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I walked in last night and saw these little bubbles on the side of my underground filter. I looked a little closer and saw that they were eggs. Both discus were guarding them. I have 2 Golden Melons that are only about 3 1/2 inches. Most of the eggs have fungus on them. What should I do next time to help them be successful parents. <br>Thanks,

I'm sure no discus expert, but it may be that the male discus is not yet mature enough and is unable to properly fertilize the eggs. However, I'm sure one of the more experienced in this area has some other ideas and will be of much more help.

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Water, taken in moderation, cannot hurt anybody. -- Mark Twain

I would leave the parents to raise them, expecially the first few times. They might not make it & the eggs will be eaten, but eventually they'll get it right. Are there any other fish in the tank?.

It's better to write in the Discus section, as you'll recieve more expert reply's.


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mustang - female discus begin to ovulate at about 8 to 9 months - but male discus do not produce motile sperm until after 1 year of age - your male may be a bit young - invest in a breeding cone if you are serious about breeding discus - try www.aquabid.com go to discus - you can find them there or maybe your local fish store (LFS) - good luck - have fun

Yes, Discus breeding cones are very good & i recommend them alot.


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Member of the Malta Aquarist Society - 1970.
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I think I'm going to take out the undergravel filter and just leave the tank bare bottomed. Right now there are 3 neons in there, I started with 12 and 2 clown plecos. Do I need to get rid of the plecos. I'm putting the neons in a different tank.

Mustang,

Congratulations on your spawn!

If you would like to encourage the pair, then I would set-up a 20 gallon as a breeder tank. You can use PVC pipe as your spawning cone. Clean the pipe well and use a larger diameter pipe at a slight angle. An alternative to the pipe is a simple clay pot. The tank should be bare bottom with a sponge filter driven by an air pump. The sponge filter creates less disturbance for fry.

Eggs will fungus if they are not fertilized, if the parents are not meticulous in cleaning the eggs, if the pH is too high and on and on. The pair will learn to maintain the eggs and eventually the fry through several spawns. You can help them by maintaining great water quality.

Think water changes and RO water. One breeder that I know, has rigged his RO water to discharge into a container of peat that then is bled into a 50 gallon rubbermaid container. This water mix is then used for 50% daily water changes until the fish spawn. After spawning, the tank water is shifted to higher pH and hardness to facilitate the fry's growth.

If you have continuous problems with eggs fungusing, you can treat the spawn with methylene blue.



Last edited by bob wesolowski at 09-May-2005 21:55

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