Discus Fish Fry, Spawning and Raising the Little Ones

Filed under: Animals

Just keeping a pair of Discus fishes alive to breed in the first place is an impressive feat, and if you have a pair of beautiful specimens, it is almost a crime to not share that with the world.  Getting to that point though is going to depend on a lot, the quality of your breeding pair to be sure is a huge factor, so do some looking and find a nice pair with good disc shape and color, and make sure that you love them.

Equipment and Technique

This is pretty easy, a thirty gallon tank with nothing in it but an upside down clay pot, a good, gentle filter, and a really reliable heater with a backup power source.  That is about it, if you have a good pair they will do a spectacular job raising those fry on their own, the male will guard them fiercely and the female will gently fan them with bubbles.  If one of your Discus fish is eating the fry, it is most likely going to be the female of the pair.  Eighty four degrees is about where they should be at, and you can remove half the water and add seventy five degree fresh water, this should stimulate them into breeding. There is a supplement one can purchase to make the fishes produce more of the slime that coats their bodies, and this helps as this slime is what the young fry will feed on while they are so small.  You can also buy specialty fry food for Discus fish fry, and hopefully you little group of fry are voracious eaters.  Little fish that are hearty eaters are usually happy and healthy animals, with a really great chance at surviving to produce the next generation of amazing fish and amazing pets.