new pair eggs question?

[grantbudd74]

Ok so I got a forced pair to lay eggs after a week. Tank conditions are:

3ftx18x13 tank volume
Bare bottom tank
2 twin sponge filters
1 heater at 29C
PVC pipe which has eggs on

Filter sponges are black! What would you do? These are leopards so I am excited to see if I can raise them all the way unlike my last batch of fry I lost to flukes!!Shame as the pair has broken their bond (turq and BD)

I have not done a wipe down of tank and I vac and do 25-50% wc each day so they are used to a big green tube in the tank. My hand has never been inside the tank so I dont really want to freak them out..

Advice would be great given I have 3 days if fertilised? Water flow is quite strong so Ill see in a day or 2 if they were successful.

THanks guys

Grant

Oh I have a tank divider I made but it has a black metal screen and I don't want to lose my fry to it!

[mmorris]

You've never, ever, wiped the tank? You can take the sponges out on attachment day but some people leave them in. It's a pity someone doesn't make sponges in white. Of course, they would look pretty disgusting...:vomit: Good luck!

[grantbudd74]

nope it was only running for a week with fish in and I do daily clean up's. I wiped it down last night and wanted to see how protective they were. Not very so I guess I'll go look and see if I still have eggs.

So no filtration and regular water changes then? what about a canister filter? I do have sponges in white but hey are more a grey colour now. I coul dput one over the intake strainer.

I like the idea of filtration I guess. I ave never run a take with nothing other than a heater and water in before.

So I wipe even when fish are without eggs?

[NunoDinis]

IME I leave the sponge in the tank.
Besides, a canister would suck the offspring.
Another thing... 3 days and no hatch? if so, forgett it.

If you detect the female, in the spawning process you should stop the sponge filter, so the eggs would be correctly fertilized. And turnit back again when they end it.

Then during some days, until they attach, i make small WC, like 20% a day, with the dripping technich(drop by drop). after the attachment i start to increase the WC, until i get 60% twice a day.

As i said, its just my experience.

[mmorris]

So no filtration ?

Note I said on attachment day. A day without a filter isn't going to be a disaster. Just leave the sponge out of water.

[jaykne]

I took sponge filter out just before free swimming, and just ran air stone, once they went free swimming turned air down to almost nothing for at least a day till they all attached good. I never put filter back in as long as you are doing large water changes twice a day don't need it, IMO.

[grantbudd74]

Ok I have wrigglers! So I know they are good parents in that dept. She has pushed the male away so I am not sure what to do with this situation. I think she really wants babies!!!

[grantbudd74]

Ok so I have almost swimming fry. Mum was beating up on dad so I have pulled him out. I removed all sponge filters and put them into another tank with 2 other discus and poor old dad. I just did a 30% Wc and am leaving a light on for mum. I have a canister filetr running in there with sponges at both ends, both white.

Any more advice? She is happier on her own. Will they ever pair up again? Or is this the end of them in terms of future fry?

Thanks for your answers.....Also do you wipe everyday? I know an old question but is it really needed in a lagre galllon plus sized tank?

[mmorris]

Ok so I have almost swimming fry. Mum was beating up on dad so I have pulled him out. I removed all sponge filters and put them into another tank with 2 other discus and poor old dad. I just did a 30% Wc and am leaving a light on for mum. I have a canister filetr running in there with sponges at both ends, both white.

Any more advice? She is happier on her own. Will they ever pair up again? Or is this the end of them in terms of future fry?

Thanks for your answers.....Also do you wipe everyday? I know an old question but is it really needed in a lagre galllon plus sized tank?

It takes about 2 1/2 days to go from hatching to free-swimming so if they just hatched yesterday, you might have jumped the gun a bit on removing the filter. When they leave the cone you might want to lower the level of the water for ease in attachment. 36 gallons isn't all that huge. I recommend you wipe down daily. They should pair up again. Good luck! I'd love to see pics. :)

[grantbudd74]

Ok mum has moved all the fry to another PVC pipe that I attached to the base of the aquarium. There is filtration in the form of a canister filter that is running through sponges to reduce the flow and its working well. I will pull the water level right down later tonight. Yeah not free swimming yet its day 2 today of wrigglers.

I will be sure to take photos of mum. A wipe is with a scouring pad yes?

[kaceyo]

Personaly, I wouldn't use a canister on a breeding tank. Way too much current, even with sponges at ends, and they collect detritus that would be better removed from the system via wcs.

[mmorris]

I will be sure to take photos of mum. A wipe is with a scouring pad yes?

I use paper towels.

[jimg]

I leave sponge filters in. I cover them with white filter floss. I also leave hob filters running at low pace use a nylon bag filled with gravel or filter substrate and tie it to intake tube.

[grantbudd74]

so I took out the sponge filter and the tank went cold! No water movement from the canister filter. The outlet goes through a strainer and a sponge. So I have had to put an air stone in the tank to get water movement as the water went down 2-3 C! Lesson learned and the fry are still ok although I dont see them as mum has positioned them out of my line of sight!

I have pulled the water level down to half as attachment is coming tomorrow so fingers crossed. Anything else I should know?

I am reluctant to feed BBS live as they are a PITA to hatch and a mess although the fry love em. Do any of you use frozen BBS? I want to get them onto pellet form asap. As I can put this into timers while at work. I willl use a coffee grinder to produce a powder to feed them if I can get it to sink down to where the fry are....

Hmmm Painful memories of hatching BBS! Is there a link between bbs and flukes? Or saltwater and flukes? I lost my last load of fry to flukes :-( very sad as that pair have totally fallen out!

Thanks

Grant

[mmorris]

I am reluctant to feed BBS live as they are a PITA to hatch and a mess although the fry love em. Do any of you use frozen BBS?
Hmmm Painful memories of hatching BBS! Is there a link between bbs and flukes? Or saltwater and flukes? I lost my last load of fry to flukes :-( very sad as that pair have totally fallen out!

Thanks

Grant
No link between flukes, salt water and bbs. Hopefully you cleaned up this pair with pp or something prior to spawning. This link might prove useful. http://forum.simplydiscus.com/showthread.php?p=651698&highlight=frozen#post651698

[kaceyo]

BBS are really very easy to hatch and not messy at all if you have things set up right ahead of time. And IMO they are by far the best food to start your fry on.