Question ... how do use-guys get pairs???

[JeffreyRichard]

:-* :-* :-* What are the ways use-guys get pairs? Do you isolate a small number and see what happens? Do you pick what you think are pairs? Do you pick one sure male and try several females? Does anyone put a third fish with a pair to try and promote bonding?

I tried a few things last night to see if I could get some action ... I added a second male to a tank with a SURE female snakeskin (was paired but lost the male) and a (Guessing) male wild Brown ... the female seems more "intense" this morning, and the wild male brown is beating on the new male ,arlboro a bit, so I hoping something happens soon.

Also, I have a wild male (RSG) that I have with a SURE female Red Diamond (she's also layed eggs before) ... there has been no activity, so I added 2 more RSGs to the tank (one female fairly sure, one what I thought was a male but now is acting like a female wild fish).

Hoping to promote some bonding and spawning ...

Thanks
8) 8) 8)

Jeff

[Discusgeo]

I buy 8 to 10 of the Discus I want. Put them all in the same tank and wait 18-24 months and let them select there own mate

[Carol_Roberts]

I stick a known female with a known or suspected male and wait a couple of weeks for them to settle in. If you stick three fully adult discus together the formed pair may kill #3 even is they all used to be close personal friends.

Carol :heart1:

[hunterbeav]

I do it like George, buy 6 or 8 2 to 2 1/2 inch discus of the strain you want. Put them in a 55 and let nature take it's course. You'll get at least 1 pair maybe 2 . Then you know what you got IE how old they are and this way they form a great bond. Or if your in a hurrie get with a great breeder like Mike or Cary and buy a pair. There ya have the secret shhhhhhhhhhh.............moms the word. :)

[JeffreyRichard]

There must be a few more of the established breeders who have techniques they'd like to share ...come on guys/gals ...

[brewmaster15]

Hi Jeff,
I use all the techniques you have listed. I have found that my guessing the sex success ratio is about 50% :) right though. I actually spent 6 months trying to breed 2 females!LOL

If I have a tank of the same fish and I'm just trying for a pair, I let nature take its course. If I know the sex of the fish from prvious spawns, I just throw the male and female together.

hope this helps,
al

ps, currently I have a known female snakeskin, I just put in with 5 un known genders, and well see what happens.

pss... I have a tank with 2 wild rsgs, and thought they were a pair. Put in a heckel... they beat it up.... pt in another wild RSG and he beat both of them up. Sure hope they are a pair!

-al

[roger]

I do know that someone from a well known breeder down in Miami will pull pairs out of the holding tanks when it happens.

Untill you actually get wrigglers on the cone you its really hard to say if you have a good pair or not.

You could have
A pair of females
A male or female thats to young
A male or female thats sterile

I have 2 pairs and under both circumstances they picked their mate. One of the pairs has only laid eggs twice and both times no wrigglers. The other pair is in a tank with 12 other fish. They lay eggs about every 5-6 days and I think last time they had wrigglers.

So untill you actually get wrigglers on the cone and catch them in the act its really hard to pair fish up.

Peace,
Roger

[Rod]

Hi Jeffrey,

If you are trying to breed discus as a hobby then growing out 6 to 8 specimens and allowing nature to it's course is definately the easiest way.....though not the best way if your are trying to create or improve on a strain. For this only the best specimens are used. Normally the female initiates the spawning process, so if she is ready to go then place a selected male in with her and try to force a breeding. Discus are not monogamous and frequently females will breed with any male who she considers acceptable to father her children. Normally what i do is raise a lot of discus together in large growout tanks, when a female shows breeding activity i will select the RIGHT male for her ( normally an older more experienced discus) and see what happens. After some experience you will know if they are going to work together or not, if not try a new male until you find a great combination.

HTH

Rod

[JeffreyRichard]

Last night, we had a full moon. Also, a storm was moving into New England ... low pressure will key spawning sometimes. So I did a waterchange on all my pair tanks. I had a pair of bettas spawn, a pair of Honey Gouramis look like they were ready to spawn, and 2 tanks with Corydoras Sterbai eggs scattered this AM. I also had a Marlboro Red pair spawn on a flower pot in my community tank ... BUT NO SET_UP PAIRS SPAWNED >:( >:( >:(. Go figure ....