Discus laid eggs!!

[Flash-Gordon]

Hi Everybody :wave:

What a wonderful way to wake up on a Saturday morning!! My female discus laid eggs!! :grin:

This was so unexpected!!

Here's a pic, hope you guys can see

http://i1302.photobucket.com/albums/ag132/flash-gordon1/20131116_082044_zpse8570d4b.jpg (http://s1302.photobucket.com/user/flash-gordon1/media/20131116_082044_zpse8570d4b.jpg.html)

Both discus are fanning the eggs continuously, in shifts it seems :) Is this a good thing? What should I be prepared for?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated because as said, it was so unexpected , and I have had them for about 3 months now, had gotten them from a friend :o

Feel so blessed lol :D

Looking forward to your responses guys!! Thx in advance!!

[Flash-Gordon]

oh and i've been advised to feed them blood worms now, so that they will not try to eat the eggs, is this accurate?

Thx guys!!

[John_Nicholson]

First discus ly eggs every single day so it is really not a big deal. In fact now that your have started they will probably lay eggs every 7 days until they either have success or go off cycle. Also eating the eggs has nothing to do with hunger or what you feed them. Next you could very well have 2 females or you could have an immature male. Second the success rate will be fairly low in that tank. A bare bottom 29 gallon would work much better. And how soft is your water? Eggs generally will not hatch in hard water. Now you might get lucky and have success but the odds are currently stacked against you. Have you heard the saying don't count your chickens before they hatch? Well in your case not only have the eggs not hatched but the rooster has not even met the hen yet......

I suggest you send lots of time reading up on the subject.

-john

[tbie2]

Thats great good luck

[Kal-El]

As john said... Read all you canal out breeding, especially in the breeding section. There are lots if breeding logs including mine that you can read up on and the challenges that come with it. If this is something you want to try be prepare to be very patient with young pairs... ;) good luck...

[Nick Klimkowski]

I agree with kalehawj as well as John, spawning is just the beginning, and every thing gets much more difficult after that so if you are serious about breeding discus read as much as you can on the subject. Good luck with the new pair.:D

-Nick

[Rudustin]

I'm excited for you! I think some of the regulars on the forum feel that us newbies should lower our expectations when one of our pairs of discus do breed and lay eggs. I for one was very excited when my first pair laid eggs and I know that feeling you have when you didn't' expect it. It happened to me about two weeks ago with a checkerboard pair that I had purchased and had for about ten days. I was thrilled! Of course I was so thrilled I thought I had a proven pair and then was sharply humbled by experienced breeders and hobbyists that I was premature in calling them proven. I don't agree with John that it is "just an everyday" deal. To us that are new it is very exciting and always will be. Yes, the eggs may get eaten or not fertilized or you may have two of the same sex, your water may be too hard etc. That shouldn't limit your thrill at having it happen! Congrats! It what keeps us discus addicts going when we are new. The prospect that your tank is in good enough shape to have two discus lay eggs is a very exciting and fun thing. Best of luck.

[pastry]

aww come on John, I know we see it all the time but we have to remember how special it is for "them"... you're making it seem more like the first time most of us dudes gets laid... "First <it happens> every single day so it is really not a big deal"..."the success rate will be fairly low " ... "<some> might get lucky and have success but the odds are currently stacked against you"... "Well in your case ... the rooster has not even met the hen yet......"

come on, fellas, lets let him rejoice after the first time... then we'll give him a hard time from there on out :p kidding kidding... great, job Gordon! now definitely be happy but if you want to progress then listen to all guys & gals.

[Allwin]

very true words :)


aww come on John, I know we see it all the time but we have to remember how special it is for "them"... you're making it seem more like the first time most of us dudes gets laid... "First <it happens> every single day so it is really not a big deal"..."the success rate will be fairly low " ... "<some> might get lucky and have success but the odds are currently stacked against you"... "Well in your case ... the rooster has not even met the hen yet......"

come on, fellas, lets let him rejoice after the first time... then we'll give him a hard time from there on out :p kidding kidding... great, job Gordon! now definitely be happy but if you want to progress then listen to all guys & gals.

[Keith Perkins]

aww come on John, I know we see it all the time but we have to remember how special it is for "them"... you're making it seem more like the first time most of us dudes gets laid... "First <it happens> every single day so it is really not a big deal"..."the success rate will be fairly low " ... "<some> might get lucky and have success but the odds are currently stacked against you"... "Well in your case ... the rooster has not even met the hen yet......"

come on, fellas, lets let him rejoice after the first time... then we'll give him a hard time from there on out :p kidding kidding... great, job Gordon! now definitely be happy but if you want to progress then listen to all guys & gals.

John's too old to remember the first time.

Congrats on the first laying Flash. John makes a lot of good points, though he kind of tossed them on you like a wet blanket. If you're really even interested in the work of raising fry you may still have a lot of frustration ahead of you.

[John_Nicholson]

Oh I remember the first time. I also remember that I had read every book on the subject first. The pair was not succussful for the first 6 or 8 times but I expected that because I was prepared. I guess I could have just jumped on the internet...oh wait a minute it really was not possible at the time...LOL. If they are excited great. I have no problem with that but I try to post the truth. Do ya'll want me to lie to them? Some of us do not live in the world of rainbows and unicorns. I am simply doing my best to prepare the poster for what is about to happen. Maybe it just bothers me that no one wants to do the work to be prepared. It look for the answer that has already been posted over and over again.....But than again if people would do a search, do a little research there would be no need for the fourm. None of this is new. When this forum first start it was more of a social site where we discussed discus a little. Don't get me work there has always been questioned but when it started 90% of us were experienced. Now probably less than 20%. Sometimes I guess I just get tired of seeing the same basic question asked over and over again but people who are no where near prepared...and no I am not directing this at Flash.

-john

[pastry]

john, just playing around as normal. meanwhile, I read every book too ;) of course, when it happened I still didn't know what the hell to do... actually, got worse and I had too much to drink and puked all over her... true story. in all seriousness, if it weren't for the same subjects over & over then there'd probably only be one new thread per week... hell, probably not even. I understand your frustration though.

[Keith Perkins]

Oh I remember the first time. I also remember that I had read every book on the subject first. The pair was not succussful for the first 6 or 8 times but I expected that because I was prepared. I guess I could have just jumped on the internet...oh wait a minute it really was not possible at the time...LOL. If they are excited great. I have no problem with that but I try to post the truth. Do ya'll want me to lie to them? Some of us do not live in the world of rainbows and unicorns. I am simply doing my best to prepare the poster for what is about to happen. Maybe it just bothers me that no one wants to do the work to be prepared. It look for the answer that has already been posted over and over again.....But than again if people would do a search, do a little research there would be no need for the fourm. None of this is new. When this forum first start it was more of a social site where we discussed discus a little. Don't get me work there has always been questioned but when it started 90% of us were experienced. Now probably less than 20%. Sometimes I guess I just get tired of seeing the same basic question asked over and over again but people who are no where near prepared...and no I am not directing this at Flash.

-john

Of all the things I can speak to in your post John I pretty much agree with all of them. That doesn't mean of course that when you go to the opposite end of the spectrum from rainbows and unicorns to rainclouds and crocodiles I'm not going to give you a little grief about it though.

[John_Nicholson]

LOL...It is all good. The problem with the internet is people often misunderstand my feelings behind the post. It is pretty easy to take a post where someone is trying to help and see a jerk if that is what one wants to do. I tend to be very straight forward and in this blasted politically correct world many people do not know how to take it. They were raised where everyone got a trophy for participation and the amount of work/success you had did not matter at all.

-john

[Flash-Gordon]

Hi Everybody :wave:

So, this pair is now on their 4th batch, and yesterday they hit the "wiggler" stage.

This morning when I woke up, 1st thing straight to the tank, just to find all the wigglers were eaten. :(

I saw the female last night moving the wigglers around in her mouth, but upon inspection this morning, I saw the male eat the last one. :cry:

Does this mean anything or should I just let them do their thing?

She's laying eggs approx every 6 days.

Thx guys!! Always appreciate info!!

@John, no offence taken bud ;)

@Rudustin , appreciate the kind words thank you :o

Really cool to experience these things for the 1st time

[John_Nicholson]

Sounds like thet are progressing at a pretty normal state. Congrats on that. You did not state what your setup was. Most people here in the state will put a pair in a bare bottom 29 gallon tank with just a sponge filter and a heater. No other fish and only a breeding cone for decoration...LOL. Makes it easier to keep things clean and there is nowhere for the fry to get lost and nothing for them to get sucked up into.

Good luck.

-john

[Flash-Gordon]

Hi All :wave:

Here's an update:

As some of you might have read, I had to relocate 2 weeks ago almost 2hours away. I was VERY stressed about them during the move but all is well!! :D

So as you guys have suggested, I have now gone bare bottom, I must admit, I was skeptical at 1st, but WOW!! What a difference it makes!! It's no MUCH MUCH easier to clean, and also A LOT cleaner for my babies!! :o Thank you all for that tip.

Here's a pic, I know we all love pics!!

http://i1302.photobucket.com/albums/ag132/flash-gordon1/20140104_142745_zps8a67a3a5.jpg (http://s1302.photobucket.com/user/flash-gordon1/media/20140104_142745_zps8a67a3a5.jpg.html)

So to my surprise, only 2 weeks in their new home , and they are at it again lol!!

Eggs were laid 3 days ago and we are already at the riggler stage!!

Pic of the eggs :

http://i1302.photobucket.com/albums/ag132/flash-gordon1/20140104_142714_zps9ad8d7b3.jpg (http://s1302.photobucket.com/user/flash-gordon1/media/20140104_142714_zps9ad8d7b3.jpg.html)

But now, she has moved the rigglers onto the filter :confused:

Hope you guys can see here:

http://i1302.photobucket.com/albums/ag132/flash-gordon1/20140106_151536_zps7d1aae11.jpg (http://s1302.photobucket.com/user/flash-gordon1/media/20140106_151536_zps7d1aae11.jpg.html)

Why did she do this? Will they be ok?

One last thing, the male always gets these stripes on his body when she laid eggs and also it looks like his nose area also lightens up (almost glowing lol), this is so fascinating, why does he get these?

http://i1302.photobucket.com/albums/ag132/flash-gordon1/20140106_151608_zpsc5050f0d.jpg (http://s1302.photobucket.com/user/flash-gordon1/media/20140106_151608_zpsc5050f0d.jpg.html)

Thx to all for the advice and tips so far!!

It is endlessly appreciated!!

Till later

Chow

[John_Nicholson]

Pairs often move the babies. Not entirely sure why but it is fairly common. Non-PB fish should darken when they are spawning. The amount of slime they produce should increase. Tank looks great and glad you are having success but also wanted to throw out again that a non-PB crossed with a PB is normally not an idea cross. Most of the time it will result in lots of PB babies with heavy peppering.

Good luck.

-john

[Flash-Gordon]

Thanks John

You have no idea how much I appreciate your input :angel:

They have eaten the rigglers :(

Oh well, I shall leave them in peace to go about their business.

I noticed that there were 1 or 2 riglers that started to swim, but it seems my filter is creating quite a strong current in the tank.

I want to get a canister filter, but am worried about the fry getting sucked in there?

Is this a good idea?

[John_Nicholson]

I use odl fashion sponge filters. No way to get into trouble with them.

-john

[Flash-Gordon]

Thanks John!!

I have a 240L tank, how many sponge filters would I need, 1 or 2?

I've also got another 250L tank which I want to set up this weekend, should I just go sponge filters there too?

[Keith Perkins]

I use odl fashion sponge filters. No way to get into trouble with them.

-john

+1 Prefilters over the intakes on HOBs and canisters are an extremely good idea if you're using them.

[Allwin]

Hey chow, you are Quick @breeding these guys. I prolonged few months with my pairs to get it right. Good luck.

One thing as John already mentioned "a non-PB crossed with a PB is normally not an ideal cross" but definitely an learning phase.


Hi All :wave:

Here's an update:

As some of you might have read, I had to relocate 2 weeks ago almost 2hours away. I was VERY stressed about them during the move but all is well!! :D

So as you guys have suggested, I have now gone bare bottom, I must admit, I was skeptical at 1st, but WOW!! What a difference it makes!! It's no MUCH MUCH easier to clean, and also A LOT cleaner for my babies!! :o Thank you all for that tip.

Here's a pic, I know we all love pics!!

http://i1302.photobucket.com/albums/ag132/flash-gordon1/20140104_142745_zps8a67a3a5.jpg (http://s1302.photobucket.com/user/flash-gordon1/media/20140104_142745_zps8a67a3a5.jpg.html)

So to my surprise, only 2 weeks in their new home , and they are at it again lol!!

Eggs were laid 3 days ago and we are already at the riggler stage!!

Pic of the eggs :

http://i1302.photobucket.com/albums/ag132/flash-gordon1/20140104_142714_zps9ad8d7b3.jpg (http://s1302.photobucket.com/user/flash-gordon1/media/20140104_142714_zps9ad8d7b3.jpg.html)

But now, she has moved the rigglers onto the filter :confused:

Hope you guys can see here:

http://i1302.photobucket.com/albums/ag132/flash-gordon1/20140106_151536_zps7d1aae11.jpg (http://s1302.photobucket.com/user/flash-gordon1/media/20140106_151536_zps7d1aae11.jpg.html)

Why did she do this? Will they be ok?

One last thing, the male always gets these stripes on his body when she laid eggs and also it looks like his nose area also lightens up (almost glowing lol), this is so fascinating, why does he get these?

http://i1302.photobucket.com/albums/ag132/flash-gordon1/20140106_151608_zpsc5050f0d.jpg (http://s1302.photobucket.com/user/flash-gordon1/media/20140106_151608_zpsc5050f0d.jpg.html)

Thx to all for the advice and tips so far!!

It is endlessly appreciated!!

Till later

Chow

[rdub]

Congratulations! Let us know how things continue.

[Miamiheat]

Hello,

Congrats on the progress Flash. I was just looking for a thread on the subject.
Purchased a proven pair (they had 2 batches of fry before with previous owner and i have 3 of the fry still). Anyways they spawned 2 weeks ago on a breeding cone but the tank was at 31 degrees Celsius and I was told they were going to eat these eggs and they did. I was setting up a breeding tank but it ended up being a hospital and a quarantine tank so today they are in a 260L with 5 juveniles, 1 tiny stunted, 3 x 1 inch babies (theirs) and 3 albino corydoras.
They did spawn again tonight. Temp is 28 degrees this time.
I have been told just like John said that the odds are no good, but the question is should I bother setting up prefilters and trying to get something of of these or is it simply not worth considering?
This is my first post on this forum as I live in Ireland and usually frequent the local forum. Started with fish and Discus a little bit over 3 months ago. Very inexperienced and trying to learn very fast.
Thank you

[John_Nicholson]

Flash 1 sponge filter will be fine.

Miamiheat....I know it is part of your name but you might want to drop the heat some. I would shoot for 28.

-john

[Miamiheat]

Thank you


Flash 1 sponge filter will be fine.

Miamiheat....I know it is part of your name but you might want to drop the heat some. I would shoot for 28.

-john