Am I An Expectant Parent?

125 Gallon fully planted aquarium with 10 Discus, 15 Cardinals and 2 Siamese Algae Eaters

So these 2 Discus pictured below. Neither leave each other's side nor the general area this picture was taken. Furthermore they keep shaking at each other (what I thought was called flashing but in Discus that apparently means something else). The larger and brighter colored of the two aggressively chases any other Discus that swim by. I've had them for over a year and I've never noticed any of my Discus being all that aggressive towards each other, at least not at this level. Lastly they seem to be pecking the same large Anubias leaf as if there was food on it.

I'm pretty sure I know what these behaviors all mean, but breeding would be new for me as far as Discus go (I've had Angelfish breed before). So, am I correct? Have these two paired and are they preparing to mate?

Also, what should I do. I have 2 other tanks but neither would suit Discus. One is a 10 gallon quarantine and the other is a 55 gallon that is stocked with fish and the water parameters would not suit Discus besides. Do I just let them breed in the tank and hope for the best (not that I particularly want to breed them anyway)?

Thanks in advance for any help I receive.




*If needed*
Water Parameters: 83°F, Ammonia: 0, Nitrites: 0, Nitrates: 2.50 max, pH: 6.5, GH & KH: 2

 

Sounds like classic cichlid mating ritual. Discus are great parents and are fascinating to watch. The babies feed off of the parent's slime coat. I have not kept them but have known several people that have. I hope to one day to be able fo afford them.

 

+1
They'll take care of the babies
The trickiest part with raising discus babies is most breeders recommend 50% water changes daily. If you want to keep the babies, you could try that, but if you're not ready you could just do your normal schedule and a good amount should still survive.

 

Yep, they have paired up and my guess keep an eye on that Anubie, probably where she will throw the eggs,
Doubtful they will survive in a community tank, but since your not looking to breed I wouldn't worry about it. they will chase off everyone for a day or so then probably eggs the eggs themselves to protect them.

 

+1
They'll take care of the babies
The trickiest part with raising discus babies is most breeders recommend 50% water changes daily. If you want to keep the babies, you could try that, but if you're not ready you could just do your normal schedule and a good amount should still survive.

I do 50% every 2-3 days anyway. I'm thinking if they actually do start to attempt breeding I may invest in a 20 gallon bare bottom to move them to next time.

 

Yup, we were all correct. They were in fact in a mating ritual. I'm assuming the eggs will be eaten by tomorrow. I will be better prepared next time. See for yourself:

 

But... What if they hatch. I've had fish breed before but it was in a overstocked African Cichlid tank so the fry didn't last long. Maybe a couple would survive and become part of the tank.

This is an entirely different scenario. I'm trying not to get ahead of myself here but what if this actually "goes well," what the **** do I do with that many baby Discus?

 

Sell them, maybe keep a few of the best? Or set up an even larger discus tank....

 

The parents will most likely eat them.
If the fry are born, it’s easy food for the other fish so the parents will eat the eggs so they can have all of the nutrition instead of the other fish.

 

The eggs are all still there and tomorrow afternoon will be 48 hours since I saw them for the first time.

 

Most eggs hatch within 72 hours.

My Discus ate their eggs about 12 hours before they were due when I was sleeping.

 

Eggs still there. What I assume is the female continues to fan the eggs and eat any white eggs. What I assume is the male is chasing everyone else to the other side of the tank. My white Discus is the only one that fights back. He/She was also "shivering" at the breeding fish before the eggs showed up. Safe to assume that's a he and was also interested in mating with the female Turq but I don't know.

 

so, if you've never seen Discus eggs hatch before, your next visual (anytime now) should be what we call wrigglers, it is like a very, very tiny tail sticking out of the egg. at first they are hard to see, you need to focus in on the eggs and look for this tail.
without moving them out of the community it is extremely hard for the parents to raise them. the success rate in a community tank is very low. but hey, good luck, one never knows.

 

75g DT called it. With less than 12 hours to go... No eggs and no fry. I figured this would be the case. I have bought all the supplies I need and Petco is having their $1 per gallon sale so I'll be buying a 29 gallon tank tomorrow. So in about a month or so I'll move this pair to their own breeding tank.

 

That's a bummer. Hope it goes better next time!

 

How big are they?

If they are juveniles, the may not form a breeding pair.

 

The larger of the two is 7" and the smaller is about 6.5". Not juvies. They are still guarding that area together even though the eggs are gone.

 

The larger of the two is 7" and the smaller is about 6.5".

Kinda off topic, but did you grow the discus from a small size or did you buy them large?

 

I bought them as juveniles a couple months apart from different sources. Why?

The good news is that I was able to do my normal water change that I was putting on hold because of how high up the eggs were. Did a small one while they were present, but was able to do my 50% today.

Bought a ceramic breeding cone, sponge filters, heater, etc. Now just need the tank and paint to paint the outside surface on the back, bottom and both sides.

 

I bought them as juveniles a couple months apart from different sources. Why?

Just curious. They are pretty big!

Also, 5ey may be a pair because of their larger size.
It will take them a couple of spawns to know what to do.
In about 3-4 spawns, the parents will kinda know how to raise the fry.

A 29 is a bit small for breeding, but it will work.
Have you considered painting the sides white?
It will help the babies find their parents.

Most of what I know about discus breeding is from The King Of DIY on YouTube.

 

I've read differing opinions on the size of breeder tank you want. The largest consensus I've found is that 20 is too small and 40 is too big because it makes it more difficult for the fry to find their parents.

I was going to paint a bright blue, as again my research has led me to believe that is the best option.

I've spent the better part of 3 days researching, but can you send me a link to that YouTube channel you mentioned please?

 

DISCUS 101 - YouTube

That’s his discus playlist.

I think that there are 2 breeding vids in there and a lot of advice for discus keeping.

 

DISCUS 101 - YouTube

That’s his discus playlist.

I think that there are 2 breeding vids in there and a lot of advice for discus keeping.

Awesome! Thank you for your help! I'll probably start a new discussion to document the setup and success/failure of my attempt at breeding.

 

Just curious. They are pretty big!

Yeah, they are the very first discus I purchased when I decided to start keeping Discus.