Discus Not Breeding

[angelmouse]

i don`t want my disus to breed (beginner).is there anything i can do to prevent this (without getting all one sex)like altering ph or temp. would be gratefull for advice. i have`nt got the fish yet, but trying cover all angles for when i do. thanks Angel

 

[kev_kb]

In a word, no! Why would you want to stop them breeding?

 

[rob newland]

All I can think of is scoop out the eggs. And as kev_kb said, why would you want to stop them breeding?

 

[Ems]

Angel said above she is a beginner, so obv she if afraid of not knowing what to do with the fry's!!!

 

[rob newland]

Ok, but I wouldnt reccomend discus to an inexperienced fishkeeper.

 

[kev_kb]

If your a beginner to fish keeping then please don't buy Discus, learn on something a little less sensitive first. If your new to keeping Discus then don't worry about them breeding, just let the fish get on with it, if they manage to raise some fry then sell or give them away if you don't have room to keep them.

 

[angelmouse]

It does seem sad not to want to breed them but not ready to be a parent. been keeping tropicals for 20 years but new to discus. i will get into breeding, but at the moment whilst getting use to them i don`t want the inconvenience and have`nt got breeding or growout tanks.want to do it right. i`ve got my tank ready to start cycling with ro water mix(blessed with thames water) and might use filter media from my other tank to speed things along. been advised to get larger discus to begin. thanks Angel

 

[EvilMonkey666]

I would also recommend tank raised discus vs wild discus to start out with. Tank raised discus tend to be more hardy then their wild counterparts, and less timid. On the other hand, tank raised discus also have a tendency to breed when the conditions are right versus a wild strain fish that is near impossible to get to breed in captivity unless certain conditions are met, and there is no guarantee even then they will be prolific. If you get discus and they do decide to breed, just take out the eggs. However, as with any fish that is a breeding pair, they will continue to do this "natural" thing for as long as you continue to keep them together. Good luck.

 

[kev_kb]

Yes, buying larger Discus will make things much easier and more enjoyable. If you buy large discus then you can keep them in a planted tank if required, though you'll still need to keep it really really clean and keep up with water changes. If you wanted baby discus you should start with a bare bottom tank to raise them up.

My advice is buy largr discus, match your water parameters to your supplier and you'll be fine. Also look out for a breeder or Discus specialist, a lot of 'normal' LFS sell really poor quality discus. I hope you have researched tank size and suitable tank mates already?

Use some filter media from your other tank and slowly add your tank mates to the tank. The discus should be the last addition and I'd wait like 6-8 weeks after cycling is complete to add them.

 

[angelmouse]

tank is 48x15x18 and will be planted.I have some rummy nose tetras and 3 bristlenose in another tank,was thinking about adding them and getting plants going for several months before i add the discus.will also be using 2 nutrafin co2`s. thanks for advice Angel

 

[kev_kb]

Be careful with the plecs, some will suck on the sides on the discus, though I don't think bristlenoses would. I used to keep one with my discus and never had a problem. I would be concerned about the amount of waste they produce though!

Also be careful with the CO2 units, you need to keep the water parameters consistant and with keeping discus this is the most important thing. If you overdose on CO2 the ph will drop, and if you don't refill a unit on time it will start to raise. I think I would avoid using Co2 with discus if possible.

 

[angelmouse]

yeh the co2 thing has been troubling me as i haven`t used it before. i want to carpet 3/4 tank with riccia and florite/laterite substrate, with just sand in the front 1/4 and add a couple of background plants, do you think i need co2 ? thanks Angel

 

[kev_kb]

If you want to achieve a planted tank like that I would say do it for a while before thinking about discus. I know the mess mine make and I keep a bare bottom tank with a few pieces of bogwood with low light plants on.

I think keeping a 3/4 carpet of plant would make it a pain to keep clean and gives lots of places for debris to build up. Not sure if the discus would mind the carpet, but bear in mind they do feed from the bottom of the tank and so may disturb your plants slightly.

May I suggest angels as an alternative to discus? They won't require the tank be kept as extremely clean as discus (but you'll still need to keep it clean lol).

 

[angelmouse]

Thanks for all this advice, very helpfull and mind changing and a tad depressing. What about just sand and afew background plants,would sand be ok to keep clean,i`ve only ever used gravel before. don`t really fancy barebottom tank, but allllllllllways wanted discus so have to include them in my plans even if everything else goes out the window. thanks determind and learning Angel

 

[kev_kb]

If you don't want a bare bottom tank then I think sand would be the next best thing. You can siphon the surface of it easily with a bit of practice. Just remember to stir it around slightly each water change so it doesn't compact down.

I think if you put a few background plants in and give the discus some open space in the middle and front of the tank it will work out ok. Put some big plants right at the back and some floating plants too as discus like the cover they provide.

I would be tempted to use fairly low light plants only, and avoid the co2. Sorry I can't give any plant advice for a discus tank apart from Java fern and the various anubis. When choosing plants remember the water parameters and temperature you'll need to keep the discus at.