What do I do now?

[Hawks Nest]

I finally decided to make the plunge and start a discus tank. When my wife and I were shopping at local pet stores we found a pair of discus that were laying eggs, so we had to have them. A couple weeks later we had a new tank cycled and we brought the discus home. 2 weeks later we had eggs, and then wigglers, and now the fry have been swimming for 2 days.

Other than finding a mated pair, I feel that I've done everything wrong. When the pair laid eggs they had tank mates (serpae tetras) that were used to cycle the tank, and were also interested in eating the eggs. They have since been removed and put in a 5 gallon tank. We couldn't have an ugly tank with such pretty discus, so now I am trying to raise fry in a decorated tank with gravel.

Here are my questions...
1. When do I need to start feeding the fry?
2. Is frozen baby brine shrimp ok to feed them (we already have some)?
3. How old do the fry need to be in order to put them in their own tank? I want to put them in a bare bottom tank as soon as I can. After putting the serape tetras in a bare bottom take I’ve realized that it is much easier to keep clean.

Here are a couple pics! Looks like I have about 50 fry, little buggers are hard to count!

Larry

[mmorris]

I finally decided to make the plunge and start a discus tank.
Here are my questions...
1. When do I need to start feeding the fry?
2. Is frozen baby brine shrimp ok to feed them (we already have some)?
3. How old do the fry need to be in order to put them in their own tank?
Larry

Well, didn't you jump in both feet forwards! :D
1) day six or so
2) Not in my opinion. It only has 6.8% protein compared with 55-60 % for the live. We're not comparing like with like here, though, because the % for live is by dry weight. The frozen and live alike will quickly fall into the gravel, although if it is swimming the fry may have access to it for a longer period of time.
3) I would move parents and fry now, if you can. Otherwise, I would keep the fry with the parents a couple of weeks. I leave them together for three weeks or more, but in this case you would be wise to get them out sooner.

[Hawks Nest]

Thanks for the advise MMorris,
We’ve already looked up how to hatch brine shrimp, so tomorrow we will get the supplies and give it a go. The fry will be 6 days old tomorrow so we may give the frozen bbs a try until we get some hatched out. Moving the discus is a problem right now. The only tanks I have is the 45 gallon tank they are currently in and a 5 gallon tank I put the tetras in, and I’m sure the 5 gallon is way too small for the discus.

[mmorris]

Where were you planning on moving the fry when they are ready?
Auntie Martha's Kitchen Sink method for hatching bbs, post 4 - :
http://forum.simplydiscus.com/showthread.php?t=73479&highlight=kitchen+sink
The only thing I do differently now is I use a turkey baster to remove the fry rather than an air tube, as Keith once suggested.

[Hawks Nest]

So now you want to know what my plan was… We bought a 125 gallon tank for a discus tank but did not plan to set it up for a couple months or so (need to do some painting in the living room first). When we found the mated pair in the pet store we bought a used tank and set it up as quickly as we could for a temporary home for the discus until we got the 125 set up. If I thought three weeks later I would be raising fry I would have left the 45 gallon undecorated with a bare bottom, but I’m just not that smart. So, eventually the 45 will be the breading tank. Heck, I may have to go get another tank.

Yes, kitchen sink method of hatching BS. We liked the amended version that used a Home Depot bucket and two 32 oz bottles.
Having discus is kinda fun, huh!

Do you think the 5 gallon would be too small for the fry?

Larry

[mmorris]

Do you think the 5 gallon would be too small for the fry?

Larry

Much too small. :)

[Hawks Nest]

Bad news... discus began to fight very aggressively today :argue: and we now only have one fry left. Seriously doubt if he will still be here in the morning. So, we’ve decided to leave this tank as a community tank and wait until we have a dedicated BB tank for breeding. :(

[Hawks Nest]

Any thoughts on ideal breeding tank set-up?

Larry

[Eddie]

Any thoughts on ideal breeding tank set-up?

Larry

Whew....lots of opinions on this one!

29 or 20 gallon, barebottom, heater, sponge filter, anything for them to spawn on and thats it. Well.....water and fish too. LOL

Eddie