Tropical Fish Discus Forum Questions Answered!

Archive for February, 2006

Size, Maturity and Breeding

Monday, February 27th, 2006

What size should a discus normally reach and when do the discus start breeding?

Reply:
1. Different strains have different maturity.
2. Red strains will mature early the other strains.
3. The will breed around one year old.
4. Size does not count.

Discus Breeding

Monday, February 27th, 2006

I have a pair of discus that are starting to breed. They have laid eggs for a couple of times but eat the eggs, for the female it’s the first time she hatches, the male has successfully bred in the past. Should i protect the eggs or leave it and let nature do her thing? ph is ok and hardness also.

Reply:
1. Cover the eggs with the wire mesh.
2. This is the way to protect the eggs.
3. If they fan and clean the eggs, this shows that they care for their eggs.
4. When eggs are hatched out, surely they will nurse them. This is their instinct.
5. You can leave the parents to take care their babies.

Fry, Stones and Bare Breeding Tanks

Monday, February 27th, 2006

I have found that the small stones at the bottom of the tank seem to be the problem, the babies are getting stuck in them. Better luck with the next set i guess. I will clear the stones from the bottom and start again, I imagine all these baby’s will die unfortunately..

Reply:
1. Yes. The problem may come from the stones.
2. When the larvae drop on the gravels, worms or other living creatures will bite them up.
3. Do you know, what do you have under the gravels?
4. The tank is big. The larvae are scattered all over the tank.
5. Some could be missing and some could be bitten up.
6. No matter how hard the parents work. They cannot manage to save all.
7. The breeding tank should be bare.

Packing and Shipping

Sunday, February 12th, 2006

How many hours can discus stay in a bag how much damage can be done if the temperature gets down to 65 degrees while being shipped and how many heat pads would you use if outside temperature got down to 40 degrees.

Reply:
1. How long the fish can stay in the oxygen bags depends on:
a. How much oxygen you put in.
b. How many fish in the bags.
c. What is temperature in and outside the bags?
d. The environment where the bags are.
e. Normally we pack our fish in 4.5 inch bag, with oxygen, fish and
water at 8 or 9 inch height it can easily last for one week at
temperature below 80.

2. Heat pads:
a. Temperature above 80 degrees: No heat pads
b. Temperature 60 ? 80 (1 pad)
c. 40 ? 60 (2pads)
d. It also considers the distance or how long the journey.

What to do after laying eggs?

Thursday, February 2nd, 2006

My 2 first ever discus have laid eggs but I’m not sure what to do…can i leave fry with their parents without having to fed any BBS? I was told they can find and eat things in the tank by themselves with no additional help is this correct?
i am too afraid to take them out of their natural environment as i may loose them.

Reply:
1. Congratulation!
2. Yes. You can leave them alone for the first 10 days.
3. The parents will look after their babies.
4. By nature they will get food from their parents.
5. Do not remove them.
6. When they are about 1/4 inch, feed them with brine shrimp or daphnia.
7. When 1/2 inch, feed them with worms. (Chopped)
8. When they can take worms, you can separate them.