Houston we have a.....ttachment

[LizStreithorst]

I was in the fish room bagging Angels for shipping and keeping a close eye on this pair with their 6 kids. (I thought 7 but I was wrong). I saw mom looking at the lift tube and kept bagging. I saw her peck on the lift tube, quit bagging, scooped out the kids, put them in the 10 and gave them a good feed of BBS. The poor kids are hiding behind the sponge.

I finished bagging and boxing then gave the parents their cone, did a huge WC and since I have no rain water but in an overdose of tea.

[brewmaster15]

Liz, good move getting them out. It sounds like mom and dad are about to try again. Good luck with the 6. I hope they make it for you.

al

[LizStreithorst]

Thanks Al. Anyone but you and Pat would think that I'm a nut case for being so devoted to six tiny Discus babies. I'd have laughed at myself for doing this once upon a time.

[danotaylor]

I'm not laughing at you Liz...I think it's still a worthwhile effort, and the water change pressure will be less on a group of 6...I raised a group of black calvus which are renouned for their difficulty...I ended up with 1 only...lol, but he is now 3" & breeding regularly with an unrelated female...all worth it in the end! Enjoy Dicsus-momma!

[LizStreithorst]

Thank you, Daniel.

[CliffsDiscus]

Liz,
6 babies is better than none. Now you have another generation. Who know what
the next spawn will be.

Cliff

[LizStreithorst]

I checked on this pair when I fed everyone. They seemed close to spawning. I figured may be late this evening, during the night or early in the morning. I did other stuff for 2 1/2 hrs, and when I went back down to the fish room spawning was complete. I hate that I missed it. I wanted to see if my male was able to make good runs.

The fish are in a 40 cube with a big dose of tea and 1/3 rain water and 2/3rds tap. I messed around for another hour then pulled the cone to dribble meth blue over the eggs. Then I put the guard over the cone. I'm very curious to see if the rain water improves the hatch rate.

[LizStreithorst]

The rain water did not improve hatch rate. I got fewer with 1/3 rain water and 2/3rds tap than I got last time using tea along. I was hoping that it was my water and not the male, but it's them male. I'll see how attachment goes. I may or may not have enough to add to the 10 gallon with their siblings from a previous spawn. I plan on removing the male and replacing him with the best male from Chicago Discus next time.

I set up one of my 190 gallon containers in addition to my 2 40 gallon containers under the eves of the house for water collection. If we ever see rain here again I'll be able to collect plenty. I plan on continue using part rain water in my contest tank.

[Pices]

Time to get out there and do a rain dance Liz.
Patty

[LizStreithorst]

Why, oh why, oh why...does it just seem like it or is it really so that when you make a stupid mistake, or disaster strikes, it is only fish you are most in love with die?

I did a stupid thing. I'd just finished draining tanks and was ready to refill when it started thundering and I looked toward to the living room and saw that the horse had pushed the front door open because it was time to feed her. I also had laundry out drying. I already had the water hose to refill the tank with the contest pair with the my remaining rain water. I knew that the sump pump was slow compared to my strong in line pump that I use to refill the other tanks with aged tap. I plugged it in, fed the horse, got the laundry in and when I got back to the fish room a couple of minutes I had a huge flood. I had plugged in the wrong pump.

I had just one valve open connected to that pump. It was on the 10 gallon I have the pair's 6 little babies in. I knew that my babies were on the floor in the flood water, lost forever. I hated myself.

I finished WC, and looked in the baby tank again and 2 of my babies. I can't imagine how they managed not to be washed away. So now rather than 6 I have only 2. I still hate myself but I thank the gods for leaving me 2.

I looked again at the pair they came from. Apparently, I had the guard on the cone placed so the parents could get to the wigglers as they moved around and got close the the guard on the fluffy stuff that's called fungus. I wouldn't call this a stupid mistake, it was just a mistake. There were only 2 wigglers, so I removed the guard and let the parents eat them.

I know that this pair produces very few wigglers but I have decided that I will let them have one more try before I put the female with a Chicago Discus male.

I will let this pair try one more time.

[LizStreithorst]

Eight days have past (it seems like it's been weeks) and this pair is getting in the mood again. I added a sock of tea to their tank when I refilled it during WC. ATM, that's all I can do.

[LizStreithorst]

Looks to be around 15 wigglers.

[Second Hand Pat]

Looks to be around 15 wigglers.

[LizStreithorst]

The wigglers are are getting bigger every day. The parents are doting on them. It won't be long until they free swim.

[LizStreithorst]

I haven't updated on this pair for a while. They have between 25 and 30 kids. They are caring for them well and show no sign of wanting to spawn again. I feed the kids a finger dab of BBS 3 times daily. They leave the parent, catch one BBS, and go back to the parent. The parents have the best food for them. It's up to the fry do decide that the BBS becomes the main focus.

I can't believe that this is the pair that I removed from the contest because I thought they were hopeless and they have been the only ones to have success.