Discus fry swimming on top

[smiley]

Hi,

I have a good batch of fry (Day 1 of free swimming) but these wont attach to the new parents even after 12 hours... they keep floating to the top

Can anyone let me know what can be done so that they can find their parents? I have reduced the water levels to almost 1/3rd of the level after taking the video... but still they dont find them easily.... this is almost the 5th set of fry and the batches have increased each spawn...

My Second question is on lighting... Do we need to have 24x7 lighting on these tanks?

Please see the video below so that you can understand better:

https://youtu.be/8-Ilr211O0A

Thanks in Advance

[John_Nicholson]

Your video is private. What kind of discus are they? If a PB based fish turn the light off so there is only indirect light over the tank.

-john

[smiley]

Thanks for the quick reply.... Its a fire red Discus pair

Can you please check if the video is viewable now?

[warblad79]

Video is private, I always reduce the water almost the same height of the parents for easy attachment, once complete add some more water. Lightning should be 24x7 for at least a month so might you need to get a LED bulb to save energy and does not produce heat.

[John_Nicholson]

While you do need lights having a bright light can make it hard for PB based pairs to get attachment. If you reduce the light to where you can't even see the fry, just light enough to see the parents and you should be fine. I discovered this several years ago and it works a lot better for me than jumping through all of the other hoops.

-john

[John_Nicholson]

Video now works but that tank is way to bright for good attachment.

-john

[smiley]

Thanks... I will reduce the lighting..... I was getting confused because somewhere i have read bright light and others say low light....

[smiley]

Do you think that 2 sponge filters are too much for this tank and since there are lot of fry its better to reduce remove one for the time being? I used to have 2 from around 5 months on having this tank

[warblad79]

I just used air stone for 2 days once they start swimming because the fry will get attracted to darker object. Also the bubble should be smaller and not too much air pressure because the fry will push to the corner. also dim light will help to calm the parents, so they don't move around to much but no matter what the fry will find parents

[mollyb]

I once spent an evening herding fry towards the parents with a margarine tub lid. They got the idea after a few beers. next morning, all 'attached', no problemo

[John_Nicholson]

I never ever take out my sponges. I also never ever lower the water. The tank should never be completely dark but when you make the tank dim then the parents "become" much dark. This helps a great deal in attachment. I do not do this for any of my non-PB pairs. I have had PB pairs that don't need it but if I see the fry at the top swimming around like this I find that 2 to 4 days of dim lights will cure the issue. They will attach fairly quickly but if you turn the lights on to quickly they will scatter again.

-john

[smiley]

Thanks John... and typically its best to feed them Brine shrimp hatched on the 3rd-4th day?