Should I remove the cone?

[ChienHsu]

Hi!

I need an advice.

My Red Panda pair has spawned eggs and the fries came out almost a week. I saw the fries sticked with cone more than there parents. Should I remove the cone?

Many thanks

Sincerely,
Chien

[AADiscus]

Chien, go ahead and take the cone out. Once the wigglers go freeswimming you should take the cone out. Are any of them sticking to the parents?

[pcsb23]

Agree with Angela, also you can lower the water level to make it easier for the fry to 'find' their parents. Once they have found their parents the water level can be raised again, slowly.

[ChienHsu]

Hi! Paul & Angela:

Thanks

I will take the cone out. The fries sticked with the parents sometime but most of time they sticked with the cone. I have lower the level alrady. The water level is about the height of the discus.

Chien

[billeagan]

Wait until they are all free swimming before removing the cone. I generally leave mine in a day after they start free swimming. Its a personal thing, I don't want to change their environment until they get use to the neighborhood=)

[ChienHsu]

Hi!

Thanks everyone helps.

I have new question. As the fries growth, when will be a good timing to separate the parents and the fries. Which one should I move to the new tank, parents or fries.

Thanks

Sincerely,
Chien

[AADiscus]

I think it depends on if you are wanting to breed that pair again. If so, move the babies to there own tank. If you want to give your pair a break then leave the babies in the tank they are in now. I would separate the fry from babies when they are approx 4 weeks old.

What are you feeding them (the fry)? You need to make sure they are eating good before you pull them from the parents.

[ChienHsu]

Hi! Angela:

Thanks for your advice.

Currently, I let the parents feed the fries. The fries is about 10 days old. I am thinking of feeding them with BBS after 14 days. Is it too late?

Chien

[GulfCoastDiscus]

The pair uses the cone initially to gather the frys. Especially if the pair does not darken and the frys need a place to call home. 3 to 5 days later you can remove the cone. The frys will not need it anymore.

[AADiscus]

It is not to late but you really need to get them started on it (bbs). It will take a minimum of 24 hrs for the bbs eggs to hatch. Go ahead and get them going so that you can start feeding them. I would normally start introducing the bbs when they are about 5 -7 days old. They will start eating it right off. It will take a few tries at feeding it before they realize it is food. It is nice once they start eating the bss because it gives your pair a little break. They are still with the babies and suppling food to them but not 100% dependent.

[ChienHsu]

Hi!

I am facing new problems.

Today, the fries is about 21 days (counts started from the egg age). They are still with both parents (I have to give a great credit to the parents. They are doing great job).

Last night, I tried to separate the parents with the fries. But, after the separation, the parents were swimming very fast in the other tank. It seemed to me that they were looking for their babies. Therefore, I put them back. Soon after I put them back. Everything was back normal. The babies were gathering around the parents.

Here is my first question: "When shall I separate them?"


I am going away for next two weeks. What shall I do for this situation?

Can I have your advices?

Thanks

Chien

[Greg Richardson]

You need to separate them before u leave.
U have someone doing wc's?
Feedings or auto?

[AADiscus]

You count the age (days) from when they first start free swimming. That is there DOB.

I would not separate them unless they are eating other things besides on the parents. You will set yourself up to loose some (maybe alot). IMO
If you are going to be leaving I would not separate them until you get back. It takes alot of time and alot of feedings for these young fry. That is alot to put on someone else unless they handle Discus also. At least still with the parents they are getting fed when they need it and not just a few feedings a day. Are you feeding them anything yet? They should be on bbs and maybe some type of worms and flake food. How will your wc routine be when you are gone? This means alot also at this stage.

[ChienHsu]

Hi! Greg & Anglea:

If I count from the fress swimming, they are about 14 days old. Right now,I feed them with CBW, New Life growth food, and frozen brine shrimp. It seems to me that they like CBW.

In the past, when I went away, I normally did not feed any food, and kept the light off. All went OK. This time there is a difference because of the babies. I plan to put 10-days vacation food in and ask me friend to put another 10-day vacatin food one week after.

Chien