Should I split up a young pair?

[magplate]

Background: I have 3 tanks with discus in them - a 120 gallon and 2 - 60 gallon.

In the 120 I have 6 discus about 3.5" that were with the 11 that I got in early December from Andy in Newton, MA (kyaw06). Also in this tank is a pair of discus I got from Andy that are probably almost a year old that lay eggs about once or twice a week.

In one of the 60's are 8 discus I received from Hans that I am growing out.

In the other 60 are the other 5 small fish I got from Andy, they are the largest of the 11.

All of the fish are doing great, eating well and getting bigger every day EXCEPT the older pair. They are by all appearances healthy but they do not eat much and continuously lay eggs, care for them a couple of days, then eat them. They don't seem to have grown and I am worried they will stay the same size, around 5".

Should I put one of them in the 60 with the 5 fish in hopes that they will not concentrate on the egg laying and eat more and grow?

[Phillydubs]

Do you not want them to breed? Why not put them in a 29 gallon as a pair and let them do their thing without the stress of the others?

I don't breed fish, never have so you can wait for one of those guys to chime in, but from what I think I know, if they want to breed they are going to breed so putting them in another tank wouldn't stop this behavior...

[magplate]

Thanks for the response Phillydubs.....

[Keith Perkins]

Raising fry inhibits growth, spawning doesn't. I'd leave them be unless you have another motive for moving one or both of them.

[Second Hand Pat]

Also at a year old they may/will be growing way slower then the younger fish. Depending on the strain they could be done growing.
Pat

[magplate]

Thanks Keith and Pat.

I split them up to see what would happen. They eat a little more because they are not tending to the eggs all the time. I am going to put them back together in the big tank.

One thing that happened was that the male was left with the eggs and they hatched into wigglers. Previously the eggs would dissapear after a couple of days.94084

Eventually I am going to get a new tank for my 2 koi and a bluegill. They are in a 65 that I will then put the pair into and see if they will spawn.

[SNap0283]

Congrats Steve, at least now you know they are a confirmed pair when you do want to breed them. I don't see how splitting them up will hurt, since from what you said they are your only older fish if you split them up they wont just pair off with other fish. This should help the male to not even worry about spawning and the female probably will still lay eggs but end up eating them the same day rather than it being a multi day thing where the pair don't seem to care about food. How about some pics of the pair and your other fish?