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Thread: Male Discus making runs and relieving himself EVERYWHERE?!

  1. #1
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    Default Male Discus making runs and relieving himself EVERYWHERE?!

    So over the past two weeks I've noticed my male discus making runs all over the aquarium. He seems to have lost his mind. He still courts the female but should I add food to the tank he seems to go off on a spawning tangent which starts when food is added and then expands to every piece of wood. He spends about an hour each time and has developed a habit of guarding FDBW aggressively and basically either mimicing spawning or I suspect, relieving himself as his vent protrudes during the "event."

    Any advice?

    Here are 2 short vid of the action as it happens.

    Male is on the far left

    https://imgur.com/9pmcC8S
    https://imgur.com/YX8T7Ad

  2. #2
    Moderator Team LizStreithorst's Avatar
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    Default Re: Male Discus making runs and relieving himself EVERYWHERE?!

    I have heard of males making runs on food before but I've never seen it with my Discus. Since I've heard of it it must not be totally abnormal.
    Mama Bear

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    Default Re: Male Discus making runs and relieving himself EVERYWHERE?!

    Quote Originally Posted by LizStreithorst View Post
    I have heard of males making runs on food before but I've never seen it with my Discus. Since I've heard of it it must not be totally abnormal.
    Thanks Liz. I'm learning as I go and in my limited experience, I had never heard of this before.

    The trouble is, the female laid a huge cluster of eggs the day after I made this thread. Easily over 300. But... He was already "spent." He has spawned numerous times with another female but was super aggressive with her outside of spawning so I re-homed her with a much "kinder" male that she's paired with in a separate 50 gal.

    His new beau "Olive" had her first spawn with him but he basically just stood there and for the most part, just watched. Having already relieved himself twice during earlier feedings that day he literally didn't seem to have much left in him.

    Olive got very frustrated with him just sitting there watching and eventually had to tail slap and dive head first into the side of his body for him to eventually make pseudo runs. In that, the runs weren't as close enough to the eggs as they should be. He seemed to be trying to appease her than actual release milt.

    I'm trying to make the best of a bad situation and have removed the eggs to see if they're fertile. He has eaten every cluster since he first started spawning in December 2019. I had him since he was 6CM he's about 15/16 but such a wild child that I feel like a bad parent.

    Because I have no idea how to make him stop making runs over FDABW?!?! Any suggestions would be appreciated.
    Last edited by Rolla P; 08-23-2020 at 07:05 AM.

  4. #4
    Registered Member + MVP danotaylor's Avatar
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    Default Re: Male Discus making runs and relieving himself EVERYWHERE?!

    Try using an inverted feeding cone instead of sticking it to the glass.

  5. #5
    Administrator and MVP Dec.2015 Second Hand Pat's Avatar
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    Default Re: Male Discus making runs and relieving himself EVERYWHERE?!

    I got two nice Forrest Giant Blues from Kenny who ended up being a pair. She would lay eggs and he would make runs over the FDBW cubes. Sort of like this. He never did really become a breeding fish. My only suggestion is if you can predict spawning day do not feed on that day.

    Your discus are talking to you....are you listening


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    Default Re: Male Discus making runs and relieving himself EVERYWHERE?!

    Quote Originally Posted by danotaylor View Post
    Try using an inverted feeding cone instead of sticking it to the glass.
    With his behaviour I don't think a cone will have any impact. He's the dominant male in the community tank. It's almost as if he's scent marking similar to dog, except he's using milt?

    Quote Originally Posted by Second Hand Pat View Post
    I got two nice Forrest Giant Blues from Kenny who ended up being a pair. She would lay eggs and he would make runs over the FDBW cubes. Sort of like this. He never did really become a breeding fish. My only suggestion is if you can predict spawning day do not feed on that day.

    This is exactly what he does!!!

    Except in my community tank he'll eat his fill then turn to guarding the FDABW. After a short while of guarding he'll start making runs. It's the weirdest conundrum I've stumbled across in this hobby. I could go back to Beefheart but I find BW far less messy and also with Beefheart as the staple, I find myself having to worm way too often.

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    Default Re: Male Discus making runs and relieving himself EVERYWHERE?!

    Ok so quick update. The bad news is that as I/we suspected, I'm certain he was releasing milt over food and during feedings. The good news is that the pair is fertile. I have between 17-20 wrigglers out of well over 300 eggs laid But he is fertile.


    I have another cluster of eggs in a separate tank from a pair who are spawning weekly. I have been letting them practice and to date, they've got to 48 hours before eating them. But with this cluster I'm going to try artificial raising them alongside the 17-20 from the "failed" spawn.

    I'm curious to see If I can raise them artificially. However there is a 2 day difference between both spawns. Can I combine them all once free swimming?

    Quick vid of the 17-20
    https://imgur.com/iD4xTdH
    Last edited by Rolla P; 08-24-2020 at 07:45 AM. Reason: vid

  8. #8
    Silver Member Iminit's Avatar
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    Default Re: Male Discus making runs and relieving himself EVERYWHERE?!

    Hey Rolla a couple of questions for you. How long from eggs laid to wigglers? What do your discus do with the unfertilized eggs? I had a pair lay eggs yesterday but today it seems like fungus is growing across them. Should they be eating the fungused eggs? When yours started laying eggs in the community tank how did you set up the breeding tank and add them to it? Did you acclimate or just add water from main tank to breeder? Thanks . Haven’t done this before but as things go I’m all set up to give it a try. So I’m going to .

  9. #9
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    Default Re: Male Discus making runs and relieving himself EVERYWHERE?!

    Quote Originally Posted by Iminit View Post
    Hey Rolla a couple of questions for you. How long from eggs laid to wigglers? What do your discus do with the unfertilized eggs? I had a pair lay eggs yesterday but today it seems like fungus is growing across them. Should they be eating the fungused eggs? When yours started laying eggs in the community tank how did you set up the breeding tank and add them to it? Did you acclimate or just add water from main tank to breeder? Thanks . Haven’t done this before but as things go I’m all set up to give it a try. So I’m going to .
    86 is that you???

    50-60 hours from laying to wriggling on the cone. The discus should be eating the fungus eggs. In my opinion, if they don't show any interest in doing that it's possible and most likely that the eggs are unfertilized.

    My process of moving the pair to a breeding setup was to wait for the next water change. Fill the spawning tank with 50% from the community tank and then 50% (temp matched of course) from the tap. Basically no different to a regular water change.

    I should add that you need to check your TDS asap. The target is 50 - 80 tds. Beyond that and it's highly likely the eggs are unfertilized.

    Best of luck to you as always my old pal

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    Default Re: Male Discus making runs and relieving himself EVERYWHERE?!

    Quote Originally Posted by Rolla P View Post
    Ok so quick update. The bad news is that as I/we suspected, I'm certain he was releasing milt over food and during feedings. The good news is that the pair is fertile. I have between 17-20 wrigglers out of well over 300 eggs laid But he is fertile.


    I have another cluster of eggs in a separate tank from a pair who are spawning weekly. I have been letting them practice and to date, they've got to 48 hours before eating them. But with this cluster I'm going to try artificial raising them alongside the 17-20 from the "failed" spawn.

    I'm curious to see If I can raise them artificially. However there is a 2 day difference between both spawns. Can I combine them all once free swimming?

    Quick vid of the 17-20
    https://imgur.com/iD4xTdH
    I do mix 2 batches of fry pan raised only when they are both eating bbs.

    Cliff

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