My New Leopard Pair (Jeffrey Yang)

[DaydreamDiscus]

Got my fish this morning; Leopard pair from James at WVDiscus. [Fish originally from Jeffrey Yang]...

They are amazing quality and beautiful. They are eating and swimming up to me only after a few hours. The female is also staring and sizing up the breeding cone. Their tubes are also down already!?!

Pictures and more info about the experience on their arrival can be found at my blog: http://www.discusfishy.com/leopards-arrived-alive-1day-delay-shipping (http://www.discusfishy.com). I will also be posting pictures and videos about their entire breeding progress and fry grow out. I spent about 2 days on creating this, and would love to have your support by you subscribing [which means you submit your email address on the right side, and I'll shoot you an email every time I update a new article]. No spam, I'll be the only one to have your email.

I'll update this thread as well every time I make a new article!

Thank you all!
James F.

http://www.discusfishy.com/breeding-leopard-discus.jpg
http://www.discusfishy.com/leopard-discus.jpg

[DaydreamDiscus]

This is crazy, but they are bowing at each other and both staring and picking at a spot on the cone already! It's only been 10 hours since I threw them in the tank from a 38hour shipping ordeal!

Must be that Tennessee water.. :)

[Eddie]

This is crazy, but they are bowing at each other and both staring and picking at a spot on the cone already! It's only been 10 hours since I threw them in the tank from a 38hour shipping ordeal!

Must be that Tennessee water.. :)


Thats great! Some breeders have spawned in the shipping bags! Ask Hans ;)


Eddie

[DaydreamDiscus]

They laid over the weekend! About 150-160 eggs. To get some more info and video of them, check out the post I made on my hobbyist blog at: DiscusFishy.com (http://www.discusfishy.com)

http://www.discusfishy.com/discus-fish-eggs.jpg

[DaydreamDiscus]

All eggs weren't fertilized. =( So they ate them all after they turned white.

Seems I misjudged when they laid, must of be within 24 hours when I discovered them. Thought maybe it had been a few days and the dark ones were still good.

Anyways, I will let them at it again, if same result, I'll prob have to tamper with my water hardness. I saw some slight flashing, one gill, one fin behavior a few times a day, so I decided to run a 10 day (every other day w/c and dose) Quick Cure treatment. Also, the male's eyes seem to pop out alittle more than my liking and I suspect slight pop eye, after the Quick Cure, if it's still present, I might run a quick anti-biotic treatment as well.

http://www.discusfishy.com/discus-fish-quick-cure.jpg

[DaydreamDiscus]

Update: I have them in a hospital tank to try to knock out what I thought may be very slight popeye (cycle of Tetra, also Maracyn I and II cycle) but nothing really had an effect. So after looking at some pictures of other's adult discus, I see it's kind common (maybe some discus just have it naturally). The eyes on my male stick out maybe 1mm, I am probably just being OCD. As long as he is literally jumping out the tank during feeding time, I'll just chalk it as OCD and just his eyes naturally judging from other's pictures

Anyways, they laid eggs in the hospital tank after I stopped the Tetra and did two water changes; I watched the male closely, he did an alright job I guess. We shall see!

http://www.discusfishy.com/discus-laying-eggs.jpg

[DerekFF]

Lol you cant call it a hospital tank with a breeding cone inside!!!

[DiscusKev]

Lol you cant call it a hospital tank with a breeding cone inside!!!

Why not? You are still 'nursing' the fish, so long as treatment is held, it can be called a QT. You can't help a horny pair could ya :p

[sidd]

Really nice pair. All the best.

[DaydreamDiscus]

Unfortunately, the eggs are gone. Oh well, guess another try!

@DerekFF haha, I know right.. I couldn't help it! They kept bowing and shaking..

@sidd Thanks!

[Double Up]

The eyes on my adult yellow-white stick out a bit. No big deal.

[DaydreamDiscus]

Thanks for the re-assurance DoubleUp!

[bach]

How you sure they were a pair? Did you request an order a pair to the supplier? Did they confirm to you? I have 2 pairs and 6 times spawned, all with the eggs turn white within 48 hours, after the pair switch over for look after the eggs and they ate all. Please come back to the supplier to ask. Good luck to you.

[Tito]

It appears that it is quite common for new fish to want to spawn in a new home. Something about the new environment that triggers the spawn. My Leopard pair did the same thing when I first introduced them into my community tank.

[DaydreamDiscus]

@Bach - yeah, I got them from a trusted sponsor here at Simply, so I am sure they are a confirmed pair. I know for fact one is male and other is female.

@Tito - yeah, I'm going to switch out 50% to RO next time around and see, cause my water isn't exactly ideal in softness.

[DaydreamDiscus]

It's official, got wrigglers! I mixed the tank this time with 50% RO to drop the gH ppm down to 60-70ish; and put a screen over the eggs.

[mmorris]

Excellent! :thumbsup:

[DaydreamDiscus]

I took the screen off and they didn't eat the fry! They've actually been tending to them well, picking them up and moving them. I'm estimating maybe 70 of them. Wish me luck!

[vera]

Great pattern on pair JC!!
hope this time they get it right

Best of luck

[DaydreamDiscus]

Just thought I'd share on the progress:

Here's a video of them with the 1 day old fry on their backs:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cXynrnHdeEM

Here's one showing off their patterns and close up of sex tubes down:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JarMoomoJF0

[mmorris]

It's great to see the little ones! Keep posting those videos!

[DaydreamDiscus]

Hey all,
Good news, they are still alive and kicking at officially a week old.. Here's some pictures, I tried to get some close ups..

http://www.discusfishy.com/discus-fish-fry5.jpg

http://www.discusfishy.com/discus-fish-fry.jpg

http://www.discusfishy.com/discus-fish-fry2.jpg

http://www.discusfishy.com/discus-fish-fry3.jpg

http://www.discusfishy.com/discus-fish-fry4.jpg

[DaydreamDiscus]

I am one lucky mofo! I had to move places recently, and got the pair safely transferred, AND the fry.. they accepted them and are attached and none of the fry died (yet, knocks on wood) from the transfer yesterday.

They are officially 2 weeks old tomorrow.. and I am thinking of putting them in their own tank in a couple days..

[Eddie]

Thats great news!

Eddie

[DaydreamDiscus]

I put the fry into their own 55 gallon tank last night! I guess it's sink or swim time for them now, I threw in some beefheart that they've been nipping at all day.. I think they like the crushed Tetrabits and Hikari first bites the best though..

[MrYin]

im so ready to find out if i get some of these fry. plz keep me in mind if you sell. those parents are badazz

[DaydreamDiscus]

Hey guys,
Just an update with pictures; they are doing great in the 55 gallon. I have the parents (in 29 gallong) separated as they are fighting too much. Their diet is mostly beefheart and crushed tetrabits. These little buggers top and bottom fins are starting to show red already. =) It's hard to take good pictures of them as they hardly stay still, but here's my best.

Anyways, thanks for all the advice, comments, and feedback.

@Thanks MrYin, will do.

http://www.discusfishy.com/DiscusFry2.jpg

http://www.discusfishy.com/DiscusFry.jpg

http://www.discusfishy.com/DiscusFry3.jpg

[DaydreamDiscus]

They are officially at 3 weeks old now! :) They are constantly hungry, picking for food, and swimming crazy at me when I approach the tank.

The female decided she wanted to lay eggs on her side of the screen.. :D
I'll keep them separated for a few more days and prob will let them breed again in a week or two. No rushes, these fry have my hands full already with work and everything.

I'll try to post up a video up soon..

[kyubi]

congrat.. u lucky son of a gun... keep more coming...discus can b very freaky...lol

[DaydreamDiscus]

Just wanted to shoot an update;
They are approaching six weeks of age.. and are doing pretty good.

They definitely look like discus now, and are about 1/2" excluding tail. I culled a few and some seemed to have culled by nature, as they were a couple runts that didn't make it to now.

Anyways, will try to get some pics of them here later..

[Jennie]

They are certainly beautiful:)

[MrYin]

Just wanted to shoot an update;
They are approaching six weeks of age.. and are doing pretty good.

They definitely look like discus now, and are about 1/2" excluding tail. I culled a few and some seemed to have culled by nature, as they were a couple runts that didn't make it to now.

Anyways, will try to get some pics of them here later..


yes pics please...:) i want to see those guys

[Tito]

I'm subsrcribing to this thread - as I want to see if two leopards will throw out Leopards!

Please post pics of their growth at six weeks. Definitely looking forward to an eight week picture update.

My pair is in breeding hiatus but I hope they go again now that I have my setup situated.

[DaydreamDiscus]

I finally got around to taking some pictures.. they are about 6ish weeks old now.. as far as the pair; she keeps freakin laying eggs without giving me any warning. They don't even bow or pick at the cone [at least from not what I've them do from before]; they may pick at the cone like 2 times and then start laying eggs! I missed them 3 times in a row and so I couldn't mix in the RO in time, lol... guess I have a 'good' problem..

@DiscusLover65 - Thank you!
@Tito - I don't see why not.. =)

http://www.discusfishy.com/baby-discus-fish.jpg
http://www.discusfishy.com/baby-discus-fish-2.jpg
http://www.discusfishy.com/baby-discus-fish-3.jpg
http://www.discusfishy.com/baby-discus-fish-4.jpg

[Tito]

My understanding is that Discus don't always breed true. In your case - your Leopards may not breed true depending on their pedigree. I've done some reading on other threads that really surprised me. People breeding two fish and throwing out something completely unexpected.

keep the pics coming in man. It must be exciting to raise your own homegrown Leopards!!! I hope to get there one day. I'm particularly interested in how your fry develop because I have a Leopard pair that I want to get some fry from and I'm hoping they will breed true.

[Skip]

JCF.. hey.. if the tetrabits are too big for the fry.. put them in a pepper grinder.. that works pretty good :antlers:

congrats on the pair!!

[DaydreamDiscus]

@Lito - interesting... we shall see. I remember the breeder I got them from says they may throw out 9bar and 14bar leopards

@War - Thanks for the tip! I will def be using that idea..

[kaceyo]

It looks like you are taking good care of them as far as keeping tank cleanetc but they are pretty small for 6wks. Generally fry are at least an ich and more often over an inch by 6wks.
I don't know your wc and feeding schedule but basicly more and larger wc's along with plenty of food should get them on the right path.
I think at this point you can easily make up for lost time as they look to be healthy and well cared for.
Make sure the food you give them is processed small enough for them to eat. Warlocks suggestion was a good one. I grind the T-Bits (and any other dried foods) down to almost powder for the first weeks of feeding and shave or grind all frozen foods to near mush so the fry can eat as much as they want.
HTH

[MrYin]

looking good man!!!:D

and that idea about the pepper grinder is a nice one.:thumbsup:

[ZX10R]

Must be that Tennessee water.. :)

Maybe it was from all that rain we got earlier in the year or should I say flooding. Nice looking fish and babies

Sean

[DaydreamDiscus]

@kaceyo - Thanks for your suggestions. I will begin beefing up their water changes and food.

@MrYin - Thanks!

@ZX10R - LOL! The parents laid eggs again in 100% tap water and didn't have time to change it out with 50% RO, but it looks like a very good percentage got fertilized (even with the sponge filter going full blast).. so maybe that flood water gave us some soft tap!!?!