Getting ready to start breeding

[Lizzy]

I am really excited to start breeding discus. I have read everything about them and they are so cool! I am picking up a 55 gallon next week. I just have a few questions.

1. If I get two breeding pairs can I put a divider in the 55 (not see through) and have that work?

2. Can I use 20 gallon clear storage bins and put them in my closet as holding tanks. (with filters, heaters, etc.) Will I have a problem with them not being meant for fish?

3. How big should I buy the discus for them to start breeding quickly?

4. My tap water ph is 7.6. People have told me not to tamper with ph because the fish will adapt. Should I use chemicals to lower it or can discus breed in those conditions?

I plan on cycling my tank(s) as well. Thanks for your help.

[Ryan925]

I would suggest reading through the breeding section and really inform yourself and ask yourself a few questions. If you do really want to breed do you have the space to have the multiple grow out tanks for fry and the time to maintenance them

Also if you are looking to breed you would need to purchase confirmed pairs.

Have you ever kept discus?

You may be better off buying a group in hopes they will eventually pair off as you learn to care for then

[Lizzy]

I was planning on buying 6-10 4+ inch discus. Also My closet is the size of a small bedroom. I am a home schooler so I have tons of time on my hands. I already have multiple tanks which I am doing constant maintenance on them. (one of them is a puffer tank) I have never kept discus though. I do agree that I should raise them for experience. I read 1-2 books about fish weekly. I just wanted to ask experienced discus keepers..

[White Worm]

It seems you have just scraped the informational surface of breeding discus. With the price of quality adult discus or even pairs, you may want to get your feet wet with growing a handful of young discus and letting them pair up naturally. Confirmed pairs can run $300-$600 and then it is still a crap shoot if they breed for you. Regular adults can be upwards and over $100 a piece and still no guarantee that they will pair and breed and you would need 6-10 in a 75G or larger to be comfortable. You really need to be well-prepared for the adventure. If you are lucky enough to breed them, then you will need numerous larger tanks to grow out the fry. So,

#1. Yes, it can be done
#2. 20G tanks are just as cheap if you get them at Petco when they have their $1 a Gallon sale which is going on right now.
#3. Size isn't a factor. Discus around 10 months to a year old are considered adults and are old enough to breed. (Closer to 12 months though).
#4. Don't mess with it.

[Ryan925]

I was planning on buying 6-10 4+ inch discus. Also My closet is the size of a small bedroom. I am a home schooler so I have tons of time on my hands. I already have multiple tanks which I am doing constant maintenance on them. (one of them is a puffer tank) I have never kept discus though. I do agree that I should raise them for experience. I read 1-2 books about fish weekly. I just wanted to ask experienced discus keepers..

There are lots of breeders here than can give you some good info.

Smart idea learning to care for them for starters. In a 55 5-6 is going to be the max

[fishbubbles]

Liz, I have 4 breeding tanks and 2 grow out tanks in my breeding system. I use 29's for each breeding pair and 40's for the grow outs which are temporary. Using a divider in a 55 would work fine with a sponge filter on each side. My ph is very similar to yours around 7.6 - 7.8 and I have about 90% hatch rate with a TDS around 150.

The biggest thing I learned is that fry are extremely sensitive to water quality and the sponges, walls, and bottom has to be kept cleaned constantly. I do 100% daily water changes on all breeding and growout tanks but I feel as if it is still not enough.

I'm currently in the process of setting up a drip system on my tanks with a timer to do a 100% water change every 12 hours and am incorporating a dosing pump to pump in seachem prime about 5 minutes before each water change to help neutralize the chloramines in my water.

I had also built a brine shrimp hatchery which I rotate every 24 hours and I feed to my fry from 3 days old till they're around 3 weeks old. Around that time, I move the fry into the 40's and start feeding my custom beefheart mix which they learn to eat since it's the same food that the adults receive.