Discus eggs... Now what??

[MichelleRenee68]

I am soooo excited!! My Discus just had eggs but I am clueless as to what to expect or what if anything special I might need to do. Anyone out there have any pointers?

Thanks,
Michelle

[LordBarron7692]

If this is their first time then expect them to eat the eggs also if breed is the ultimate goal your gonna want to put momma and daddy in a tank by themselves

[troy tucker]

Congrats on your new spawn. Do you soften their water?

[freespool]

They will eat the eggs. If you want them to make it, you have to use soft water. My discus use to to lay eggs ever week or so for years.

[MichelleRenee68]

My Discus are doing wonderful but as Freespool stated, they keep eating the eggs. About every 10-14 days they lay eggs and about 2 days later they are all gone.

I am in the works of finding homes for the livestock in my 150gal and once I do, I want to set it up for my Discus. I am hoping that giving them a larger home with more hiding spaces will in turn allow the eggs to mature and hatch.

[New_Cichlid11]

I might be wrong but like Lordbarron said the pair have to be alone in their tank for the eggs to make it

[MichelleRenee68]

Has anyone tried the Breeding cones with the mesh covers? I have been looking at them online and reading about them but wandered if any one here had tried them and if so, did you have any luck?

Thanks

[troy tucker]

Michelle take a look at TORQ64 fish room. in the video he has cones in his breeder tanks. Its about 2min. in. Is that the breeder cones your asking about?
Warlock and TORQ64 know a lot about discus. they are the guys to ask...

[troy tucker]

PS. the red stripe Geo is doing fine so far.

[R_sustaita]

The discus pair needs to be by them selfs, or they will always eat th eggs. It is a self defense mechanism, when you place them ikn a tank. Make sure you place 3 spawming spots a cone a plant slate. They tend to move the eggs as they mature.

[MichelleRenee68]

Thanks for the info :)

[doctorcichla]

It's a good sign that your fish are spawning; you must be doing things pretty well for them so far. Discus parents will eat their eggs for a variety of reasons, most often because they are inexperienced, because they are stressed by other fishes or passersby, or the eggs are infertile or developing poorly. As was mentioned most people move their breeders into a separate tank, or section of the tank using a divider, to eliminate the second issue, and use a mixture of RO or rain water with their tap to ease the third. As for inexperience, this is just something that takes time, although some parents just never get it 'right' together, but when placed with another fish become model parents. I don't think a cage over the spawning site will help until you know for sure that the problem is just inexperience. Usually folks do this for fish who persistently eat their eggs but will accept the wrigglers or free-swimmers.

You could always try removing the eggs and raising the fry artificially, but in my experience it is very labor intensive and too much of a PITA if you can be patient and figure out the right conditions for the parents to do it for you.

Stu

[MichelleRenee68]

Thank you for all the information. I think perhaps when I get the Discus moved over to the 150g it will give them much more room and perhaps make them feel more comfortable having more space and then MAYBE they will stop eating the eggs.

[Warlock]

New discus parents can eat their eggs..

BUT.. they figure it out in time.. leave them alone if you don't know what to do.. they will have more..

if water is soft enough.. it is best to put them in their own tank.. 20-29g.. IF you want to try raising fry.. if not.. leave them and let nature take course..

if you see eggs.. they should hatch and become wigglers in about 48 hours.. if they turn white.. they are dead.. fungus is a problem with the eggs.. meth. blue helps.. but not good for community tank..

good luck!

[MichelleRenee68]

Thank you Warlock