Discus

These fishes were imported from Malaysia in March 2012 as 4-5cm juveniles. I raised them to a fair adult size and now using them for breeding. This is the 2nd season they will be breeding and Im hoping we all have gained more experience. Their first offspring are around the 9 month mark now and are colouring up nicely.

 

Parents watching over the wrigglers

 

Well they are awesome. Someone once said on this forum that the asian fish are alomost impossible to breed because of the way they breed them over there, and all the hormones they feed etc etc, guess you proved them wrong.

 

Hi Johan

Thanks for the compliment. Just to put things into perspective though, it certainly hasn't been easy to breed these fish. Granted its my first attempt at things, but it hasn't been smooth sailing. Ive had my frustrations with eggs not being fertilised, or eggs been eaten, and even fry being eaten. Ive also had free swimming fry latch on, only to be eaten a few days later by the parents. So it hasn't all been a bed of roses and I do also believe the mass production of discus in the east certainly has taken something out of the fishes ability now as parents.

However, I have had 2 very successful spawns ( if calling raising 20 discus off each spawn successful ) and the adults I have are all still very young and so im hoping that as time goes on, we all become more successful at this. I have my own theories about how I would like to go forward with these fishes now.

Andrew

 

they all looking really really good Andrew. Well done!...

 

Andrew, if this pair is new and you are being worried about fries being eaten, try to get female out. Usually, because the female immediately becomes ready for next spawn and will try to eat the fries to clear the area and in-turn the guarding burden. Just few cents.

 

Thanks for your input adesh, but for now I will leave things as is and let the new male learn the ropes. The female has raised young last year and this male seems to be doing well. He and the female are taking turns fanning and watching over the wrigglers so now I will just wait and see what happens when the fry go free swimming ( should be tomorrow ).

Andrew

 

here are the wrigglers roughly 30 hours after hatching

 

UPDATE:

Fry went free swimming yesterday morning as anticipated and both parents are nice and dark and the fry have latched on well. Text book parents at the moment.....both parents are hovering next to each other and the female has just shaken the fry off her and onto the dad.

Really missed this site!!

 

Both parents taking turns feeding the fry

 

What a beutifull site.

 

Awesome....phish of the month pic?

 

That is such and epic pick of how caring fish can be. Some (most) people see fish as these emotionless things in a tank, but I think that this pick of the discus with fry, just shows that the parents have feelings. Even if that feelings are just to spread the genes...

 

What a site to have, I'm happy for you andrew. enjoy it, these are very special moments to learn how discus do parenting although it does not apply for each pair.

 

very true, most males even try to attack anything that goes close to the glass, never mind trying to clean the tank, they just go insane ramming the syphon. When they dont have fry they return to passive mode and become "pettable" againnice pics Andrew

 

Free-swimming day 3 with dad

 

So Awesome Andrew.
Could you please let me know via pm if you have some for sale?

 

pm sent

 

Magnificent fish!