First Discus Spawn?

[1eyedtuna]

I have been watching and both the male and female have there ovidepositors fully extended and have been cleaning a site while shimmying at each other for about two days now....

Right now as I type they appear to be doing "dry runs" when the female moves up the spawning site and the male follows as if laying eggs. However they have been doing this for at least a half an hour. Is this normal? How long will the dry runs continue??

[DerekFF]

Some of my snakes have been doing this off and on for at least 2 months now. Dunno what/when they are ready, it just kinda happens when it happens lol

[Altum Nut]

Thats great to hear.
This is normal and could go on for a hour or so. Usually laying happens in the evening with mine. Leave them be and don't change anything and you could see real run of eggs tomorrow evening or not. They will when the are ready.

Best of luck,
...Ralph

[1eyedtuna]

spawning commenced!

[William Palumbo]

Ahhh...Now the "fun" starts!...Bill

[Eddie]

Some of my snakes have been doing this off and on for at least 2 months now. Dunno what/when they are ready, it just kinda happens when it happens lol


LOL, some of my snakes did this for almost 2 years. :o

[1eyedtuna]

So it appears that they have laid approximately 150 eggs or so.
I use 100% tap water and the only parameters that I have been really watching have been temperature and pH.
Temperature=84
pH=about 7

I do a 90% water change every other day and on every other day of those I do a 25% water change.

They are in a 20 gallon high with a sponge filter. No gravel, only a piece of drift wood in a corner in which they spawned on.


Now for my questions:
So from what I hear the eggs will hatch in about 3 days. While they are still eggs and attached to the driftwood should I just do the 25% water change daily? Otherwise I would be lowering the water level below the level of the eggs...or should I lay the driftwood down on the bottom of the tank, as to allow me to do larger water changes? I am afraid that if I did that it would really disturb the parents and cause them to eat the eggs or abandon them....

What do you think?
Thanks for the advice!

[Altum Nut]

You can continue with your 25% W/C and don't move the driftwood.
Now this does not mean that eggs are fertile. Again like I said before...they are not confirmed a Breeding pair until eggs become wigglers.
Just sit back and wait and let nature take it's course.

Good Luck with them,
...Ralph

[William Palumbo]

Besides temp. don't worry about ph. It has nothing to do with fertility. It's the hardness(TDS, Microseimens) that matter...Bill

[1eyedtuna]

Yeah I am a little worried about the TDS....
Currently only 3 eggs have turned white from fungus the rest still appear to be ok.

How do you measure TDS? Is the only way to lower it by using RO water or can I do it by other means??

[Eddie]

Yeah I am a little worried about the TDS....
Currently only 3 eggs have turned white from fungus the rest still appear to be ok.

How do you measure TDS? Is the only way to lower it by using RO water or can I do it by other means??


Get a cheap TDS meter of ebay. 20 bucks and some even have an accurate thermometer to verify thermometers on your tanks. ;)

[1eyedtuna]

Ok ok so what if your TDS is above 100 or in between 200-300.
will some eggs still hatch or is it impossible?

[Altum Nut]

Ok ok so what if your TDS is above 100 or in between 200-300.
will some eggs still hatch or is it impossible?

Well...anything is possible. Many keep the TDS just below 100 to better improve the fertile rate. The higher the TDS 200-300 the less likely sperm will penetrate the eggs outer shell. So the longer it takes the male to make the run behind the female will determine if fertilization takes place.

...Ralph

[1eyedtuna]

Thanks for all the replys everyone!
You are all very helpful!

[1eyedtuna]

just a little update:
about 50 eggs turned white.
at 8 am this morning the rest of the eggs started to hatch and now there are a bunch of wrigglers. Mom and Dad seem to be good parents fanning the eggs and watching over them. The male is finally starting to pick off the dead eggs and clean the area a bit.
Now hopefully I can get them to the free swimming stage!

[1eyedtuna]

Ok so I have a question:
There are about 50 white eggs growing fungus and all around and in them are the wrigglers...is this ok for the fry? or should I some how get the dead ones off the spawning site??
Thanks for the help!

[Eddie]

Ok so I have a question:
There are about 50 white eggs growing fungus and all around and in them are the wrigglers...is this ok for the fry? or should I some how get the dead ones off the spawning site??
Thanks for the help!

Should be alright, the fry will move or the parents will move them.

[deepflyball]

They will start free swimming 2.5 days after the hatck. Good luck Jerry

[1eyedtuna]

Ok so about 30 fry have made it to the free swimming stage and now I was wondering if I should start providing food for them or just let them eat the slime off the parents? or both?