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Thread: an experiment in fostering

  1. #1
    Registered Member Tkuilderd's Avatar
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    Default an experiment in fostering

    hi everyone,
    A couple of years ago I ordered some red covers from Kenny. They are absolutely lovely. They ended up both being male but for some reason they appeared to bond as a pair. Shimmying, bowing and cleaning the cone together. At one point the bigger of the 2 males also bonded with a blue diamond female. They never laid eggs together and she got an infection and didn't recover. This left these 2 males alone again. A couple of months ago the bigger male fertilized eggs for a melon female, i separated her from the tank.
    We have also a melon couple who lay eggs regularly but for some reason refuse to get then past the wiggler stage.
    A couple of weeks ago we decided to allow the red cover "pair" to foster the eggs from the melons. And so this is where we are now.
    Last night we moved the cone from the melons to the red covers. At around 3pm today both red cover males were on the cone.
    Around 7:45pm I watched the bigger of the 2 males making runs over the eggs.
    There are a lot of white eggs in this batch so I'm not sure how big a batch this could be or even if the male melon went over the eggs. But I will update this thread as I have something to report.

    Tammy

    20200530_204108.jpg
    Last edited by Tkuilderd; 05-30-2020 at 09:45 PM.

  2. #2
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    Default Re: an experiment in fostering

    Quote Originally Posted by Tkuilderd View Post
    hi everyone,
    A couple of years ago I ordered some red covers from Kenny. They are absolutely lovely. They ended up both being male but for some reason they appeared to bond as a pair. Shimmying, bowing and cleaning the cone together. At one point the bigger of the 2 males also bonded with a blue diamond female. They never laid eggs together and she got an infection and didn't recover. This left these 2 males alone again. A couple of months ago the bigger male fertilized eggs for a melon female, i separated her from the tank.
    We have also a melon couple who lay eggs regularly but for some reason refuse to get then past the wiggler stage.
    A couple of weeks ago we decided to allow the red cover "pair" to foster the eggs from the melons. And so this is where we are now.
    Last night we moved the cone from the melons to the red covers. At around 3pm today both red cover males were on the cone.
    Around 7:45pm I watched the bigger of the 2 males making runs over the eggs.
    There are a lot of white eggs in this batch so I'm not sure how big a batch this could be or even if the male melon went over the eggs. But I will update this thread as I have something to report.

    Tammy
    This is interesting, Tammy. And ingenious on your part. Maybe the males are the gay but maybe too they will prove to be great foster parents. I hope to see more about this.

  3. #3

    Default Re: an experiment in fostering

    Could be all the hormones that are used by the overseas breeders that the fish are confused, no fault of Kenny as he is just an importer

    Jeanne

  4. #4
    Administrator and MVP Dec.2015 Second Hand Pat's Avatar
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    Default Re: an experiment in fostering

    I think a foster bachelor pair would be pretty cool
    Pat
    Your discus are talking to you....are you listening


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    Registered Member + MVP danotaylor's Avatar
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    Default Re: an experiment in fostering

    Watching with interest!

  6. #6
    Registered Member Tkuilderd's Avatar
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    Default Re: an experiment in fostering

    Quote Originally Posted by Sturiosoma View Post
    Could be all the hormones that are used by the overseas breeders that the fish are confused, no fault of Kenny as he is just an importer

    Jeanne
    Jeanne,
    Nobody is faulting Kenny. The fish decide what they decide, i have had female pairs before. These things simply happen.

    This is just a chance for us to see if the parenting instinct works as well for those who have never experienced wigglers or swimmers.

    Tammy

  7. #7
    Registered Member Tkuilderd's Avatar
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    Default Re: an experiment in fostering




    Here is a video of this evenings activity. The bigger male is definately protective, unfortunately i do not think my male melon went over the eggs. Almost all are white at this point. But this definitely gives me hope that this will work.
    I will continue to update future batches from this foster couple on this thread.

    Tammy

  8. #8
    Registered Member Tkuilderd's Avatar
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    Default Re: an experiment in fostering

    We appear to have about 7 wigglers on the cone and the covers are being protective. We kept the video short since it seemed to bother them.

    Tammy
    Last edited by Tkuilderd; 05-31-2020 at 11:38 PM.

  9. #9
    Registered Member Tkuilderd's Avatar
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    Default Re: an experiment in fostering

    All the eggs and wigglers from this batch are gone. We are going to move the males to a different tank and try again.

  10. #10
    Administrator jeep's Avatar
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    Default Re: an experiment in fostering

    That's a shame. It was an interesting idea though. Hopefully you will be success soon!

  11. #11
    Administrator brewmaster15's Avatar
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    Default Re: an experiment in fostering

    Hi Tammy, Nice experiment! Always fun trying something new. Any chance the smaller of the two is a female? I have a Female with full streamers here fool me for years until she laid eggs!

    al
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  12. #12
    Registered Member Tkuilderd's Avatar
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    Default Re: an experiment in fostering

    Quote Originally Posted by brewmaster15 View Post
    Hi Tammy, Nice experiment! Always fun trying something new. Any chance the smaller of the two is a female? I have a Female with full streamers here fool me for years until she laid eggs!

    al
    At the time that my bigger male was pairing with my BD female, the smaller male was also trying to pair with her. We did see the tubes on all 3 and both red covers are male.
    I am not giving up on this project. I do believe that these 2 will make great foster parents but we had an issue with too many white eggs on the cone and I truly believe that came about due to the breeding couple fighting during mating lol

    We are going to remove the red covers from the tank with the parents to another tank and hope that curbs some of the fighting between the melon pair.

    Tammy

  13. #13
    Administrator brewmaster15's Avatar
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    Default Re: an experiment in fostering

    Quote Originally Posted by Tkuilderd View Post
    At the time that my bigger male was pairing with my BD female, the smaller male was also trying to pair with her. We did see the tubes on all 3 and both red covers are male.
    I am not giving up on this project. I do believe that these 2 will make great foster parents but we had an issue with too many white eggs on the cone and I truly believe that came about due to the breeding couple fighting during mating lol

    We are going to remove the red covers from the tank with the parents to another tank and hope that curbs some of the fighting between the melon pair.

    Tammy
    I'm looking forward to it. Discus are capable of some amazing behavior.. I've throw this around alot in the past but you may find it interesting with your unorthodox pair..

    http://forum.simplydiscus.com/showth...thread-renamed


    al
    AquaticSuppliers.com Freeze Dried BlackWorms and other foods your Discus will Love!!!


    >>>>>I am a science guy.. show me the science minus the BS

    Al Sabetta
    Simplydiscus LLC Owner
    Aquaticsuppliers.com


    I take Pics.. click here for my Flickr images

  14. #14
    Registered Member Tkuilderd's Avatar
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    Default Re: an experiment in fostering

    Quote Originally Posted by brewmaster15 View Post
    I'm looking forward to it. Discus are capable of some amazing behavior.. I've throw this around alot in the past but you may find it interesting with your unorthodox pair..

    http://forum.simplydiscus.com/showth...thread-renamed


    al
    That thread is where the idea came from. These boys have show protective instincts with 2 in discus and we watched as they allowed the small ones to eat from their slime coat. I dont have females for them and they are constantly running my other discus away from their area of the tank. So I think this is a solution for the moment. My main tank has peace and these boys may get to raise the babies they want.

    Tammy

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