Babies free swimming

[Lizzie]

This is my first post although I have been lurking since April.
I have two discus tanks (thanks to all your good advice). One tank is a 55 glass (48") the other a 50 acrylic (36x18"x20"). I had five discus ( all red turk variations) all bought at the same time from Lfs in the 50. Two of them paired off in September. They have spawned four times. Always eaten the eggs after three days of guarding them. This time the eggs hatched. I moved the three others into the fifty five with the five who already lived there. (One nice Golden Sunset, two powder blues, a stunted pigeon blood and a bossy red pigeon blood who has a thing for the air bubble wall.) The hatched babies held onto the cone (upside down glass vase) for thee days then went free swimming. My problem is they seem to be unable to attach to the parents. The tank is BB with aquclear 500 and two sponge air filters. I turned the aquaclear to low and turned off the sponges when I saw them start to swim. that was yesterday. Today they are on the two sponge filters and only one or two will occasssionally go onto the parent's backs. I have kept the tank light on for them. Is there anything I can do for them?
I know this is long and confusing but hope you can help.
Thanks

[Carol_Roberts]

Congratulations on your babies :thumbsup:
It takes about 24 hours for the babies to attach. Babies are attracted to the dark color and vibration of the sponge filters. Turn the sponge filters down low or off for a while. You can lower the water level and you can cover the dark sponges with clean white nylons. I bet in a day or so they will attach.

[McGilly]

Babies are atracted to dark object in the tank, and until the parents figure out how to call their fry by flicking their sides the only thing you can do is lower the water level and minimize water current in the tank. The larger the spawn the easier the fry seem to find mom and pop. The yolk sack will feed them for a few days, hopefuly they will attach before too long.
Did you remove the sponge filters? I have a pair of golds that the fry were having trouble finding and by removing the sponge and dropping the water level and getting that black ebo heater bracket out of there the fry finally attached

Good luck
Jeff

[McGilly]

white nylons, thats a great idea. thanks Carol

[Lizzie]

Thanks for the quick replies.
Should I turn off the aquaclear? ???and use just the sponges with nylons or keep the aquaclear and take out the sponges?

[Carol_Roberts]

I would turn off the aqua clear. Even an Aqua clear 200 will suck up babies :o

[limige]

like carol said, ditch the aquaclear until they are older, use and air powered sponge filter without the lift tube.

it commonly takes one to two days for them to attach after they begin swimming.

also, there could be excess slime on the sponges as well, i will commonly see them eating off the sponge during the first week, by weeks 2 and 3 they stick to the parents like glue!!!

don't forget to get your brine shrimp hatchery together and give things a trial run! by day 3 you should start with BBS!

[Lizzie]

Thanks for all you help.
I doubt we would have any live discus at all let alone new babies if it was'nt for the advice of the people on this board.
I took out the Aquaclear and left two sponges with white nylons over them. We only have about 8 babies(6 days old) but they are doing fine and attaching to Mom and Dad as needed. Also eating frozen baby brine shrimp. The pair spawned again today so we have many new eggs but they are still caring for the swimmers. I think this time more will survive since the tank is set up better from the beginning. I posted a picture of the pair with three babies on Mom in the photo section but I had to reduce the picture so it would fit the file size- so it is nearly impossible to see the babies. :)

[Miles]

Alot of the time if the parents spawn the fry will be gone in the morning. But maybe you will have some luck going for you. It is good to remember that very seldom do they get it correct the first time.

8)

[Lizzie]

:( All babies were gone this morning.
And here I thought my couple had the fastest parental learning curve of new discus parents. Oh well, hope this time more wigglers will make it and the parents will think they are worth keeping.

Are they likely to spawn again in two weeks even if there are many babies swimming and on their backs?

[Carol_Roberts]

Yes, the female will spawn again and likely eat the older fry. You can pull the female and let the male raise the babies.

[Lizzie]

Thanks Carol. I'll try that. Just have to figure out where to put her.

[Lizzie]

pulled mom today to a 25 gallon eclipse which is alongside the 1/2 filled 50where dad remains with the wigglers. Mom seems Ok although she is swimming around more than usual and not eating. Dad hid lying on his side under a sponge filter for some time, then in the corner but finally came out and resumed hisbaby watching duties. I put paper between the tanks so mom can't see dad and babies. Is this right or should I let her see them?

Will Mom be OK all alone for the three weeks that Dad is raising the babies or would she be happier in the 55 with the 8 (3-5") discus? Everone in that tank is getting along fine. Bubbles owns 1/4 of the tank and the others all get along in the rest. I have an aquaclear 500, a Whisper 30/60and two large sponge filters on it with 4-6 50% changes per week.

;D

??
I don't understand the point of pulling the female...the problem was the fry weren't attaching, right?? and then you only had six left that were attached...so the parents spawned again...not surprising if they only had 6 fry left...if the latest spawn attaches successfully(which would probably be a little easier with two parents to care for them) it's NOT written in stone that they're going to spawn again and eat the older fry...if they looked like they were ready to spawn, you could've pulled one of the parents at that point...
anyways, all water under the bridge...good luck with your wigglers ;)
david
p.s. adding the female back now would not be a good idea in my opinion..