Breeding Discus Fish: June 2011

Friday, June 17, 2011

Bagaimana membiak ikan discus

Set up a tank at least 10 gallons or larger in size. This will provide enough room for four discus fish. A highly social species, the discus will be unhappy with fewer than four. Keep two males and two females in the tank for the best chance of breeding.

Keep the water clean at all times. Discus fish will be much more likely to breed if the water is clean every day. Change 5 percent to 10 percent of the water each day to keep it clean. If it still isn't clean, you are likely feeding the fish too often. Keeping the water clean will prevent stress and keep the fish happy enough to settle on a breeding partner.

Watch for behavior changes in the fish. Once a breeding pair has been established, the pair will begin cleaning an area in which to lay eggs. Once this happens, remove the breeding pair from the tank and place them in a breeding tank. The set up should be much the same as the larger tank, but the tank can be smaller.

Wait for the pair to lay eggs and fertilize them. The pair will guard a small area of the tank. Take a look at that area to see the eggs. If the pair is healthy, the male will soon fertilize the eggs. Once this happens, allow the breeding pair to stay with the eggs. The parents will feed the babies from their own bodies in the form of a slime coat.

Let the babies stay with the parents until the breeding pair seems to be waiting to breed again. If you see the pair cleaning a new space for eggs, the babies are likely large enough to go back into the larger tank with the rest of the fish.

Install a thermometer on the side of the fish tank or have one floating free to keep an eye on the temperature. It should be about 80 degrees in the tank. A fluorescent tank light is usually enough to keep the water at this temperature.

Watch for behavior changes in the fish. Once a breeding pair has been established, the pair will begin cleaning an area in which to lay eggs. Once this happens, remove the breeding pair from the tank and place them in a breeding tank. The set up should be much the same as the larger tank, but the tank can be smaller.

Wait for the pair to lay eggs and fertilize them. The pair will guard a small area of the tank. Take a look at that area to see the eggs. If the pair is healthy, the male will soon fertilize the eggs. Once this happens, allow the breeding pair to stay with the eggs. The parents will feed the babies from their own bodies in the form of a slime coat.

Let the babies stay with the parents until the breeding pair seems to be waiting to breed again. If you see the pair cleaning a new space for eggs, the babies are likely large enough to go back into the larger tank with the rest of the fish.

Tangki yang sesuai untuk ikan discus

Some basic guidelines to setup your own Discus fish tank.

A suitable size for the discus tank should be 30″ x 24″ x 20″ (length x width x height)
Water level should be at least 18 inches from the bottom of the tank
If you are planing on using a Bio filter, it is recommended to fix it from the outside of the tank.
Covering at least 3 sides of the tank with black or dark color paper will get you better results.
Tank is best kept simple with no substrate and just a few broad leafed plants or slate as a spawning site.
Maintain excellent water quality and a temperature of about 84-88f.

Akurium yang sesuai untuk ikan discus

In the present rapidly changing modern world you find that more and more people are changing their lifestyle in almost all countries. Among the many changes taking place, a very notable change is that more and more homes are displaying show tanks (domestic aquariums) showcasing some of the world’s most beautiful ornamental fishes of the world, mooted by the interest shown by the self proclaimed aquarists in the family.

The Oscar and the Angel fish are some of the beautiful actors of this fish show in the home discus fish aquarium. But the discus fish is the most beautiful of all the fishes with its loudly proclaimed bright hues and intriguing stripes in various colors and designs. The Discus now graces the aquariums the world over.

When you are showcasing such beautiful fish it is also important to know how to care for these aquatics in order to maintain their beauty and rich colors, to grace the home discus fish aquariums.

Wild discus fish are habituated to living in clean waters and dark surroundings with a lot of freedom. By nature they are timid, but friendly. So when setting up the home aquarium, it has to be set in a comfortable and spacious area of the home. You should see that too much light does not come during daytime and an ambient light setting during the night would be ideal. The tank should be a fairly large one, so that the discus fish will have its own area of freedom along with other fish that you might put in along with the discus fish. The water should always should be maintained at the right temperature (discus fish usually require a slightly warm temperature) of 31º celsius with the oxygen levels steady.

The food is also important. It is normal for live food like worms and other insects to be given for the fish. But the live worm foods coming form far off polluted waters are usually infected with parasites and therefore easily infect the discus fish. The discus fish, at the slightest hint of aggression from other fish tends to lose its immunity strength. It is equally important install a nitrification method, because a certain level of bacteria has to be maintained in the tank to preserve control of the ammonia and nitrite accumulated the fish in the tank. The bacteria consume all the fish waste.

To have a nice beautiful home aquarium you will have to add smaller fish with which the discus fish are more comfortable than with bigger fish.

Another beautiful nature of the discus fish is that they tend to become behave like pets. It has been noted that once they get used to identifying you, just like other pets, they greet you when you come back after an outing or shopping, by moving close to the glass wall of the aquarium and follow your movements.
All the above methods combined with the right food and environment will help the discus fish to grow healthily with the colors brightening day to day. For more details you can access the different sites available on the Internet.

Have a great home discus fish aquarium with the most beautiful discus fish.

Penyakit penyakit ikan discus

All ornamental showcase fish are prone to disease and tackling them is a delicate and difficult affair. Specially, since the discus fish are from the South American tropical soft waters of the Amazon with very little water plants where the environment is maintained by the tropical rains, and thrive by living in the forest areas where the vegetation is dense with plants and other vegetation carried by the flood waters, they are found to be very delicate and are easily afflicted with disease even if there is a slight change in the climatic conditions. It could be said that some of the diseases encountered by the discus fish are treatable while some need not be treated. The fish recover in the natural course. Some of the diseases or conditions that afflict the discus fish are discussed below.

The discus fish needs to be housed in very large tanks with very clean water and ample space for them and their co-inhabitants to move around freely. The temperature should be maintained as per the requirement. If there is any change in these conditions the fish become unhappy which is immediately revealed by their bright colors becoming dark or even black. They then will refuse feed and their breathing becomes faster. They also start to pass rope-like white colored fecal matter, and worms are seen to come out of anus. This condition is cured simply by replacing the water with good cleaner water and improving the conditions.

Discus fish are very affected by stress. Some Aquarians tend to have the Plecostomus and other algae eating varieties of fish in the tanks along with the discus fish. These tend to attack the discus fish and damage their outer skin by sucking on them. This causes great stress for the discus fish. The treatment is to remove the attacking variety of fish from the tank.

A few discus fish diseases are caused by worms. All types of worm food are imported from different water sources or waterways. Since these sources are always polluted the worm foods are infected and carry parasites which in turn affect the discus fish.

The infection causes ‘hole in the head’ disease which is treated with drugs. The problem is giving the drugs to the discus fish. They have to be mixed with frozen food and then administered. For de-worming of the discus also, the same method can be followed. Metronidazole a drug easily available is used for treating the above conditions.

There are a number of other abnormal conditions or diseases like Gill flukes, not eating food (Off-food), Pop eye, erratic swimming (Swim bladder problems), Split fins, Clamped fins, and Sluggish fins, that can afflict the discus fish. The discus fish can also develop Bacterial lesions and Fin Rot which are only rare conditions. It is advisable to give frozen food that is always clean and hygienic than live food, which is always bound to be unclean and parasite infected.

The treatment for all of the above is to mainly see that the water in the tank is always clean and clear and the right temperature is maintained. Discus fish are very sensitive. They have to be taken care of in healthy manner to be healthy, beautiful show pieces in the home aquarium.

Penerangan Ikan Discus

All wild discus fish lovers who are planning to display the beautiful ornamental fish in a home aquarium or those who are planning to starting breeding discus fish as a hobby or on a commercial basis, must know that you should be equipped with a complete knowledge about the wild discus fish. You need to gather a lot of information about the likes and dislikes, the various diseases encountered by the discus fish in a home environment and the do’s and don’ts that you have to uphold in a breeding environment. In this article the basic discus fish information on all aspects is given.

As the discus fish comes from the South American Amazonian river basin rain forests, from the experience of those who have breeding this beautiful aquatic showpiece, it has been proved that the discus adapts, enjoys and breeds fast if the environment is planned in such a way as to stimulate its native environment.

In its native environment, as a shy and timid creature, it always lives in dark areas away from light and mostly hides itself among the aquatic plants and shrubs along the river basin. It always requires and warm temperature.

When made an inhabitant among larger varieties of other fish like the Angel fish, the discus becomes scared and puts itself under stress, making it lose its immune powers and begins to lose color, showing other symptoms of being sick. The remedy is to take away the larger variety and put in smaller variety, whose company the discus enjoys and makes it become free in its movements.

Although discus as a hobby and discus breeding are two different entities, both require the same care and attention with no comprise anywhere. If all the required attention and care, and environmental stimulations are given and all the do’s and don’ts are strictly adhered to, then the hobbyist will be able to attain the greatest happiness and pleasure, and the breeder will be able to reap the highest profits as envisaged.

Apart from what has been discussed there are many others that have to paid attention to and information and knowledge about them needs to be gathered, which is available through books, and articles on the Internet.

First of all care should be taken regarding the display tanks and breeding tanks size and capacity according to the requirement. The type of water should confirm to soft rather than hard and the right temperature for the discus fish to thrive.
The decorations of the tank, the kind of plants that you wish to keep inside, can be decided according to adaptability. Gravel or pebbles can be used at the bottom for a hobby, but not for breeding.

Then you have the different filtration methods and the materials used for the filtration have to be carefully chosen. Preparation of the water for chemical compatibility to discus fish and the periodicals water changes are very important.

The type of companions that you put in along with the discus fish again has to be taken care of.
For a beautiful and healthy growth and good breeding, the type of food is the most important. More than the live food, it is always better to give frozen foods, of which different varieties are available and details can be got on the Internet. Experienced breeders can also be consulted and more and complete discus fish information can be obtained.

Rahsia menternak ikan discus

A new friend visited me for the first time recently. He is a miniature reef hobbyist with an extensive collection of delicate and dazzling invertebrate life. Upon entering my Discus room he immediately noticed a pair of Discus dutifully tending their spawn.

"This is harder than what I do with my aquariums," he remarked. His comment, as he stared in awe, typified the perceived notions by many talented aquarists that the propagation of Discus borders upon sorcery or some rare knowledge that few are privy to.

Nothing, of course, could be further from the truth. It is true that Discus breeders need a better handle on water chemistry and other facets of husbandry than the usual hobbyist, but once certain facts are brought to the fore, the mystery dissolves.

Our intent should not be only to breed Discus, but to breed quality Discus. To produce Discus with good body form, size and colour, one must plan far ahead for, unlike many other fishes, short-cuts taken, even by the breeder of your broodstock, can later manifest themselves in your failure.

Locating stock

A good source of Discus can often be located through one's local aquarium society. There are invariably some Discus fanciers in the group; perhaps even a breeder or two. It will not be difficult to obtain the names of dealers and breeders, and importantly, the impression of others, as to their integrity.

Don't be surprised to find a kindred spirit in your own backyard; the cult of the Discus is far reaching!

Some people market Discus as small as 2 cm (0.8 in); even an expert is hard pressed to assess quality at this point, as spectacular as the parents may be. I believe that one should only consider Discus larger than 6 or 7 cm (2.4-2.8 in). Common deformities such as misshapen gill covers or twisted mouths are more easily noticed, especially by beginners, at this size.

At 8cm (c. 3.2 in) a true picture of the future appearance can often be predicted. For example, one can see if the fish is of a desirable round shape; elongated or oval Discus should be avoided. If the fish is of a high bodied strain, or high-finned, these characteristics should also be in evidence at this size.

Fish reactions

The fish should rush towards the observer, looking for food; their eyes clear. Breathing should be food; their eyes clear. Breathing should be regular, both gills working evenly at no more than one beat per second. Breathing from one gill is often a symptom of the gill fluke _Dactylogyrus_. The skin should not be turbid; nor the colour dark.

Generally, at this recommended size, the Discus will be of a medium brown, but some blue spangling will be evident. The fish will usually show a dark band through the eye and another through the caudal peduncle. The remaining seven bars will be intermittently displayed, according to the fish's mood. It is a fallacy that a barred Discus is a sick one; a healthy Discus is as likely as any to sport these bands.

If the aquarium is dimly lit or not at all, a flashlight shone at a forty-five degree angle to the prospective choice will often reveal colour to come. Bright blue, adult colour, often with blazing red eyes at this size should be avoided for future breeding stock. Hormones used to induce adult colour at an early age may make the fish more saleable to the gullible, but often unfit to breed.

Some of these young fish may be developing a red colour to the iris of the eye. Although attractive and desirable, be forewarned that an adult Discus is as likely to lose the red as it is likely to gain it. Some strains do exhibit more of a propensity for one or the other trends in eye colour, though, and if adult fish are present, one can often judge fairly accurately which way it will go.

Water quality

Avoid broodstock raised in hard, alkaline water. This may lead to calcium deposits in the sperm ducts as a male fish grows up; these can be poor breeders, or even functionally sterile. Discus raised at a pH above neutral (i.e. pH 7) lack good disease resistance, and are harder to acclimatize to new environments. Discus can be, and have been, bred even in partial seawater, but I prefer to stack the odds in our favour! It may be a year of superlative care down the drain, should we add risk factors intentionally early on.

Ensuring pair selection

Female Discus tend to stop growing once they begin to ovulate, and egg-laying is quite common as early as eight or nine months of age. As sexual maturity is a function of age, it behooves us to get that fish as large as possible before that point. The larger the female, the large the spawn!

Male Discus usually do not produce adequate, motile sperm till after a year of age. Often, they exhibit what appears to be infertility or, at least, poor fertility well into their second year. Again, a larger fish will produce a larger volume of sperm, thus increasing chances of success. In a view of these facts, I recommend at least seven US gallons (c. 3.8 liters) per fish.

Cichlid breeders often use the number six as the minimum amount of unsexable young to procure to ensure at least a pair. Herewith a methodology which usually yields two pairs: If runts and defective specimens have not been culled, mentally divide the group into four categories. First, the runts and deformed are ignored. Out of the remaining fish, the two largest are likely to be males (they are probably more colourful as well). Then pick the two smallest; they'll be females. Two medium-sized ones that are appealing to you should then be picked to hedge the bet!

If the breeder or dealer is honest enough to have already removed substandard fish, proceed by dividing the bunch into three groups from the beginning.

Health of breeders

Once you have quality broodstock the key is to keep them free of internal and external disease, as well as environmental stresses. To digress from this rule courts failure as a quality Discus breeder.

Nothing will grow Discus faster, and condition them quicker, than freshwater live food. Few things will shorten their lives, destroy their fertility and kill their fry quicker than the same diet!

No Freshwater Live Foods Are To Be Used, Ever!

The risks of disease transmission is so likely that they must be removed from consideration. Discus will do almost as well on frozen beef heart, trimmed well-mixed with uncooked shrimp meat, ground, not liquefied, together in a half and half mixture. This should be alternated with feeding of frozen bloodworms. It is a sad fact, but fluke eggs and some other types of parasites can survive freezing.

Unfortunately, there seems to be a need for some "natural" foodstuffs in a Discus diet if they are to breed consistently. Try to find a brand that others have found to be clean. Also keep some formalin and/or Flubenol 5% at hand in case some vermin get through the freezing process. Avoid products that contain organophosphates such as Dipterex or Masoten with Discus; these 'wonder drugs' can affect fertility and the proper development of the fry.

Chopped earthworm and, especially, whiteworms, can replace the frozen bloodworms component of the diet for those who care to maintain a supply of these for their Discus. Feed as frequently as possible; food converts to growth! Remember, you cannot over-feed the fish; you can pollute the tank, though!

Possible by-pass

The whole procedure and a good part of the work can be by-passed by the purchase of larger fish. 'Teenagers', 10 to 12 cm (c. 4-4.7 in) and eight or nine months old, are the ideal size. They have a good deal of colour and their body form is apparent. They will also often be pairing off at this age. Males will often be larger and more colourful in tank-raised Discus, with pointed dorsal and anal fins.

Expect to pay dearly; breeders with Discus this size have usually saved them because of their potential as their own future breeders.

Fish this size, especially in a commercial facility, have probably picked up a few bugs along the way. It is therefore wise to quarantine them for three weeks, and perhaps a course of metronidazole and Flubenol 5% should be considered before they are mixed with other Discus one may have.

I am suspect of offers of mated pairs. If they are young and have spawned once or twice, even unsuccessfully, I feel safer than with fish that are older and represented as an established breeding pair.

A pair of 15 cm (6 in), breeding Discus are a 'money machine.' Fish such as this may pass in trade between breeder friends looking for new bloodlines. They are rarely on the market otherwise.

Some less than candid individuals may offer fish for sale that are poor breeders or otherwise 'over the hill' or 'burned out'. As a viable, dependable breeding pair are worth an astronomical amount, one should only buy them if the claims about them can be seen first hand.

Water Treatment

Water plays no small part in Discus culture. Discus will grow faster in acidic water, their skin slime is thicker, and they ward off disease better, their sperm is more motile and eggs are fertilized more easily.

Ammonia

Ammonia is ionized into ammonium in acid water, thus losing its toxic properties. Fish perceive overcrowding in part, by sensing ammonia in the water. Keep the pH between 5.0 and 6.0 and reap the benefits! By the way there is no truth that biological filtration ceases at this pH range; check any limnology (freshwater biology) textbook.

Calcium

Discus eggs are 'calcifugous' the integrity of the egg membrane being dependent on the lack of calcium in their water. Keep the water soft, under one hundred microseimens, less than 4(degrees)DH or less than 62 ppm, depending on which system one uses to determine hardness. Peat water still works wonders on soft-water fish; its usage is well documented and should not be ignored.

Carbon

Owing to industrial and agricultural pollution, many aquarists use activated carbon in some form in their water treatment programme. It is only fine for processing water that Discus have not lived in yet. Clean your mains water with it, polish your reverse osmosis water or deionized water with it, but keep it out of the filter in your Discus aquaria! They hate it! The carbon unpredictably leaches compounds it has adsorbed back into the culture water; sometimes rather quickly and suddenly. The Discus will become jumpy and not breed, at the least, and develop lateral line erosion and Hole-in-the-Head syndrome or worse, at the most.

Biological filtration

Simple biological filtration is, in my opinion, the best, and as we hope to have fry present, the first choice filter of the Discus breeder is the humble, dependable, and mercifully cheap sponge filter!

Temperature

The last water parameter to address is temperature. Discus do best at about 84(degrees)F (c. 29(degrees)C). At below about 79(degrees)F (c. 26(degrees)C) they lose disease resistance. Breeders may like to go higher even than 84(degrees)F (c. 29(degrees)C) to get faster hatching and growth. It is hard to argue that this may or may not have merit, but I will tell you this; any Discus that appears healthier at over 86(degrees)F (30(degrees)C) probably has Hexamita (_Spironucleus_) protozoans in the gut.

Temperature is a trigger mechanism that can be used to induce spawning. A pair or even a group of mature, flirting Discus can be stimulated to spawn by leaving the thermostat set at 84(degrees)F (c. 29(degrees)C) and draining off one-third to even one-half the water and immediately refilling the aquarium with water at 75(degrees)F (24(degrees)C)! Try it, you'll be pleasantly surprised!

Water changes

With Discus the more water changing the happier they are, and the faster they grow and spawn; daily is not too much and, if you are feeding properly, may even be necessary. Even parents with fry appreciate 15% daily. To maximize growth, 50% or more is in order. A token 20% weekly change is the bare minimum for just maintenance.

Breeding

So, you may ask "How do you breed Discus?" Is that not the title of this article? Ah, dear reader, reams have been written on this! The pair cleans a usually vertical spawning site, perhaps an inverted flower pot. In typical cichlid fashion, the eggs are laid and fertilized.

If the parents repeatedly eat their eggs afterwards, they are given until they are eighteen months of age, and then re-mated with other Discus. Alternatively, a 'secret' method may be employed. A piece of mesh is put around the substrate the eggs are deposited on and is only removed when the eggs hatch, by which time (hopefully) the frustrated parents are too 'bonded' to the fry to eat them.

Discus eggs hatch on the third day after laying. If the parents eat them, let them spawn again, but remove the female afterwards. She is usually the culprit; as her ovaries swell with the next spawn she must 'clear the area' to make room for it. The male will raise them, another 'secret' unveiled.

In another two and half days of being tended to, moved around, blown around by the parents, the fry will become freeswimming and feed off the magical skin slime adult Discus produce at the time. At this stage, if you squirt newly-hatched Brine Shrimp at them, they will eat them. If you liquefy some of the food mixture I mentioned earlier and squirt it in front of them they will eat that too. If they eat it you can take them away from the parents so nature can repeat what it has done for eons.

The real secret of success You see, if the real 'secret' be told, it is not in the previous, often-related events of the last paragraph. What, after all, could be simpler than to breed a fish that even nurtures its own young? If this is so, then what is it that frustrates would-be Discus breeders?

The Die Is Cast Long Before The First Egg Is Laid

Success comes easy to those who follow the rules and a fish the environment it has evolved to exist in. Provide it with water that does not require it to expend energy to adapt to, and keep it that way. Give it foods that will provide the most nutrition each time they are fed. Keep them free from pathogens, and give them the immunity to deal with our oversights until you notice and can give them aid. Do nothing to impede their efforts to carry on their destiny. And they will!

Cara membela ikan discus

Discus is not a very easy fish to keep, and breeding them in aquariums is even harder. Only those with previous experience from keeping easier species should try caring for Discus, since many Discuses have died in the hands of inexperienced aquarists. Discus fish are wonderful to keep – they are beautiful as well as charming – but they do require quite a lot of pampering. The key to successfully breeding Discus lies in always providing them with supreme water conditions, keeping them in an aquarium that is large enough for them, giving them high quality food etcetera. A well kept Discus pair will breed regularly in the aquarium, and there is really no special “fix” that will induce breeding in a couple that do not feel well. Most of the guidelines regarding Discus breeding will therefore be the same as for keeping Discus.

First and foremost – a Discus couple will not breed in an aquarium that is too small. A depth of at least 15 inches is required for these tall fishes. A 36 inches x 18 inches x 18 inches aquarium is therefore usually the smallest suitable standard aquarium for a pair. If you have a 48 inches x 18 inches x 18 inches aquarium you can even keep a group of 4-6 smaller Discus until they have formed their own pairs.

The water temperature should be kept at 82 degrees Fahrenheit or higher, and the water must be very soft. Keep the pH as close to 6.5 as possible. The soft water means that you will have to monitor the pH value vigilantly. Soft water is a very bad buffer and the pH value can therefore drop very quickly and your Discus will not do well in acidic water. Keep the levels of soluble waste as low as possible and never allow the nitrate level to rise above 20 ppm. Since your Discus will require a diet rich in protein, they will consequently produce a lot of waste products that will push up the nitrate levels in the aquarium. The best way to combat the nitrate is by performing frequent water changes. Changing 30-50 percent of the water each week is a good rule of thumb.

As mentioned above, your Discus will require plenty of protein in their diet. Professional Discus breeders usually give their fish beef heart. The beef heart diet should ideally be supplemented with other food types, such as spinach and blood worms. Some high quality flake food will provide your Discus with extra nutrients, and additional vitamins can also be a good idea.

During the initial stage of the breeding process your Discus couple will start to defend a small region of the aquarium. Both the male and the female Discus will become highly territorial and guard this region together. They will continue by picking a spawning site and carefully clean it. Some Discus pairs clean a number of sites before they finally decide to place the eggs on one of them. The female Discus will swim over the spawning site and deposit her eggs in rows, and they male will swim behind her and promptly fertilize them. I wish to once again stress the importance of keeping your Discus in soft water. Hard water will make the protecting membranes that surround the eggs so hard that it is impossible for the sperm to get through. Hard water can therefore cause the eggs to stay unfertilized and no fry will develop. Hard water can also make it impossible for a fry to hatch.

Discus pairs are attentive parents and will guard and care for the eggs together. They will fan fresh water over the eggs to ensure high levels of oxygen and they will also remove any unfertilized eggs to prevent bacteria growth and moulds. Discus eggs will hatch within 48 hours if the water temperature is right. The fry will stay at the spawning site with the parents for an additional 12 hours. After that, the fry will be moved around the aquarium by their parents, and the parents will use different places to hide the fry in. If you keep up the water temperature your will have free swimming fry in the aquarium after approximately one week. Free swimming fry will need no extra food, because they will eat from the scales of their parents. The adult Discus will secrete baby-food from between their scales. This food will provide the fry with everything they need for about one week. After that, they will be large enough to eat more normal food and you can start feeding them newly hatched brine shrimp. Powdered flake food is another option. Just like their parents, Discus fry will appreciate some beef heart, but since the fry are so small you will need to liquidize the beef heart for them. Do not separate the fry from the parents until you know for sure that they are no longer feeding from the scales. If you provide your Discus fry with ideal conditions and suitable food, they will grow very rapidly and be around 2 inches in diameter at an age of 12 weeks. When they have reached this size, they are large enough to be sold to pet shops or other aquarist

How to breed discus fish

Water chemistry: Water quality is the most important element when it comes to the raising and breeding of Discus. Soft and acid is a must. PH should be 5.8 - 6.4. The softness can be measured with a hardness test kit. Unfortunately, there won't be much in the way of chemicals that you can use in order to make the water softer if it is reading too hard. (I've tried water softening pillows and chemicals with no success.) No problem, I figured out a way to create perfect Discus water without spending hundreds of dollars on a conditioning system that you have to hook up to the plumbing of your house! What is this secret water formula? Bottled distilled water that you buy by the gallon and mix with tap water! Distilled water PH is acid enough and since the water by being distilled is void of any minerals which would add hardness, it's soft as Charmin! Bottled spring water is usually of right quality also but you better test it first, just to be sure. As an added bonus, distilled and spring water doesn't have any chlorine in it! This water mixture is perfect for Discus right out of the bottle!

Mixing perfect Discus water: Mix one part spring water and one part distilled water. Use this mixture for all water changes!

Selecting breeders: Selecting Discus breeders is very similar to selecting Angelfish pairs.

What's the best way to pair Discus? The best way to pair Discus off is to place a dozen or so young adults with a body size of a silver dollar into a 75 gallon tank or larger, feed them three times a day with high quality fish food such as frozen blood worms, Tetramin flakes and live brine shrimp etc... for about 18 months.(Discus take a long time to reach maturity. They won't breed until they are at least two years old.) They will select their own mate buy this time and you will see them pair off. Just keep conditioning them with fine food until you see a pair acting territorial by protecting an area of the tank from the other fish.

Setting up the breeding tank: For the breeding tank you will only need a few basic things. A 30 gallon high tank, 150 watt aquarium heater, sponge filter (the kind that has suction cups that hold it to the side of the tank), small vibrator pump, lid(you don't want the fish jumping out) and a flat piece of slate which is placed at a 45 degree angle from the bottom of the tank to the one top side of the tank. If you can't find a flat piece of slate you could buy a big piece of PVC plumbing pipe (a pipe joint works great) and just stand it on the bottom of the tank. That's all you need for the pair. You don't need or want any gravel on the bottom so that you can make water changes, keep the tank clean etc...

Now that you have your breeding tank set up, pop your pair in there. A good idea would be to place the pair in a small tank (10 gallons) with the water from your pair off tank and then acclimate them to the breeding tank water by taking a quart out at a time over a period of an hour, replacing it with breeding tank water.

Now the process starts: It will take a month or so for the pair to get used to their breeding tank. Just keep feeding them three times a day with high quality fish food such as frozen blood worms, Tetramin flakes and live brine shrimp etc..

Now we will get these baby's to breed! To stimulate the pair to breed, start changing 10% of the water in the tank once a day. Keep the temperature at 82 degrees for two days. After two days increase the temperature to 84 degrees. The third day 86 degrees and the fourth day to 88.(Discus can take temperatures in the mid 90's so don't be worried that the water at 88 degrees F is too high) After the fourth day, lower the temperature 2 degrees per day down to 82 degrees, repeat the two day temperature changes from 82-88 degrees up and down. Keep changing 10% of the water until they lay eggs. If it is a pair, they are mature enough and are a male and female, they will breed! Once they have laid their eggs, keep the temperature stable at the point where the eggs were laid and keep it there!

You have eggs, now what? Eggs will not be taken away from the Discus parents to be artificially hatched. The fry need the parents to take care of them for one critical reason. When the fry start free swimming in about 10 days and have absorbed their egg sacks, the first food that they must eat in order survive is a sort of mothers milk that both the male and female parent secretes that is produced in their body slime. The fry feed on this slime on both parents for about three weeks before you can start feeding them live or frozen baby brine shrimp. You should make a special effort to supply them with live baby brine for the first week after they have absorbed their egg sacks. If you can't provide them with live shrimp, turn up an air stone to a medium slow bubble when feeding frozen baby brine in order to simulate them being live. Once the baby Discus accept the frozen brine, you are in good shape. After 4 weeks you can start feeding them high grade fine flake food. You are on your way!

For about 4 weeks, the fry will be constantly feeding of the slime of both parents and won't go anywhere on there own. Keep the fry with the parents for about 6 weeks or when the fry start wandering around the tank, far away from the parents. Then, you can transfer the parents into another tank for a rest or another set-up breeding tank. If the parents start bickering for any reason, separate them with a piece of glass. In three months you will have Discus fry the body size of a dime.

Other tips:
Keep Discus with Discus.
Do not place a light on the top of the tank.
No power filters or anything that makes the water move fast. (Discus like calm water)
Don't try to hatch eggs away from the parents, you'll fail.
No gravel or live plants, just the slate or PVC pipes.
Siphon as much dirt as you can from the bottom of the tank while making water changes.

by Jeff O' Corbett
Article Copyright 2007