Need help with breeding Discus again

[WaveSurfer]

Originally Posted by MonsterFish

OIC.

shall wait and see then.
maybe should try to raise some BBS soon... just to assist the parents on feeding after they are free swimming for 3 days...

Now also to hope when wrigglers become free swimming, they can attach to their parents and feed on their slime.

Thanks for the advices.

Frankly I've not cultivated BBS before, so not sure how to do it. May I know if this is still essential in a planted tank, since the fry may be able to consume those microscopic organism in the water?

I tried to cover the filter inlet with some sponge earlier but kept getting 'attacked' by the parents, thinking I'm some 'fry stealer' or something.

[itchy]

Perhaps you will like go remove the partition that separate the parents n the fries. Parent discus does suck the fire in their mouth to move them. Or eat the dead fries. Is very challenging to keep fries without parents slime for 1st week.

As for bbs, that can come later when the fries are older. The planted tank organism will not be able to support the food for fries alone.

[Ozone]

Originally Posted by itchy

Perhaps you will like go remove the partition that separate the parents n the fries. Parent discus does suck the fire in their mouth to move them. Or eat the dead fries. Is very challenging to keep fries without parents slime for 1st week.

As for bbs, that can come later when the fries are older. The planted tank organism will not be able to support the food for fries alone.

Didnt know that discus could move fire!!!

Originally Posted by WaveSurfer

Some updates: (by the way, the fry are indeed mollies')

The discus pair had their 3rd spawn on another part of the driftwood (hidden from front view) and while I was wondering whether they had already laid their eggs etc ('cos can't see clearly due to the angle), I noticed some wrigglers floating around with the parents quickly sucking them in with their mouths.



Fortunately I had bought two pieces of acrylic separators from a LFS and so I quickly placed them in to separate all the fishes, so that the wrigglers won't be eaten up again by them.



Hopefully the fry will grow up better now, especially in a planted tank where food for fry is in abundance(?).

Can bros here advise what do I need to take note and do next? Thanks!

This time it definately looks like discus fries.

[hifi88]

you be will having tough time changing the tank water when fry free swimming

[WaveSurfer]

Originally Posted by itchy

Perhaps you will like go remove the partition that separate the parents n the fries. Parent discus does suck the fire in their mouth to move them. Or eat the dead fries. Is very challenging to keep fries without parents slime for 1st week.

As for bbs, that can come later when the fries are older. The planted tank organism will not be able to support the food for fries alone.

Thanks for the advices about the BBS and food supply.

Yes, the fry are with the parents.

Originally Posted by Ozone

This time it definately looks like discus fries.

Indeed, they are very different from those molly fry.

Originally Posted by hifi88

you be will having tough time changing the tank water when fry free swimming

Hmm why is that so? While siphoning may suck up the fry too?

But indeed it could be troublesome when they are free swimming, when they start swimming through the small holes in the separators and could get eaten up by the fishes on the other side, especially the dwarf chain loaches...

Anymore when I checked again yesterday morning, all the fry had disappeared... I have tried to cover the filter inlet so less likely they were sucked in. Could the parents have eaten them up? If so, why?

[Ozone]

The fries may be eaten up by the parents as you have already disturbed them by putting in the divider

[nitingdedao]

If you are serious about breeding maybe this is a good time to prepare your tank for the next spawn.

[WaveSurfer]

Originally Posted by Ozone

The fries may be eaten up by the parents as you have already disturbed them by putting in the divider

I see... So when should I start putting in the divider then? Why would the parents eat up the fry when disturbed?

Originally Posted by nitingdedao

If you are serious about breeding maybe this is a good time to prepare your tank for the next spawn.

I'm mainly just trying to gain some experience on breeding so perhaps not really 'serious' in that sense yet.

May I know what do you mean by preparing the tank? As in the planted tank or set up a separate tank especially for breeding?

[nitingdedao]

Originally Posted by WaveSurfer

I see... So when should I start putting in the divider then? Why would the parents eat up the fry when disturbed?


I'm mainly just trying to gain some experience on breeding so perhaps not really 'serious' in that sense yet.

May I know what do you mean by preparing the tank? As in the planted tank or set up a separate tank especially for breeding?

Remove all live stock in that tank other than the pair. or simply by moving the pair into another tank on its own.

[WaveSurfer]

Originally Posted by nitingdedao

Remove all live stock in that tank other than the pair. or simply by moving the pair into another tank on its own.

Okay I understand now.

Yes, I agree it's indeed the best solutions for the best breeding experience too.

Guess besides the space/tank limitations, I'm also using this opportunity to see what is the survival rate of the discus fry in a planted tank environment. Now they are on their 4th spawn with around 30+ wrigglers. Should be free swimming soon and hopefully they will attach to their parents this time round.

Pre-filter sponge and divider already placed and untouched since several days ago so hopefully the parents do not feel threatened again this time.