First possible pair

[holderman19]

Ok this is my start to an entry (before deadline) about having my first possible pair. They are Sakura Maze. New to me as of 3 days ago.
Obviously, my goal is for them to pair up, actually be fertile male/female, and do their first spawn. Pic is another tank i have for test.137470

[brewmaster15]

Ed this is great! Im so happy you decided to join in! Thats a nice looking group of discus there! Congrats!
Al

[brewmaster15]

Ed are you planning to pull the pair and raise fry in a breeder tank?

[Discus Fever]

Nice looking group of fish, good luck with them.

[LizStreithorst]

Welcome to the party! Now you have a full three months to see who pairs and how they proceed with their job. They are nice-looking fish. Good luck-

[holderman19]

If I get that far yes. I already have another 40g breeder and 65g I can setup.

[holderman19]

Oh no that is not them. That is another tank i have. It was just for a test pic/attention pic
I do not have any decent pics of the possible pair yet.

[brewmaster15]

AH.. I see. So this thread will be where you document the pair?

[LizStreithorst]

I suggest you start a thread for your two possible grow-out tanks like Chuck did. That way if the pair does get that far you will already have threads started for when you have to move the kids for grow-out.

[holderman19]

They are still shy and prefer the lights off but i got a poor pic during a water change that they did not like. This is a probable pair, I don't really expect to have fry to grow out by the time this contest is over.
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[brewmaster15]

Ed I'm thinking you will. 3 MONTHS.. and wiith the forums guidance...fry is doable.:)

[holderman19]

Because of my lack of imagination, I decided to name them Thing 1 and Thing 2. I can tell them apart because if you look at Thing 1's bottom fin it has an extra point sticking down.
I was finally able to get a couple decent pics. I sat in front of the tank after water change until Thing 1, who is braver so far, decided to check me out up close. After a couple minutes Thing 2 joined us for about 15 seconds. This is with lights off.

Also, i noticed Thing 1 pecking at my sponge filters, then one airline and as I watched for few minutes, he/she went to the cone and started doing what i think is cleaning the cone. I was able to get a quick video zoomed in so it's not great. I have not figured out uploading videos here yet but can post to YouTube when i get time.

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[holderman19]

I have no idea why my pics are rotated today when they did not yesterday lol. anyway


Big surprise when i woke up this morning. I know which is female now as Thing one is watching some fresh laid eggs from overnight. Only took 6 days and I am not even fully prepared yet. Thing 2 does not seem very interested in the whole thing so i have no idea if its a male or if the eggs are fertile. Thing2 is still shy but i have no idea what went on in the dark all night with nobody around. Still very exciting for me. Guess I'll be starting a new grow out thread as suggested just in case LOL.
I had like 5 minutes to look then had to leave for work. I did setup my webcam to check on things from work.
I planned on getting some RO/DI water to use in a pitcher and set in tank when this time came but do not have either yet.

When and how should i know if they are fertile? If i end up seeing any wigglers?
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[holderman19]

As you can see from the above webcam pic just taken, she has gotten a little darker, but Thing2 has not. She is not being aggresive towards Thing2 though so i hope that's a good sign

[holderman19]

Does this look like a good amount of eggs?

[brewmaster15]

Its a fine spawn Ed. Hopefully a good number are fertile.

Al

[LizStreithorst]

It does. It's a nice tight spawn.

[holderman19]

Not such a great update... this morning many of the eggs are gone and white. The eggs that are still ok don't seem to be any bigger, and maybe even smaller. Probably around 50 left. I would like at least a few to make it until tomorrow so i know if the other is a male since i did not get to see them spawn. I am guessing that they are not fertile because Thing2 did not seem interested in spawning at all when i turned the lights off that evening. He was never aggressive or protective of the eggs but did spend a little time watching them and did not hurt them. I have also read that a young pair first ever spawns are more likely not to be successful. It has been around 30 hours since laying. I would be happy to see even one wiggler make it just so i know LOL
A positive is that mom seems like she will do a great job.
I know my tds is usually around 150 ppm on my meter. Is that low enough to get any fertilized eggs, assuming Thing2 is a fertile male? Should i find a clear pitcher and some RO this weekend?

[brewmaster15]

Ed I would let them practice...Its possible the male is not mature enough...Males tend to mature slower. do you know the age of these fish?


You should still get some wigglers with 150 ppm water.
al

[holderman19]

Thanks Al. I do not know exact age. I'll let them do their thing for a while and see what happens.

[CliffsDiscus]

Try placing a screen over the egg, just to see if the is fertile.You

[holderman19]

Ok I need the experienced people to tell me if they think this is a male or female please. I know the other one is female because i finally seen her lay eggs. The one here in the pic cleaned, was interested, but never fertilized the eggs. This is their 3rd try in a month. Hoping its a male that needs to mature. Yes the images are oriented wrong lol

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[holderman19]

I have been gone for a while but quick update... After 8 tries from the female, my male finally decided to do his part. I now have a verified pair and had around 30 wigglers. I viewed him making passes and he was going way to fast so the fert rate was low. All have died off or eaten mainly at night. I am sure the results will get better with each try hopefully next week. This is my first pair ever.
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[brewmaster15]

Ed,
Thats great news! Congrats! I would suggest you screen the next batch of eggs after they spawn.