Discus eggs not hatching?

[seshat]

My discus are about 1&1/2 years old and have started to lay eggs, the only problem is the eggs never hatch. They lay the eggs and by the next morning some have turned white, then I guess the bad eggs create this cotton looking substance that takes over the rest of the eggs. I have read online about discus culling there eggs, mine don't. They are excellent at guarding, none of the eggs have ever been eaten, but they never hatch either. What can I do?

Also, on the last batch of eggs the pair got "frustrated" with one another and started fighting. One discus has a small tear on his fin and it has gotten infected. I began treating it last night right when I got the medication for it(mardel). Now they have laid more eggs. Will the medication kill off the eggs?

Thanks in advance :)

[Skip]

are you using SOFT water?

[flexo248]

another questions is the water current in your tank....... while they are laying eggs the water flow should be min. so the water will not "wash" the sperm away.

[MostlyDiscus]

Agreed on both. Hatch rate is important for sure. Try meth blue and cover the eggs to make sure you have male and female doing the tango. The key is to treat the water right after the happy couple has finished their dance....

Ed

[vicdiscus]

If you put med into your breeding tank. The eggs will NOT hatch.

Because of the med makes water harder and higher level for TDS and conductivity measures to read.

My suggest you should to do is big water change and put carbon on it..

You should do water test for KH/ GH . PH etc

Hope the help.

Duncan

[DerekFF]

If you put med into your breeding tank. The eggs will NOT hatch.

Because of the med makes water harder and higher level for TDS and conductivity measures to read.

My suggest you should to do is big water change and put carbon on it..

You should do water test for KH/ GH . PH etc

Hope the help.

Duncan

Yes they will, no it doesnt, and why would you put carbon in it if you just did a big water change? +1 on the cone guard. You might have 2 chicks

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[vicdiscus]

LOL I have been discus breeder for over 15 years....

The carbon can remove the medication.

So , Did you see the male run on the eggs?

If medication into the tank, The medication could kill the eggs. What I had done with my breeding tank.

Do you have a TDS , a conductivity or api gh/kh test kits?

You can find out about what is wrong with your water then you will know.

[Larry Bugg]

LOL I have been discus breeder for over 15 years....

The carbon can remove the medication.

So , Did you see the male run on the eggs?

If medication into the tank, The medication could kill the eggs. What I had done with my breeding tank.

Do you have a TDS , a conductivity or api gh/kh test kits?

You can find out about what is wrong with your water then you will know.

Are you referring to the Meth Blue suggestion? This is a very common practice to keep the fungus away.

[MostlyDiscus]

Yes they will, no it doesnt, and why would you put carbon in it if you just did a big water change? +1 on the cone guard. You might have 2 chicks

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+1

[DerekFF]

LOL I have been discus breeder for over 15 years....

The carbon can remove the medication.

So , Did you see the male run on the eggs?

If medication into the tank, The medication could kill the eggs. What I had done with my breeding tank.

Do you have a TDS , a conductivity or api gh/kh test kits?

You can find out about what is wrong with your water then you will know.

The fact that you have been breeding discus for 15 years means nothing to me other than you're old. To say that a medication will raise the tds of the water is asinine. Maybe it does in the smallest amount but to such a small effect that it would never make a difference. I know carbon removes medication, but if you just changed all the water why use carbon? I cant speak for all medications but meth blue at the levels recommended have no negative effects on the eggs. At any rate a tds meter, or a gh/kh test kit may be of value here as suggested.

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[Second Hand Pat]

You could also have an infertile male assuming you have a pair.

[seshat]

I love how responsive SimplyDiscus is! LOl

OKay, here's what I got out of all that.
Meth blue - I have some for scientific use. Is that the same? Or not fish safe?

Ph - It's 7, should it be different for the eggs?

gh/hk - Don't have a tester for that, is it necessary to test for it? In other words, what is it?

Water softness - I didn't even think that the eggs would be sensitive to that! Good point.

They won't begin to lay the eggs if I am around, and if I walk in it interrupts there process and they start darting around and abandon the whole process. So. I don't know which one is the male or if he is doing his part. I am worried though, that other members of the family will walk in and disrupt it thus killing off the entire batch of eggs accidentally :/

Also, what should I do about the one with the damaged fin. Do I let it go until after these eggs either turn white or hatch? Or is there some type of egg safe med I could use? I don't want his fins to be damaged beyond repair.

[Keith Perkins]

Some time back I bought a large bottle of MB from a member here who's a vet and when I received it it stated it was for scientific use etc., complete with instruction how to apply it to specimens on slides and use it with your microscope. Not positive, but based on that I'd say it's all the same stuff.

Ph doesn't matter all that much, as long as it's stable.

I pretty much keep track of just temps and TDS.

You could try covering a good portion of your tank with sheets of paper or something so your fish can't see so much activity and aren't interrupted, but of course if they're both females that still isn't going to help your situation. I don't know with your room layout if this is possible, but I have in the past watched my fish spawn with lower power binoculars so I wouldn't interrupt them.

You've said your fish guard the eggs well and don't eat them, so caging them isn't going to give you any benefit. I'm afraid a couple respondents didn't read your OP very well.

With frequent WCs your fishes fin damage will likely take care of itself without treatment. At this point I'd watch it carefully and start a new thread if it starts to get worse.

[Larry Bugg]

I love how responsive SimplyDiscus is! LOl

OKay, here's what I got out of all that.
Meth blue - I have some for scientific use. Is that the same? Or not fish safe?

Ph - It's 7, should it be different for the eggs?

gh/hk - Don't have a tester for that, is it necessary to test for it? In other words, what is it?

Water softness - I didn't even think that the eggs would be sensitive to that! Good point.

They won't begin to lay the eggs if I am around, and if I walk in it interrupts there process and they start darting around and abandon the whole process. So. I don't know which one is the male or if he is doing his part. I am worried though, that other members of the family will walk in and disrupt it thus killing off the entire batch of eggs accidentally :/

Also, what should I do about the one with the damaged fin. Do I let it go until after these eggs either turn white or hatch? Or is there some type of egg safe med I could use? I don't want his fins to be damaged beyond repair.

I believe Mardel is the manufacturer. Is the medication you are using Maracyn Plus? Someone else can probably give an answer as to how this affects the eggs.

We use the Meth Blue to keep the eggs from getting fungus.

You say you don't know which is the male...............others have alluded to this but this would lead me to say you don't really know you have a male at all. It is not uncommon at all for two females to appear to be going through the breeding process together. It isn't until you see fretilized eggs and wigglers that you really know for sure.

Are you Discus normally skiddish? I have never had a pair that would stop laying eggs just because I was around. Heck, I will quite often take pictures during the process. If I do startle them it doesn't last long and they are right back at it.

[Chad Adams]

If you put med into your breeding tank. The eggs will NOT hatch.
Duncan

This is too broad of a statement & as stated is "false". No matter how long you've been breeding discus, it just means this statement has been
false for the past 15 years.

To OP:

What temp do you keep your breeding tank at?

Chad

[nabilbb]

What temp do you keep your breeding tank at?

Chad

I have the same problem with my discus, does the tempreture affects?

[DerekFF]

Some time back I bought a large bottle of MB from a member here who's a vet and when I received it it stated it was for scientific use etc., complete with instruction how to apply it to specimens on slides and use it with your microscope. Not positive, but based on that I'd say it's all the same stuff.

Ph doesn't matter all that much, as long as it's stable.

I pretty much keep track of just temps and TDS.

You could try covering a good portion of your tank with sheets of paper or something so your fish can't see so much activity and aren't interrupted, but of course if they're both females that still isn't going to help your situation. I don't know with your room layout if this is possible, but I have in the past watched my fish spawn with lower power binoculars so I wouldn't interrupt them.

You've said your fish guard the eggs well and don't eat them, so caging them isn't going to give you any benefit. I'm afraid a couple respondents didn't read your OP very well.

With frequent WCs your fishes fin damage will likely take care of itself without treatment. At this point I'd watch it carefully and start a new thread if it starts to get worse.

Keith you assume that the OP is leaving the eggs there for 48-96 hours, and that he cleans the cone for the parents after that time frame? Or do the parents eventually eat them? I used to have a pair that would get all lovey dovey and spawn and then right afterwards it was smack down time and momma would rampage on the dad. So i would let them do their thing and then back into the community tank for dad!

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[seshat]

The temperature is a constant 84. Is that right for eggs? I just kept it the same as I normally do.

As for the meth blue, I"m kind of scared to use the scientific version so I'm going to order some form Amazon. :)

Is there any way I can tell if I have a male other than waiting for hatching eggs? Would he have a different shape or something?

I don't know how you guys catch your discus breeding, mine have been doing it in the middle of the night ever sense I scared them to death by walking past as they were doing there thing. I just wake up and there are some eggs waiting on me....

[Chad Adams]

I like 82 degrees at the highest.

Chad

[seshat]

Thanks, I'll try lowering it a little and hope the next batch hatches :)