Reply With QuoteOriginally Posted by discusalex
They do it in the wild because it is not any enclosed space and the water quality is better than anyone could ever replicate in a aquarium.
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Can discus raise fry in a community tank?
I've been messing around with a trio of discus over the last 6 months. Tried different combinations in a bare-bottom 20 with no luck (male attack female, female lays eggs and male just watches, male eats eggs, etc).
Finally got sick of poor spawning behavior so I ended up sticking them in a 60-gallon planted tank in my family room. So of course, within a week, two paired up and spawned, doing everything perfectly.
The extra male I can scoop out easily, but the tank also houses 8 or so Cardinals, two Krib juvies and a few bushy nose juvies. Can discus raise fry with these minimal companions?
I always wonder how they do it in the wild . . .
Alex
Re: Can discus raise fry in a community tank?
They do it in the wild because it is not any enclosed space and the water quality is better than anyone could ever replicate in a aquarium.
Re: Can discus raise fry in a community tank?
In the wild, I always wonder how they prevent the fry being eaten by other fish, especially when the fry are transition from wigglers to free swimming, and the wigglers are zipping all over the place learning how to swim.
On a related note, it's funny to watch what's going on in my tank. The pair laid their eggs about two inches from the bottom of the tank on a piece of PVC. Every now and then, an inch long Krib comes around the bottom of the pipe picking at the debris, and neither seems to take note of the other.
Re: Can discus raise fry in a community tank?
It can happen but it is not likely. I have seen underwater videos of discus raising fry. There was probably at least 10 pairs and probably closer to 20 that were all raising fry in the same clump of trees. The fry moved all over the place. They did not just stay with their parents.
-john
Re: Can discus raise fry in a community tank?
John,
What you are describing sounds very very interesting. I would love to see this. Do you have access to the video by any chance?
Re: Can discus raise fry in a community tank?
It was not my video and I have no clue if it is online. If I find it I will post a link.
-john
Re: Can discus raise fry in a community tank?
I sure this is not the video to which John is referring but it is discus breeding/raising fry in the wild.
Pat
Your discus are talking to you....are you listening
Re: Can discus raise fry in a community tank?
I could not find it. If I remember correctly it was from Oliver Lucanus.
-john
Re: Can discus raise fry in a community tank?
Yes they can. My sapphire rubies do it in a community planted tank & raise them. The tank has rams, other discus, otocinclus, gold nugget plecos, & shrimp. The first batch they raised in there just hit 3".
Have you gotten your hands wet today?
Re: Can discus raise fry in a community tank?
Yep, it's happened several times in my tank. Not ideal for raising quality fry but have had it happen multiple times.
Old threads of mine have video and pics along with lessons learned.
Last edited by pastry; 09-30-2016 at 07:16 PM.
-Elliot
Re: Can discus raise fry in a community tank?
I had one batch make it up to a quarter inch. Started with about 30, but by the time they got to quarter inch, there were only about 6-7. Then came home from work one day and gone. Never saw the eggs, so no clue how big the clutch was. First time for that pair.
Had another batch. Probably 200 eggs. I'd say 85-90% hatched. This was about the 10th try for this particular pair and they almost got it right. The morning the fry became free swimming the pair was clueless about the fish around them. I had a very fat and happy group of H. bentosi tetras. By lunch there was literally 1 baby on the parents back.
In your tank, my money would be on the kribs.
Re: Can discus raise fry in a community tank?
Can they? Sure thing but the odds are heavily stacked against it.
Larry Bugg
NADA - Vice President
Atlanta Area Aquarium Association
Re: Can discus raise fry in a community tank?
Had two make it to a few inches and one to 4. Could've had more make it but did some dumb moves.
-Elliot
Re: Can discus raise fry in a community tank?
I've got three pairs in a 300 gallon, plant tank. 24 discus, 2 different types of Apistogrammas, H. bentosi, H. serpae and Black skirts for larger size tetras, emperors, rummy nose and cardinals for smaller size tetras
First pair has spawned over a dozen times. First few batches only had a few eggs hatch. They spawn on the algae magnet at the front of the tank, so easy to see what is going on. Last 3 batches almost all the eggs hatched. First of these batches, I ended up with extremely well fed H. bentosi tetras. Parents kept the other discus away and ignored the tetras. Second batch I pulled to artificially raise...it was a bust, I screwed up the food. Third batch, a little better. Pulled them and they are now 2 days on bbs.
Second pair spawns in the back corner of the tank behind driftwood. never see eggs. Seen free swimmers once for two days....and then gone.
Third pair, unintentional success......maybe. Never new they were a pair until I saw babies on their backs. They spawn in the back, behind a tangled mess of driftwood. Never seen the eggs. I've seen babies three times. First time 50-60 free swimmers. All gone within a week. Second time about 30 made it to just under a quarter inch and 8-10 to just over a quarter inch. Then, one night, all gone. Third batch, 5 to almost dime size. Pics are from last night. My tank is lit with solar tubes and supplement LED lights. Pics are after the sun set and only LED's, so the tank is dark and pics aren't very good.
Re: Can discus raise fry in a community tank?
I have seen fry in community tanks, but its not under
the best conditions. Mostly the hobbyist don't have space
for another tank, my suggestion would be to place an
divider after spawning this has work out well.
Cliff
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