Egg cautions??

[alvaro1983]

Hello. This has probably been answered before but I still have no idea. Anyways, I've had some discus in a community tank for a while but I guess now there's a pair laying eggs (on a very edgy rock) and bothering the rest of the discus. I was surprised because they're not too big. I took them out and put them in a tank by themselves, gonna put in a ceramic cone so they don't cut themselves on a rock by accident. They've already eaten around 4 batches of eggs. Are there any other precautions I should have to let the babies be born or is it normal for young parents to eat a lot of eggs? Should I leave the male in the same tank with the female and eggs? Any other things I should put in or take out of the tank? Thanks for all your help.

And I've had my fish a long time now (About a year and a half) but some of them can't be any bigger than 3.5 - 4". Is this normal? Can they still grow or is that going to be their adult size? Thanks again for your help!

[pcsb23]

Ok, firstly new parents can eat the eggs, there are a number of reasons for this, the eggs may not be fertilised, the pair could be disturbed, and in a community tank they will be, or they just need more practice. It will probably take them a few weeks to settle in their new home so be patient and they should lay there, sometimes they will just get right down to it though!! AQs for growth, many things can affect the rate of growth, water conditions and diet being the main ones. Normally once a female lays eggs she tends not to grow much more afterwards. Once they've laid their eggs you can put a mesh guard over them, many places sell them. I'd leave male and female together and observe them. They will both look after the eggs, fanning them and removing unfertilised or fungused eggs. Once they hatch they will both look after the wrigglers and fry too!
Good luck,
Paul.

[Carol_Roberts]

Sounds like you have small adults. Leave the pair in the breeding tank and observe. New pairs may make several attempts before they figure it all out. Put in a cone or breeding pot. Check the GH of your water (hardness)

[discus2010]

yes from what i have read,seen, and heard is that the first few times pairs breed they eat their eggs
to prevent this i have seen people who but the the nets over the eggs. There are a lot of problems that could be occurring like the hardness is to high calcifying the eggs before the male can fertilize the eggs i also have heard of some lesbian fish that lay there eggs together and then eat them