The live shrimp made it happen

I've been culling my shrimp and feeding the culls to my Discus. I've been giving most of them to my older pair. Poor dad is so big and round he was no good at catching them. He has finally given up trying. Mom on the other hand is smaller and faster. She good at hunting them. It's a kick to see her catch them and chew them up. I think the live food was what finally got her into spawning mode.

This pic is of mom guarding the eggs. It's usually dad guarding, but he is so aware of my presence as soon as I show up and look at the tank he protects the eggs from me and mom takes over the guarding job. I swear, if dad could break through the glass and bite me he would.

Beautiful fish, Liz :)
I've been thinking of dropping some extra cherry shrimp into my discus tank, seeing if they will "colonize". But there's no where except the coarse sponge filters to hide. I think they wouldn't last long with the juvies.

It's worth a try. A course sponge is a good hiding place and many Discus simply ignore the shrimp.

I'll give it a shot, to me the shrimplets certainly look a lot like lively Vibra Bites though. :)

My other course sponges are absolutely shrimp condos and I suppose there's plenty for the shrimp to eat inside of them too.
Congrats on the spawn, by the way, hope you get a good hatch!

Thank you, Jacob. I hope so, too.

Wigglers this morning.

Liz, looks like a good size of wigglers.

Cliff

Yes, it does look good. I owe this to you, Cliff.

Attachment!!!!! I may not have as many as what it looked like. The fry are so dark and dad is so dark it's impossible to make an estimate. I do know that I have 15 or 20 albinos swimming around the top of the tank, lost. I don't think I have 80 non albinos attached but I might possibly have 60. However many it is, dad is very happy with them and they're happy with him. Judging by his color he is giving them as much food as they want. I removed mom before I turned the fry free from the pitcher. I just didn't trust her and didn't want to mess up what looked like a good thing.

The usual failure. I don't know why I refuse to give up. Dad and the kids were so happy together. I went to the store, came back, dad was not dark there were few fry left except for the albinos that are still swimming on the top of the water lost. If I weren't used to failing I would be devastated. Since I am I'm just very disappointed.

I won't pretend to understand the intricacies of discus breeding, but I do know it's lousy when something doesn't work out the way you want it to. Sorry to hear :(

Thank you, Jacob.