Issues breeding

[planter]

Hi everyone,

For a better part of a month I have been trying to get my best pair to breed. They spawn regularly. The first 2 batches were small but did hatch. Both of those spawns produced about 50 wigglers but they all shortly died at that stage. The last 2 attempts they produced larger spawns about 150 eggs. About 100 or so (hard to count) hatched and of that, on both attempts about 75 or so started swimming around but were never drawn to the parents.

I am wondering if there is anything that I can do to help the pair out. Everytime they had a spawn the parents would tend to the wigglers but they never turned dark when the fry started swimming. The fry have yet to attach to the parents.

Here is what I have tried so far. I will post a picture of the tank later today.

- I've tried to lower the water level to half when the fry hatched
- I've pulled the female shortly after the spawn.
- Tds is at 60ppm.
- ph is at 7
- temp is at 29C
- 30 gallon tank
- I've wrapped the black sponge filters with white cheesecloth.
- I have a light blue background wrapped around the sides, back, and bottom of the tank.

Anyone have anymore tips or tricks to get the fry attracted to the parents?

[coralbandit]

Mine just ate their second set of eggs in a week !
After 2 good spawns and raising fry both times !
My only consolation is filial cannibalism usually makes the next spawn larger and stronger !
I feel your pain .

[MikeyO]

Could be the blue background, do you see where they are attracted too? I’ve had success turning all lights out before with a pair, by morning they attached

[planter]

They kind of scatter everywhere some will go to the parents but the parents don't seem to get darker and it appears that the fry are not eating anything.

[Gillmann]

I feel your pain! My pair just went through their fourth spawn - getting a bit further each time. They seem to be stuck at the attachment stage. They seem to darken for a bit, but don't stay that way. Not sure they are producing any extra slim for the fry. So far i have tried indirect white light, and the blue night lights that are part of the new led lights. I haven't tried leaving them in the dark - might have to try that next!

[Second Hand Pat]

Hi Filipe, once the fry start free swimming make the lights dim. A fellow SD member was having the fry scatter once attached to the parents and Ceyhun of Winnie's Discus (SD Sponsor) suggested dimming the light. Ceyhun thinks the fry maybe attached to bright light when they are five days or less old. The SD member dimmed the light as suggested by Ceyhun and the fry quit wondering the tank.
Pat