spawn - everyone protecting eggs ?

[accessj]

Hi:

It must be getting close to spring. My first spawns occured! On one side of the tank - all 9 discus are protecting eggs on the filter tube in my community tank. On the other end, the blue rams have laid eggs. I do think they have ate them already. I just got these blue rams about 4 weeks ago. They are very young.

I think I have identified the mated discus pair. They don't even leave to eat.

Is it strange that all the discus seem to be protecting the eggs? I have some cardinal neons and otts in addition to the rams in this tank. I saw the neon dart in to grab a ram egg earlier.

My discus are just over a year old. Since this is their first spawn, I know they may not raise them.

- Judi

[tedsdiscus]

the eggs will eventually get eaten. sorry for the bad news.
now for the good news, if you give them their own breeding tank, they'll probably give you eggs again in less than a week.
Just try to make sure who the 2 discus are that are mating.
In their own tank, try to get the right water parameters and see what happens.

the best of luck to you,

Ted

[accessj]

Thanks for the info Ted.

I have an extra 20 gal tank...but it is not set up. It would take at least 4 weeks to get the cycle complete.

Would it be acceptable to partition them off by themselves in the community tank? Then there would be no shock of changing conditions. I was thinking I could get a plastic grate at the hardware store...maybe that stuff that is the grid in the fluoresce lights, I may have to move the neons.

There were still eggs this morning before I left for work. It seems like the Mom is picking off the white eggs. There were a few, maybe 3, and she picked until there were none. Otherwise there were the same amount as last night. I’ll see when I get home tonight.

Maybe it was the driftwood that made them spawn.

[RickMay1]

Cant you move some of the filter media from the tank they are currently in? You don't cycle a “Tank” you cycle the filter. I can set up a new tank in just the time it takes to fill the tank with water and move in a cycled filter. I HATE the term “Cycle a Tank” the tank will NEVER cycle, but the filter will.

[accessj]

Now I have two spawing pairs in my 75 gal community tank. One pair has wigglers (i can see why you call them wigglers). The other pair has eggs. I had to go out of state for a funeral and i came back to these spawns, so i didn't have time to seperate the pairs. So, I got a screen to divide the tank. One side contains the two pairs.

I noticed that the first set moved their spawn to a different filter tube when they became wigglers. I thought this was strange.