Two males fighting to death.

[Mando]

Hello everyone.

Just recently, my pair (6” blue pb) decided to start cleaning the breeding cone and their ritual before spawning. However, the last three days, the male has been getting beaten pretty badly. Looks like my all-orange discus, with black halo, decided to get in on the action to seduce the female blue pb. Orange discus is about 5.5”. Looks like my blue pb male is tail standing now with some damage to his forehead, and a small skin damage near the tail. I’m going to separate them, but do you think they will fight to death? The female stays with the blue pb male and they both gang up on the orange discus, but the orange seems to have more power.

Both, female pb and male pb, have their breeding tubes out. I did not want to breed them just yet because I have 2” fry growing in the 40g breeder.

[LizStreithorst]

Stick the pair in a breeding tank. If you don't want more fry, transfer the tank with the Blue's eggs on it in the tank with the orange fish. If you don't move the pair soon you might end up with a dead blue male. If you don't they will kill your male. I'd put 1 Tablespoon salt in the tank with the pair. It will help the male heal. Do this this asap.

[Adam S]

If you don't have a spare tank, head over to HD/Lowes and pick up some egg crate for a divider.

[Mando]

Thank you! Running to hD. I thought eventually one would give up fighting.

[LizStreithorst]

Good. Run fast. Thank God these places are open on Sunday's. I wish you had posted yesterday. The egg crate will work but I'd still set up a 29 for when you are ready to breed them.

[Mando]

Good. Run fast. Thank God these places are open on Sunday's. I wish you had posted yesterday. The egg crate will work but I'd still set up a 29 for when you are ready to breed them.

Liz! As I was putting the crate, she was laying eggs! he seems weak but he is fertilizing them.

I wish I can post pics from my phone! She did not even care my hands were in there.

[LizStreithorst]

Good. Put salt in the tank. It will help him and will not harm the other fish. Ask Pat about how to post pics from your phone. She knows all about how to do that stuff.

[danotaylor]

You can post pics from your phone if they're smaller than 2mb. Go to the "full site" option at the very bottom of the page. Then you can load pics direct from your phone. All of the pics I load are off my phone.

[Mando]

Good. Put salt in the tank. It will help him and will not harm the other fish. Ask Pat about how to post pics from your phone. She knows all about how to do that stuff.

Salt added. He is not doing so well as he is tail standing. I know he is exhausted from the non stop battles. I hope he makes it. He's literally at the bottom of the tank. I wonder if I should lower the water level a little bit. I did turn off the lights so they can rest.

[Mando]

You can post pics from your phone if they're smaller than 2mb. Go to the "full site" option at the very bottom of the page. Then you can load pics direct from your phone. All of the pics I load are off my phone.

I will give it a try.

[Mando]

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I'm sure the peppering on the female is my black background. Once they go into the breeder they will go into a light blue tank. The male has almost no peppering.

[LizStreithorst]

lower the water level and add more O2

[slicksta]

lower the water level and add more O2

I concur

[danotaylor]

glad to see you got your pics loaded!!

Good luck with your pair mate :thumbsup:

[Mando]

glad to see you got your pics loaded!!

Good luck with your pair mate :thumbsup:

Thank you! This morning I woke up to a happy male fish. He’s doing his fatherly duries and fanning the eggs. So happy for the quick advice from simply. Never thought, out of all fish, that discus would kill each other for the purpose of mating.

I read stories on here that two males fight and, eventually, the winning male moves to a corner with their gal after the fighting subsided. Obviously, my PB’s were seconds from laying and that horrendous orange discus was just vehemet on fertilizing.

[LizStreithorst]

I'm so relieved to hear that he's better this morning. I've had a situation similar to that but I moved the fish before the male got as bad as yours. It doesn't happen often, but it does happen.

[Second Hand Pat]

Big relief here also. Here's to some wigglers in a couple days. :D
Pat

[Mando]

Big relief here also. Here's to some wigglers in a couple days. :D
Pat

Cheers �� to that! Maybe I should put a filter pad in front of my egg crate divider to have my second little grow out.

Pat, the discus in you signature are to die for!

[Second Hand Pat]

Cheers �� to that! Maybe I should put a filter pad in front of my egg crate divider to have my second little grow out.

Pat, the discus in you signature are to die for!

Thank Mando, those were two wild green Tefe males fighting over a female from my first group of Tefes...awesome fish :)
Pat

[Mando]

I just wanted to share my water parameters for newbies, like myself, that a 6.0-6.5 ph range is not needed for discus to breed. My water is straight out of tap, aged in a 55 gallon drum with heater and a stone. I guess the "key" thing here is consistency. Every night at midnight, ph drops, and it starts to increase at 10am.

119400

[Mando]

As expected, two days after the spawn, we had free swimmers. poor little guys swam to the other side and RIP. The parents were cleaning the glass again today, but for now, I'll let them keep doing their thing without moving them as I do not have room.

The male is fully recovered and vibrant as usual.

[LizStreithorst]

:thumbsup:

[Mando]

Nearly dead but definitely has the spunk! We have twice as many eggs now.

Literally 48hrs later from first batch.

[Second Hand Pat]

As expected, two days after the spawn, we had free swimmers. poor little guys swam to the other side and RIP. The parents were cleaning the glass again today, but for now, I'll let them keep doing their thing without moving them as I do not have room.

The male is fully recovered and vibrant as usual.

That is great news Mando :D
Pat

[Boyd Luth]

Think about attaching some filter pad, or better some perot foam ( use the search engine to look up ) Disgirl a member of our Forum sells nice Breeding cones. They will spawn again :-)

[LizStreithorst]

If you want one of Barb's cones contact her soon as she has stopped making them. She still has some left and is having a big sale on her remaining ones.

[Mando]

They have a cone and choose not to use it. ALso, last batch from 3 days ago did not make it to wigglers. They ate the batch. However, right before class today, she spawned again! WTH?

This time she spawned on the divider that I added in the main tank. To be more specific, on the polyester pad that I added to the egg crate divider!

Could there be a reason why they continue to eat their spawn during the egg or free swimming stage? The spawn that caused me to start this thread made it to free swimmers, but shortly after, eaten by the other tank mates. I noticed that the pair were lovey dovey. Then, second spawn, I noticed that the eggs were eaten on exactly 48 hours after spawn, and the pair started fighting. (mood change compared to first spawn). I've also noticed this aggressive behavior in the past when they were in the 30 gallon, and either the male or female ate the eggs.

[LizStreithorst]

It might be worth a try to separate them for a week or two and see if they go back to be lovey dovey when you put them back together.

[Mando]

It might be worth a try to separate them for a week or two and see if they go back to be lovey dovey when you put them back together.

If they eat this new batch, I think I will separate the two permanently. I've had them almost a year now, if not more, and it's the same story. Free swimming has never lasted more than a day, only 7 out of 13 spawns made it to the wiggler stage, and never an attachment.

[LizStreithorst]

Usually, but not always, it's the female that eats the wigglers. I'd let them spawn one more time and take the female out immediately after they're done. The male can raise the kids by himself.

[Mando]

Ok, i'll give that a Go. I should have wigglers by Friday. Should I remove her at the wiggler stage or remove her now?

[LizStreithorst]

Remove her now, before she has a chance. In your case I bet she is the culprit because she beat her husband up so badly.

[Mando]

Remove her now, before she has a chance. In your case I bet she is the culprit because she beat her husband up so badly.

Hey, Liz.

Eggs were gone when I got home that day. Nonetheless, she laid eggs last night and he fertilized. I went with my gut feeling and removed the male. I guess we will soon find out who's the culprit. Hopefully it's one of them and not both of them =/.. She was too happy fanning her eggs so I could not take her out. He was keeping his distance.

[LizStreithorst]

Good luck

[Mando]

Eggs are gone! They are both together again and on the next attempt, I'll remove her. If the male eats the eggs, I may be forced to sell the female or male. I cannot have the pairs in the display tank since my other discus nearly killed the pair male.

Not sure what to do. I really do not want to give up on them, and I definitely want to give a fry growout a chance. It's different growing your own than buying from a store; you're in control from the very beginning.

[brady]

Put a screen over the eggs. In your case from what you said it would have to be
a screen the size of the foam and held out a little bit from the eggs.
Jay

[Mando]

I've done that, and they'll just eat the free swimmers. I guess I can attempt it one more time when I move them in the breeder. But that's not for another 2 months or so.

[danotaylor]

I feel you mate...my proven pair don't seem to wanna raise fry in the same tank as the other 5 adult discus, even though there is a divider separating them...argh, it's frustrating for sure

[Mando]

I feel you mate...my proven pair don't seem to wanna raise fry in the same tank as the other 5 adult discus, even though there is a divider separating them...argh, it's frustrating for sure

Indeed! So finally, they laid eggs last night. I moved the female and guess what? The male ate the eggs. It seems like both are bad parents. I might have to sell the female since two males are fighting over her. Or should I give it another go? I can potentially protect the eggs and hope they don’t eat ar the free swimming stage. However, i’ve done this in the past and the free swimmers get eaten within the hour.

I’ve been patient. This is a year and a half dealing with this pair.