When do I take the babies away?

[Coetz]

Hey guys,
I was just wondering when I would know when to transfer the babies from the breeding tank to the seperate tank? ANd also how long it usually takes them to grow to 1" ?

Coetz**

[April]

heh coetz....do you have babies now?
you can leave them till they start removing chunks from the parents..then time to take them. or..you need to watch in case they all of a sudden decide they want to breed again and devour the babies!!!
i left mine till they were wandering away from the parents and foraging for food.

[Willie]

You can take babies away as early as 5 - 6 days free swimming, but I wouldn't recommend it. Keep them with the parents for at least 11 days free swimming, 14 days would be better.

Willie

[Discusgeo]

Coetz I wait until 14 days. My free swimmers have been with mom and dad now for 4 days and they already spawned so be carefull. I removed the eggs and will hatch these out artifically. What I plan to do is once the eggs hatch I will remove the babies with the parents, replace the water with R.O and reintroduce the new guys when they begin to swim. I hope the parent will except them. We will see in 5 days.
George

[shamsoo]

Discusgeo can u explain in detail about yr plan , may be it will work for me also, thanks

[Discusgeo]

Shamsoo
In the past with my young pairs I found that sometimes first time parents will eat the babies when they become free swimming. Each time this has happened to me I had another pair of Discus with babies on there sides. So what I would do is remove the babies that were getting eaten and placed them in the other tank with the good parents. So far this has worked for me with some Snakeskin babies. This happened last week to me again. Last week my Golden Sunrise and my Blue Diamonds spawned about the same time. The Golden Sunrise male has watched over his babies very carefully. But when the Blue Diamond babies started to free swim the female started to eat them, this is her first time with babies. When I noticed this I took a Turkey Baster and siphioned out the babies and gently squirted them next to the sides of the Male Golden Sunrise. I will know in about a month if I saved a dozen or so Blue Diamond babies. I havent found any dead babies in the tank and the Golden Sunrise must be watching over 100 young right now. The Golden Sunrise have also spawned and are a few days ahead of my Blue Diamonds who spawned again today. I tried getting a picture of the babies but the male keeps them hidden from me by keeping them on one side of him and the tank wall.
George

[Pick]

Well for my pair the 2nd day after they spawned they ate some 9 day old fry. :'( So this time I'll pull them if they spawn.

TC

[shamsoo]

thanks george