So you want to Breed Discus? Seriously, think about it !
Breeding Discus is one of the most rewarding aspects of our hobby. To see the Parents spawn and raise their fry is something that never gets old. I hope all hobbyists have a chance to experience it....However it not for those weak of heart, or short on time and commitment. Why ?
If you have a good pair they will do most of the work for you but you still have to do water changes and tank maintenance. You need to suppliment their food as well which for many means hatching baby brine shrimp, a joy in itself! The problem is time here. Your Adult fish may not mind you going on that weekend fishing trip or that week long vacation with the family. Your fry and growing juveniles will though. You really need to plan on a 2 month time commitment. Thats about the time give or take that the fry will grow to a point that you may be able to take some time away. It could be 3 months even. Sure you can probably get away with less, but you risk stunting your fry. Even work schedules can be a problem , if you get super busy look out! You will still have to take care of those little buggers!
I honestly can't do it in the summer months.. It never works out. I am just way too busy. Kids are home, we take trips. I have too many obligations. Wintertime I can sometimes raise them ...and its when I try to focus on it. Other species of fish its easier, not so with Discus! So think about that the next time you think about breeding.
Oh and I forgot to mention, if you do put your life on hold... where are you going to keep all these fry? They will need their own tanks... Those and the heaters and utilities rack up the bills fast....so be sure to consider that. Try not to fall into that myth though that you can make alot of money breeding and selling Discus. If you actually add up the costs, and add a Dollar figure to the time, you'd be better off buying lottery tickets!
Now that I put all that out there.... If you still want to Breed them, Have fun! They are really a cool fish to breed, very unique in many ways..:)
If anyone wants to share their Discus breeding pics, stories, nightmares or advice, feel free.
al
Re: So you want to Breed Discus? Seriously, think about it !
I think the biggest commitment next to the water changes is that pesky task of making brine shrimp. You have to have numerous bottles going and you have to time it so that you have enough to feed and they don't crash. PITA part of raising any fry but is absolutely needed. I'm always experimenting with when and how to best prepare the BBS.
Re: So you want to Breed Discus? Seriously, think about it !
Couldn't agree more. It's fun to see the first batch of fry attach and grow. But the constant water changes, brine shrimp hatching,...UGH! And then getting rid of them after the LFS's only want half of what you spent 3-4 months growing out. And by then you've got 2 more batches coming up. DIY Joey was right in his Youtube video that it takes all the enjoyment out of keeping discus.
Re: So you want to Breed Discus? Seriously, think about it !
Selling juveniles here and there to keep the tank lights on is more like it. But then, yes, you are stuck with 100's of young fish that you have to off-load for dirt cheap to make room.
Re: So you want to Breed Discus? Seriously, think about it !
I personally enjoy it. All the water changes & brine hatching is like my zen time. Turn on sone J Dilla instrumentals and cruise into fish room meditation.
Its fulfilling to see them produce & grow. Its also challenging as fork, lmao. The little milestones make it awesome. Like i just had my first home bred & raised sapphire rubys mature & a male has decided to cross out with a female super eruption. Not crazy cool. But for me its a milestone as its my first babies growing up and breeding. Lol
Re: So you want to Breed Discus? Seriously, think about it !
At one point I tried to make a little hatchery with 4 pairs. Very time consuming and it was very stressful for me. Water changes in the morning, water changes at night, feeding, more feeding, dealing with unexpected "issues" and the occasional flood....
The idea was "why not make a little bit extra cash doing something I love anyhow?"
After a few months it became apparent that I could make a lot more money a lot easier by just picking up an extra shift at work one time a month. I had a real nice batch of blue pigeons on craigslist for over a month, I think I was selling 2.5-3.5" fish for 15 dollars each. I was playing text and email tag with people for the whole time but I only ever had one person actually come to buy fish. Ended up selling the rest of the batch to a petshop owner for some crazy low price.
I would still like to breed discus again. It is truly amazing and great fun. But the only goal would be to enjoy it and that would mean selling them for a few dollars each after a couple months and then taking a break before doing it again.
Re: So you want to Breed Discus? Seriously, think about it !
I'm kind of with Al on busy summers and more time the rest of the year, but then it get cold and harder to warm up my RO, etc. I have no illusions about making money, so I'm trying to approach it from the perspective of breeding something interesting or worthwhile and great quality. I try to sell at reasonable prices so folks can afford the shipping, but honestly, I've given fish away for the cost of shipping. I don't have a LFS store nearby anymore to even try to sell to ( the chains won't take them). I've thought of trying to start some kind of local club where I'd probably offer fish and instruction, just to get more folks in my area into discus.
Re: So you want to Breed Discus? Seriously, think about it !
Breeding Discus here in the States is a for hobby for people who have money, If your goal is to enjoy the ride and break even, forget about it. I'm raising a small spawn from the beautiful RSG's I got from Ryan. I don't expect them to breed true. I'll get Turks. I only did it because the pair wanted to so much and the joy of seeing the parents so protective if their kids is so wonderful. I don't mind the BBS and the huge WC's twice daily but I know I will spend way more on raising them to 3" than I will make when I sell them.
Re: So you want to Breed Discus? Seriously, think about it !
If I ever breed it will be to raise a tank of discus from baby to grave, no selling. Finding the fish homes would be too stressful; turning a profit seems impossible.
Re: So you want to Breed Discus? Seriously, think about it !
The culling will break you heart. Figure on a spawn of 150.
Re: So you want to Breed Discus? Seriously, think about it !
You are probably right Liz, good advice
Re: So you want to Breed Discus? Seriously, think about it !
Al. You could not said it any better. Done with trips for now since I retired and I miss my discus breeding but to think about starting over as you said does not enthuse me. Never messed with planted tanks in all the years breeding and raising discus but that is my new passion. Doing low tech planted tank with angels but working on another planted tank with a few discus. I will always have a few discus around. Discus breeding is very satisfying but must be done right with means time, maintenance and patience.
Re: So you want to Breed Discus? Seriously, think about it !
I currently have 3 confirmed breeding pairs in their own 29's. With 10 aquariums in my house with 6 of them being for discus, the water changes, feedings, and cleaning every single day can really take a drag. I wouldn't mind all the work if there were more local enthusiasts around me that were willing to buy/trade fish to offset the costs. It's definitely tough to stay motivated and hunting season for me is right around the corner which takes a lot of my time.
Re: So you want to Breed Discus? Seriously, think about it !
I have a pair that constantly lay eggs in the display tank. I have NO desire to hatch them!
Re: So you want to Breed Discus? Seriously, think about it !
Me too Neptune. I have 2 pairs in my tank that lay every week. I guess the Irma really put them in the mood, because they both decided to spawn on Sunday evening. Luckily, I never lost power, despite the eye going right over me. I've only ever had one spawn attach for about a day or 2 and then they are gone.