby. And you'll have much more success going forward since a pair can spawn monthly.
So many threads here focus on trivialities, lighting type, filtration systems, esoteric foods... At the end of the day, it's so simple. Change water, clean the tank and feed with high protein foods like beefheart. Your fish will grow big and grow round.
Raising discus is just another example of KISS.
Willie
Ok, time for a quick update!
These guys hit 12 weeks old at the weekend, I now have ten in each group, the first group is still growing much better than the second. The biggest couple are just nudging 90mm already :D
I do however have one that is pretty consistently black in the first group. It seems behavioural as it's not hiding, doesn't have clamped fins or anything I would like to say it's first to the food but it's first with nine others as they're like a pack of piranhas! After watching this tank for hours, there is no bullying or aggression whatsoever, however the dark one does appear submissive occasionally towards the others even though they're just swimming up and down minding their own business and not bother by it at all. It's not a runt either, he's the 3rd or 4th largest. Equally, 3 seconds later he can be the same colour as the others, so weird.
At the minute they're still getting a 90% water change every day and that seems to be doing the trick, they're looking like they could grow pretty big!
Attachment 126042
Attachment 126043
The first picture is the latest, the one in the hand was 11 weeks old.
Looks great! they are getting nice and round. I have one of 7 that is usually dark because he stays by the filter. As soon as food comes in, he's back to his normal color and destroying the food. His feces is clean so I'm not worried. In my case, I did notice what looks like a pair forming so I think each discus is picking their "chill out" corner while the pair does its thing.
I plan to break up the pair though.
Don't put too much thought into your dark guy unless you start seeing white feces.
both groups produced runts or do you feel the first group (taken away from parents early on) are more consistent in size?
Hi Mando,
yep, I'm really pleased with the shape of all of them in the 1st group. Both groups have produced runts, but out of the original 17, ten are still in the first group, four were relegated to the second group and three were culled. I would like to point out that when I took the first group it was just a net swipe, they weren't specifically chosen at all. While there is a little variation in size (about 75mm to 90mm) they all have great shape.
Not sure what went wrong with the 2nd group, but right from the day of separation they were never as happy as the first group. They seem perfectly happy now, but none of them are as big or round as the ones in the first group and there are deformaties in some of the remaining ones but I'm trying to keep the numbers up. The issue appears to have been early on though seeing as out of the second ten, four were originally in group 1. The rest were all culled for various reasons and I had one death.
As for the black one, I've no idea what its issue is. Like yours, it eats like a pig, poops nice dark poop and mine is swimming up and down with the rest too.
Fascinating thread, thanks for providing all the details. I'm taking notes!
Great job and great thread Kev!!
The thanks really need to go to all of the the grow out challenge guys and gals, I learned a lot from reading all of their posts and seeing how quickly and well their fish developed and it seemed only fair to give something back by documenting my attempt as well. It was the grow out challenge that really gave me the motivation to make major changes to what I'd been doing. I just need my pairs to cooperate a bit more now so I can see if I can repeat my success :whip:
Well the speed at which these guys are still growing is still astounding me, they won't be 4 months old until 12th Jan and the largest is around 105mm already :D I think I'm going to have some big fish! They're a little pointy nosed but then the parents are too but I love them.
I've moved one out into the second group which is also coming on well now although are maybe only 85mm. Colour is just starting to show, although interestingly the second group are colouring up before these guys are for some reason.
10th November
Attachment 126216
1st December
Attachment 126217
3rd Jan
Attachment 126218
PP for babies not a good idea......it may burn their gill plates.I rather use Praziquantel for gill flukes for babies....you confirmed they have gill flukes?
Hi Fancis, sorry I missed this before.
I've not had them confirmed no, I don't even know how I would go about that here. I have previously used wormer plus and prazi pro multiple times though and still lost entire broods. The PP treatment made a noticeable improvement even just a few hours later. I know some people don't like it, but for me it's the only thing that has made a difference.
Time for a quick update I think, now 8 1/2 months old and colouring up nicely :)
Attachment 127758
Attachment 127759
Very nice and interesting.