Kind souls please advice

[kentfong]

Hi all buds

I am a newbie in this hobby can some kind souls advice me..my baby frys are free swimming this morning but i notice that they are not sticking to the mother fish a heckel cross but swimming at one corner of the tank where the filter sponge is whilst the mother fish is at the other corner..questions..should i just let it be..or should i remove the mother fish else the frys could be eaten by the mother...if so how best to raise the frys artificially as a newbie..please help i am lost
.thanks in advance
Cheers

[Altum Nut]

Welcome to SD.
Not sure what size tank but lowering the water level seems to work in most cases. More information on set-up and strain of parents will also be helpful.

...Ralph

[alcastro]

Try to cover the sponge if you can, fry are attracted to black

[rickztahone]

Try to cover the sponge if you can, fry are attracted to black

I have seen members cover sponge filters with gauge looking material. The theory is that since it isn't black, they will be less attracted to it. I have seen John say that isn't necessary, but maybe in this case it may help?

[Allwin]

Try posting some pics/videos of ur setup to assist better.

[DonMD]

I think patience is needed. My fry will often spend 2 or 3 days after going free-swimming without "attaching." They huddle in the corner, or at the top, then over time some will find mom or dad, and gradually most of them will discover their parents. It's frustrating to watch and wait while they figure it out.

Since you have a proven pair, don't worry. If they don't succeed, your adults will produce another spawn and you can have a second try. As mentioned, you can wrap your sponge filter with cheese cloth to make them less dark, and you can lower the water level for the time the fry are free swimming and not attached. I do not recommend removing the sponge filters.

[diskus2008mk]

I had same issues month ago.try low water level on 20 cm and take out sponge filter leave only stone with air .they will attach immediately to parents.100% work.
regards.

[John_Nicholson]

First Discus have survived for thousands of years without people having to interfere in their spawning so why do so many amateurs rush to such extreme measures to raise fry? My guess is lack of real knowledge. I always tell people to make it easy on themselves first. Give the pair several opportunities before doing anything extra. The vast majority of the time they will get it figured out just fine. If and when they lose this spawn they will more than likely spawn back in week. You should get several opportunities to raise fry. The discus world is not going to quit spinning is she does eat these. Now if you have say 10 or so spawns and there does not seem to be any improvement then we can start playing games.

-john

[April]

I agree with john. Young parents are playing house. Good and experienced pairs will twitch, go dark..back up,,call their babies to them. Their twitching makes vibrations which attract them. If they aren't dark..aren't calling them...they may be more interested in the mating right now.
Are the parents dark? Are they trying to collect them.?
I always find young pairs take 8 to 10 times to get it right. If they start staring at a come or wall you will know the are looking to mate again.

[aovifo]

Try to cover the sponge if you can, fry are attracted to black

Thats true. That why some people look for white sponge. but don't cover it with fabric. It's a place for germs to thrive.

[DonMD]

Many people use cheese cloth to cover the sponge filter when the fry are just about to go free swimming, until they attach, for a few days. Then once the fry have found the parents, they remove the cloth. There's no problem with germs, as aovifo says, if you change water daily and wipe down the inside of the glass, and remove the cloth after a few days. I've done this many times, and have raised 100's of fish with no problem.

[aovifo]

I've heard from friends about three times that they had problem with cloth, one of them is biologist and checked it with microscope. But it was few weeks with the cloth, and of course most of the time there will not be any problems at all.

[MostlyDiscus]

umm... somehow I find it hard to believe that thousands of years ago albino red whites were swimming in the amazon. Man started this tinkering thing. Man will work it out.... just saying Mr. TX