Mold on eggs

[Rob_General_Lee]

Hello discus-lovers!

I am new to this site, but a long time discus lover. I have kept freshwater fish for about 10 years and discus for the latter 4 years. I have never had luck in getting two discus to pair up until just recently. I strongly feel it was due to getting a RO unit installed about 5 months ago. I have been doing water changes with RO water since then. The growth of juvenile discus and health have never been better. But back to my problem. The two that paired up are a pigeon blood male and a marlboro red female. They have spawned about 6 times now and still no fry! They were first in a 72 gallon with 8 other discus. After the first failure I thought they may have ate eggs due to other discus being around. So, I moved the pair to a 30 gallon by themselves and after about 2 weeks they spawned again. I have a fluval 204, milleneum 2000 filter, and a sponge filter in the tank. I have tried putting drops of methylene blue in the water and changed water every other day. Still, many of the eggs get moldy or male eats the eggs. Has anyone had similar bad luck? Any suggestions? I am desperate for help!!!

Rob_General_Lee

[Carol_Roberts]

Do eggs have a fuzzy, moldy look or do they just turn white? White eggs are dead eggs. Do you see the male making runs over the eggs touching them with his tube?

ARe you using a tap/RO mix and do you know the GH of your water ?

[Rob_General_Lee]

Some eggs are fuzzy with mold and some are just white.

As for the male, during spawning I see the male going over the eggs. However, the pair always seem to spawn on the side of the flower pot that is facing the back of the tank. So, I cannot see actual laying and fertilizing of the eggs. After about an hour or so of their ritual I rotate the pot so that I can see the eggs. How soon do fertilized eggs turn black after they have been laid?

I use all RO water. I collect about 2 gallons of RO water a day in a bucket and do a water change on the 2nd day. 3 1/2 gallons of tank water is removed and 4 gallons of RO water is poured in (1/2 gallon of evaporation). I don't know the exact GH of the water. I live in Diamond Bar, CA where the water has been known to be on the harder side.

[Carol_Roberts]

All RO is NOT good. Discus need some minerals and your water needs buffer so the pH does not crash. Buy an inexpensive GH test kit and test your hardness. Aquarium Pharmaceuticals makes one.

Eggs will turn dark around 24 hours or so

Changing only 4 gallons every other day on a 30 gallon tank is not enough either. You need to be doing about 10 gallons at least every other day.

Fungus grows on dead eggs only.

[preswash777@yahoo.com]

I have a pair that produced 6 or 7 fertilized spawns but the male got worms (white poop) and has been treated with the female with metro as instructed by Jack Wattley Discus video by Gabe Pagoda. Since then the eggs have fungus-ed on the last 2 spawns. I'm guessing the male is not fertilizing. The eggs are not going white but have a grey fuzz. Help!!!

[danotaylor]

John sounds like maybe a high bacterial/fungal load could be causing the problem...tell us about your water...what are your parameters and how much and how often are you changing water? Do you have substrate, if so how deep, and do you clean it regularly?