Discus Pairing

[FishGuru]

Hi, I have a group of 4 PB discus, they range from about 3.5 to 5 inches, i've noticed that some of the discus "shake" and rapidly move their fins, also, 2 of my discus bump into eachother alot, could these be signs of pairing? When will I know when 2 discus have become a true pair? Thanks for all of your help!

[crazy4discus]

could be who knows

[oodi]

Hi FishGuru,

Another thing to watch for is if the fish are "pecking" a spot to clean it, in preparation for laying eggs. A pair may also become very protective of this spot, even before spawning.

Judi

[Bill_P.]

Its hard to tell sometimes when discus pair up.


I normally don't pay attention to fin shaking and discus actions as far as bumping and swimming around each other. What I do look for is......


Discus cleaning a breeding surface. The discus start pecking at a certian spot frequently on a breeding surface, Filter tube, side of the glass, etc.

The next thing I look for are practice runs. This is when the discus run across the cleaned surface acting like they are laying and fertilizing but are not actually doing it.

Usually when you see these signs. You could possibly see agression to other tankmates. You may also see the Discus Dance that people often refer to. You can pick out the probable pair with your eyes out of the rest of the discus in the tank with ease.

All in all though they will let you know. After eggs have been laid you will be able to see the pair real easy and be able to sex them with a good amount of certainty.

Bill P.