Breeding Discus?

[fishfreak2009]

So I really want to try my hand at breeding discus. If I did it will be a while off, but I really want to give myself a challenge, as well as planning everything out ahead. I was thinking this:

29 gallon tank (already have other tanks for fry when they stop eating the slime coat on the parents)
A Mated Pair of Discus from Choice Aquariums (my local discus store but they also sell online)
water temp @ 86 degrees using heater with a heater guard
2 Flower Pots with holes in the sides (as caves and egg laying places)
A Sponge filter
Leave tank bare-bottom
Daily 50% water changes with water at a pH of 7.5 (what Choice Aquariums keeps and breeds their discus in)
no tankmates.

Anything else I'm missing? Does this sound like a good idea? I'm looking for a challenge and maybe even a little profit (but that's secondary to the challenge).

[stephcps]

I would keep a few discus first. Get comfortable with their care and requirements. Then if you still want to try your hands at breeding then go for it. However, no holes in the pots...the freeswimming fry will get trapped in the pot. Use a discus breeding cone, but make sure the lip fits tight to your barebottom tank.

[wesleydnunder]

I would keep a few discus first. Get comfortable with their care and requirements. Then if you still want to try your hands at breeding then go for it. However, no holes in the pots...the freeswimming fry will get trapped in the pot. Use a discus breeding cone, but make sure the lip fits tight to your barebottom tank.

+1

Mark

[7itanium]

+1

Mark

dont mean to hyjack but what type of discus is that in your avatar wesley? I want a couple badly after seeing it

[fishfreak2009]

The thing is that I have kept discus before. I ended up selling them a few years back, but they thrived and grew quickly. So I do have experience in keeping discus. This is still going to be a ways off though, as right now I really can't afford the discus in the first place (I'm 16 and have no job).

As a side note, I will look into those discus breeding cones.

[wesleydnunder]

dont mean to hyjack but what type of discus is that in your avatar wesley? I want a couple badly after seeing it

That's the alpha male of my group of wild Tefe greens.

Mark

[wesleydnunder]

The thing is that I have kept discus before. I ended up selling them a few years back, but they thrived and grew quickly. So I do have experience in keeping discus. This is still going to be a ways off though, as right now I really can't afford the discus in the first place (I'm 16 and have no job).

As a side note, I will look into those discus breeding cones.

I can't remember her screen name but there's a woman at SimplyDiscus who makes and sells the breeding cones.

Mark

[SubRosa]

That's the alpha male of my group of wild Tefe greens.

MarkRio or Lago?

[wesleydnunder]

Rio or Lago?

Dan at Gulf Coast Discus, who sold them to me, wasn't positive. Heiko Bleher said he thought they were from the rio, if I remember right. I'd posted pics earlier in the year at Simply and he came on the thread and located several wilds for different members who'd posted pics of their wild discus.

Mark

[SubRosa]

I think so too. Normally the red spotting is more pronounced on the lagos but it can be tough to tell from so small of a pic. Either way that's what a Discus is supposed to look like.

[nc0gnet0]

Barb over at simply discus is a good place to get a breeding cone.
Your going to want your water temperature closer to 82-83 degrees for breeding. Ph is not so much a factor as is TDS. I like to keep my TDS in the 50 PPM range. Others have had success at higher readings, but anything over 100 PPM and results are spotty.

Other than that the only thing you are missing is plenty of time. Raising Discus fry is a very time consuming practice, Oh, and your going to want to set up a brine shrimp hatchery (easy).