Discus breeding strategy one a cleantankdiscus health is an important part to discus breeding. However, i have successfully bred keyhole cichlids, blue acaras and many species of livebearer. Their diet should consist of around 85% plant matter and 15% protein. Keeping discus in a planted aquarium my aquarium club. This is partly due to the difficulty in finding a pair of mature fertile oscars. Discus a guide on breeding and caring for these magnificent. Our first encounter with paretroplus menarambo, which is also known to north american aquarists as the pinstripe damba, was in 1997 at bolton museum aquarium, which is located in the north of england.
Alternatively some shops may also sell a proven breeding pair, however they are often more expensive. Most people that keep discus will at some stage want to breed them as it is a great experience. Keeping and breeding them in captivity axelrod, herbert r. To examine the dynamics of parental care in discus fish, a range of behavioural and. I think they are best left for people that are very experience and has a lot of time. Pdf jerboas are interesting and exotic rodents, inhabiting steppes, semi deserts and deserts. A breeding tank for discus fish should be about 25 or 30 gallons in capacity and, ideally, it should be tall rather than wide. A guide to keeping guppies, describing the different varieties that exist, breeding strategies, care and feeding. Pdf couple formation and spawning between two female discus. In the wake of a neighbourhood tragedy owen hits the road for what. Oscars can be very difficult to breed in captivity. Keeping discus in a planted aquarium is not like keeping discus in other types of tank. Some hobbyists and breeders feed their discus beef heart, and while it is not harmful, it is. You want them to feel at home and be able to move and live comfortably.
Fishkeepers are often known as aquarists since many of them are not solely interested in keeping fish. Discus keeping and breeding them in captivity free. Peaceful, but larger than most tropical fish, these fish light up the room they are in. Captive bred discus are somewhat hardier than previously. Raising fry i heard is alot of work, a friend of mine raises discus and the lfs wont even touch them until they are handy 45 months old and even then doesnt get what he thought he would for them. This electronic version of captive breeding guidelines is published by the north. Although they are fantastic at keeping your tank clean, and eating plenty of algae, algae will not provide them with a balanced diet. Discus are carnivores, therefore they require a meatbased diet. After doing some research, i think we have decided that discus will most likely bring us the most profit aside from rays, not enough space. The hobby can be broadly divided into three specific disciplines, depending on the type of water the fish originate from.
Be guided by one of the world foremost experts on cichlids on how to successfuly keeping them. Download pdf the discus book tropical fish keeping special edition book full free. Prepare a separate spawning tank in advance as well. Dec 30, 20 alastair agutter began keeping and breeding tropical fish as an aquarist at the age of 9 years and been a dedicated successful british tropical fish breeder and hobbyist for over 46 years. Domestic discus fish come in a variety of different colors. In this article, you are going to learn how to take care of discus fish right from their habitat to feeding and finally to breeding. They are beautiful but can be a challenge to keep and breed with. Can anyone tell if brown discus is the easiest to breed. Aug 05, 2019 since my pair of discus showed clear signs of breeding soon, i moved them to another tank.
It seems that they feel more comfortable when they are looking down at you than looking up at you. I know most say dont try to breed fish for a profit but i have a lot of free time and the start up money. If you are breeding them it is best you have a bare bottom tank as it is easier to clean. Pdf the ornamental discus fish symphysodon aequifasciatus pellegrin, 1904, is a. Libros en pdf sobre acuarios, peces y plantas acuaringa. The only wild discus i have ever kept is heckel and i dont think i am going to keep them again.
A pair which is ready to breed will need to be placed into a breeding tank. Discus fish are often kept in species aquariums, but they can be housed with other species if you want to. If you are in the market for stunning tropical fish that truly embodies the species diversity of places such as the rio negro or the amazon basin, then youve come to the right place. The discus book tropical fish keeping special edition available for download and read o. Breeding of discus fish is quite difficult in terms of taking care of them and it may be difficult to succeed in having a high survival rate when you first start out. Clown loach the care, feeding and breeding of clown. Pdf the discus book tropical fish keeping special edition.
Having no substrate allows the tank to be easily cleaned from faeces and rotting debris. This document is fa166, one of a series of the fisheries and aquatic sciences department, ufifas extension. Six juveniles of this species, along with six juvenile paretroplus nourissati, which were intended to be part of a madagascan captive breeding program at bolton, had. Libros en pdf sobre acuarios, peces y plantas taringa. Jul 14, 2015 a breeding tank for discus fish should be about 25 or 30 gallons in capacity and, ideally, it should be tall rather than wide. Discus, keeping and breeding them in captivity by mary e. They include but are not limited to the followingtank size size matters quite a bit when it comes to keeping fish in an aquarium. Discus are considered to require a higher level of care than other aquarium fish. Nov 29, 2019 you can easily pair them with neon or marble hatchet fish as they occupy the top level of aquarium but if you are keeping them you need to always keep the lid of the tank closed.
While captive bred discus can be kept in dechlorinated tap water, reverse osmosis or. In a breeding tank you may either leave them out or just have one or two potted plants in the tank. Pdf aquarium care of cichlids download full pdf book. Just on a side note, discus fish love beef heart as a treat, but it can pollute the tank, so be sure to maintain great water quality and turn off the filter while feeding it to them. Questions about breeding wild discus archive simplydiscus. Breeding discus fish is not something that has been accomplished very many times in the past. Dec 08, 2016 just on a side note, discus fish love beef heart as a treat, but it can pollute the tank, so be sure to maintain great water quality and turn off the filter while feeding it to them.
Discus are sometimes referred to as king of the aquarium because of their majestic beauty and regal colors. Now, neither of us have any experience in keeping discus, let alone breeding them. Pdf aquarium care of cichlids download full pdf book download. Mar 28, 2014 little tank update on the 2 ranks and my discus are breeding. Thus, the winter or rainy months are considered a stimulus for discus breeding, as they thrive in a more alkaline environment with softer water and cooler temperatures. This is quite common phenomena when discus breeding and it is often observed among the young fish.
What is a bit amusing is i am a largelyself taught wild discus keeperbreeder but what has helped me most since i first began, was what i have learned from heiko which in turn was incorporated in my turn at mentoring dutchdudes beginning journey into discus keepingbreeding. Little tank update on the 2 ranks and my discus are breeding. I like to know if it is a lot more difiicult to breed wild discus excluding heckelthan tank raised discus. Sweeney discus, keeping breeding them in captivity. The three stimulants for breeding discus fish are water ph, temperature and water hardness. 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. However, it is desirable to prepare a proper sized tank for them in advance, since yesterdays juveniles will turn into large fish quite fast. Many hobbyists discus breeders in the uk have tried to breed discus and had very little or no luck with their venture. One need only look at the confusion found among discus breeders as to the. While captive bred discus can be kept in dechlorinated tap water, reverse. Avoid aggressive fish, fish that will consider your discus prey especially important when keeping young discus and fish that will nip the discus. The paperback of the discus, keeping and breeding them in captivity by mary e. Some hobbyists and breeders feed their discus beef heart, and while it is not harmful, it is certainly not a natural food for discus.
Iv had all these fish for about 4 years now iv tryed to simulate their natural habitat as much as possible without making my tank look messy on the eyes, iv got all natural planting no fake thats just personal interests although. Discus feed at all levels of the aquarium and will accept most foods, but their colours are best shown off when fed live foods. Fish such as this may pass in trade between breeder friends looking for new bloodlines. Some hobbyists believe this is the best way to care for discus even though it is not as aesthetically pleasing. It was found that the reproductive success of this species is closely linked to. I use the term teal loosely in the vernacular without any pretence to scientific accuracy and seek to discus and explore some of the ducks suffixed teal that are. When setting up your breeding tank it is a good idea to leave the bottom bare this will make it much easier for you to clean the tank. Alastair agutter began keeping and breeding tropical fish as an aquarist at the age of 9 years and been a dedicated successful british tropical fish breeder and hobbyist for over 46 years. Captive bred discus are somewhat hardier than previously available wild. In aquarium they also do best when kept in larger group of individuals. Common mistake of beginners in the hobby is keeping them in too small groups and this makes the fish skittish and creates some aggression between the fish. A group of juvenile discus bought together and with a bit of luck will form pairings.
Pdf reproductive and population parameters of discus fish. They are one of the hardest fishes to breed in captivity. The second stage documented mating behavior, nesting and parental care, to observe vibration. Since my pair of discus showed clear signs of breeding soon, i moved them to another tank. Discus fish belong to the cichlid genus and originate in the amazon region of south. Description of the reproductive behavior of symphysodon. Though keeping discus should not a scientific pursuit. The tank had a sponge filter and a heater as well as the new addition of a breeding cone. Until recently they had only successfully been bred in captivity a few times and only then by dedicated individuals. Hence, keeping them has little in common with the challenge of keeping.
Keeping discus is not all that hard, water changes and perfect water conditions are the biggest thing with discus. Pair bonding is a difficult task, but you can find signs to help identify when this is happening to your discus fish. The ultimate discus guide for beginners or experts. Aquarium care of cichlids available for download and read online in other formats. He is still only one of a select few worldwide who have successfully bred the discus fish in captivity and written as a published author on the subject.
Advice on raising and breeding discus fish with forums. Easy steps in saving money when breeding discus fish breeding a discus fish helpful tips that will increase your discus fish population discus fish disease how to deal with them having the right tank for your discus fish. Discus will readily reproduce in the aquarium but you may need to dedicate months, even a year if you start out with juveniles to the prospect. Many give up and blame the fish, saying they cant be bred and very hard to breed. They can be sexed during breeding by looking at the genital papilla, which is. Download pdf aquarium care of cichlids book full free. Angelfish will feed at the surface or midwater, however, in nature they often forage along the bottom looking for worms and small crustaceans. Discus a guide on breeding and caring for these magnificent fish. Discus are quite difficult to care for and breed, and you may not achieve a high survival rate for the young on your first attempt. The conservation status of these two extremely, attractive, closely related species from madagascar is dire. Routine and responsibility, stalled careers and school fees, zumba and missionary sex have slowly beaten them into a caged submission and they are now both on the edge. Pdf in an experiment performed to characterize the reproductive behavior of the discus fish in captivity, couple. Supplemental feeding postrelease played an important role in keeping the birds near. Offers tips on setting up a tank, breeding, feeding and other tips with forums.
Since they belong to cixhlidae family they can easily peck other fishes, so if you are keeping them with. You should feed them tablets which have been specifically developed for bottom dwelling herbivores such as sinking algae pellets or wafers. These facts are important when learning how to get discus to breed. We offer our german captive bred stendker discus fish in a large range of. Angelfish can also be kept with discus in larger aquariums, if the temperature is maintained above 82 f.
Wild caught discus can be challenging to keep, due to their specialized water chemistry. Discus fish types, care, facts, and natural habitat. You will have to fulfil all the requirements if you want to breed discus fish and that too properly. This book shows how even firsttime discus owners can succeed in the keeping and breeding of the beautiful and popular discus species and subspecies, including many of the much soughtafter and expensive new color varieties that have come onto the market in recent years. Iv got 9 clown loach mixed with a few tetra, guppys, platys. Captive breeding guidelines the north american native fishes. Because discus fish are closely related to angelfish, aquarists originally assumed that the breeding requirements for discus fish would be similar. In other type of tanks, you can easily keep and successfully raise 2 2. Notoriously tricky to care for, but so rewarding when kept correctly, discus fish are the pride and joy of those that keep them. This was a 2 x 2 x 2 12 foot glass tank which i kept above eye level. Symphysodon aequifasciatusis is a species of biparental care. They are exceedingly compatible with corydoras however the only problem is that corydoras like to live in colder water whereas discus lives in warm water. Small floating pellets are best in terms of keeping that tank clean as excess food can be easily removed and reduces the likelihood of them picking up excessive loads of parasites from the floor. There are a great number of important factors to consider when setting up your cichlids new home.
Until recently they had only successfully been bred in captivity a few times and only. One feature not found in most other aquarium species is the young fishs instinct to. This depends on whether you are breeding your discus fish or displaying them. As we all know, adult discus can adapt more than juveniles. Discus breeding secrets by marc weiss cichlid room companion. When breeding discus it is highly recommended to put them into a bare. However, those in the wild come from three subspecies distinguished by their colors. Wash your hands again afterwards and certainly before eating, drinking or smoking. Discus fish thrive well in floodplain lakes or rivers found in the lowland regions of the amazon basin. Aswel as 4 yoyo loach, my smallest clown to date is of 3. Discus fish pair with a mate, when they begin the breeding process. It is illegal and for most fish species this will lead to an untimely.
This is a sure way to keep the water quality stable and immaculate. If the parents eat them, let them spawn again, but remove the female afterwards. Conveniently, genetic variants or strains in discus fish generally inherit changes in body base color and pattern markings, and hobbyists worldwide are continuously creating new varieties of discus and introducing them to the market place. Discus fish care, tank conditions, feeding, breeding. This assumption, however, turned out to be wrong and it was not until the 1950s that discus fish were spawned in captivity with any regular success. The king of the aquarium, discus fish are one of the most beautiful freshwater fish available for the home aquarium. The essential guide to caring for and breeding discus fish.