Discus breeding secrets by marc weiss cichlid room companion. In aquarium they also do best when kept in larger group of individuals. To examine the dynamics of parental care in discus fish, a range of behavioural and. Discus a guide on breeding and caring for these magnificent fish. 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. However, those in the wild come from three subspecies distinguished by their colors. Discus are considered to require a higher level of care than other aquarium fish. 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. Many give up and blame the fish, saying they cant be bred and very hard to breed. One need only look at the confusion found among discus breeders as to the. Advice on raising and breeding discus fish with forums. Discus fish care, tank conditions, feeding, breeding. This is a sure way to keep the water quality stable and immaculate. Clown loach the care, feeding and breeding of clown.
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. A group of juvenile discus bought together and with a bit of luck will form pairings. Captive bred discus are somewhat hardier than previously. Because discus fish are closely related to angelfish, aquarists originally assumed that the breeding requirements for discus fish would be similar. We offer our german captive bred stendker discus fish in a large range of. 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. 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. Discus fish pair with a mate, when they begin the breeding process. Aquarium care of cichlids available for download and read online in other formats. Most people that keep discus will at some stage want to breed them as it is a great experience.
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. While captive bred discus can be kept in dechlorinated tap water, reverse. Keeping discus in a planted aquarium my aquarium club. Captive breeding guidelines the north american native fishes.
Symphysodon aequifasciatusis is a species of biparental care. 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. These facts are important when learning how to get discus to breed. The tank had a sponge filter and a heater as well as the new addition of a breeding cone. Oscars can be very difficult to breed in captivity. 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. Can anyone tell if brown discus is the easiest to breed. Alternatively some shops may also sell a proven breeding pair, however they are often more expensive. 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 keeping and breeding them in captivity free. 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. Some hobbyists have reported first time success, but raising the young can prove to be a challenge.
Aswel as 4 yoyo loach, my smallest clown to date is of 3. Discus fish belong to the cichlid genus and originate in the amazon region of south. 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. Angelfish will feed at the surface or midwater, however, in nature they often forage along the bottom looking for worms and small crustaceans. Offers tips on setting up a tank, breeding, feeding and other tips with forums. If you are breeding them it is best you have a bare bottom tank as it is easier to clean. This is quite common phenomena when discus breeding and it is often observed among the young fish. Discus breeding strategy one a cleantankdiscus health is an important part to discus breeding. Some hobbyists believe this is the best way to care for discus even though it is not as aesthetically pleasing.
This was a 2 x 2 x 2 12 foot glass tank which i kept above eye level. You want them to feel at home and be able to move and live comfortably. The king of the aquarium, discus fish are one of the most beautiful freshwater fish available for the home aquarium. 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. If the parents eat them, let them spawn again, but remove the female afterwards. Pdf aquarium care of cichlids download full pdf book. Discus, keeping and breeding them in captivity by mary e. Well if you have mastered discus fish care then it is timethat you look at discus breeding. The discus book tropical fish keeping special edition available for download and read o. Captive bred discus are somewhat hardier than previously available wild.
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. They can be sexed during breeding by looking at the genital papilla, which is. However, i have successfully bred keyhole cichlids, blue acaras and many species of livebearer. Download pdf aquarium care of cichlids book full free. One feature not found in most other aquarium species is the young fishs instinct to. This is partly due to the difficulty in finding a pair of mature fertile oscars. Pdf the discus book tropical fish keeping special edition.
It is illegal and for most fish species this will lead to an untimely. The paperback of the discus, keeping and breeding them in captivity by mary e. 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. Many hobbyists discus breeders in the uk have tried to breed discus and had very little or no luck with their venture. Wild caught discus can be challenging to keep, due to their specialized water chemistry. Pdf aquarium care of cichlids download full pdf book download. A guide to keeping guppies, describing the different varieties that exist, breeding strategies, care and feeding. Sweeney discus, keeping breeding them in captivity. Since my pair of discus showed clear signs of breeding soon, i moved them to another tank.
Fishkeepers are often known as aquarists since many of them are not solely interested in keeping fish. It was found that the reproductive success of this species is closely linked to. Some hobbyists and breeders feed their discus beef heart, and while it is not harmful, it is certainly not a natural food for discus. Though keeping discus should not a scientific pursuit. Keeping discus is not all that hard, water changes and perfect water conditions are the biggest thing with discus. Fish such as this may pass in trade between breeder friends looking for new bloodlines. Discus are carnivores, therefore they require a meatbased diet.
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. Hence, keeping them has little in common with the challenge of keeping. Until recently they had only successfully been bred in captivity a few times and only then by dedicated individuals. However, it is desirable to prepare a proper sized tank for them in advance, since yesterdays juveniles will turn into large fish quite fast. You should feed them tablets which have been specifically developed for bottom dwelling herbivores such as sinking algae pellets or wafers. Prepare a separate spawning tank in advance as well.
Mar 28, 2014 little tank update on the 2 ranks and my discus are breeding. The three stimulants for breeding discus fish are water ph, temperature and water hardness. You will have to fulfil all the requirements if you want to breed discus fish and that too properly. They include but are not limited to the followingtank size size matters quite a bit when it comes to keeping fish in an aquarium. Pair bonding is a difficult task, but you can find signs to help identify when this is happening to your discus fish. I like to know if it is a lot more difiicult to breed wild discus excluding heckelthan tank raised discus. 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. Pdf the ornamental discus fish symphysodon aequifasciatus pellegrin, 1904, is a. There are a great number of important factors to consider when setting up your cichlids new home. 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.
Iv got 9 clown loach mixed with a few tetra, guppys, platys. 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. The ultimate discus guide for beginners or experts. Discus a guide on breeding and caring for these magnificent. 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. I think they are best left for people that are very experience and has a lot of time. Their diet should consist of around 85% plant matter and 15% protein. As we all know, adult discus can adapt more than juveniles. Until recently they had only successfully been bred in captivity a few times and only.
Angelfish can also be kept with discus in larger aquariums, if the temperature is maintained above 82 f. Pdf in an experiment performed to characterize the reproductive behavior of the discus fish in captivity, couple. This depends on whether you are breeding your discus fish or displaying them. Pdf jerboas are interesting and exotic rodents, inhabiting steppes, semi deserts and deserts.
Techniques are constantly evolving for raising these exotic fish, but this guide is the most up. Questions about breeding wild discus archive simplydiscus. Supplemental feeding postrelease played an important role in keeping the birds near. This electronic version of captive breeding guidelines is published by the north. 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. Wash your hands again afterwards and certainly before eating, drinking or smoking. The only wild discus i have ever kept is heckel and i dont think i am going to keep them again. Since they belong to cixhlidae family they can easily peck other fishes, so if you are keeping them with.
Libros en pdf sobre acuarios, peces y plantas taringa. The conservation status of these two extremely, attractive, closely related species from madagascar is dire. 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. They are beautiful but can be a challenge to keep and breed with. Discus are sometimes referred to as king of the aquarium because of their majestic beauty and regal colors.
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. 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. 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. The essential guide to caring for and breeding discus fish. Little tank update on the 2 ranks and my discus are breeding. Aug 05, 2019 since my pair of discus showed clear signs of breeding soon, i moved them to another tank. Pdf couple formation and spawning between two female discus. Although they are fantastic at keeping your tank clean, and eating plenty of algae, algae will not provide them with a balanced diet. They are one of the hardest fishes to breed in captivity. The second stage documented mating behavior, nesting and parental care, to observe vibration.
It seems that they feel more comfortable when they are looking down at you than looking up at you. 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. 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. When breeding discus it is highly recommended to put them into a bare. Be guided by one of the world foremost experts on cichlids on how to successfuly keeping them. 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.
Keeping discus in a planted aquarium is not like keeping discus in other types of tank. Keeping and breeding them in captivity axelrod, herbert r. Libros en pdf sobre acuarios, peces y plantas acuaringa. Pdf reproductive and population parameters of discus fish. In a breeding tank you may either leave them out or just have one or two potted plants in the tank. 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. 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. 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. A breeding tank for discus fish should be about 25 or 30 gallons in capacity and, ideally, it should be tall rather than wide. Some hobbyists and breeders feed their discus beef heart, and while it is not harmful, it is. The hobby can be broadly divided into three specific disciplines, depending on the type of water the fish originate from. Peaceful, but larger than most tropical fish, these fish light up the room they are in. Description of the reproductive behavior of symphysodon.
This document is fa166, one of a series of the fisheries and aquatic sciences department, ufifas extension. 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. Avoid aggressive fish, fish that will consider your discus prey especially important when keeping young discus and fish that will nip the discus. Discus fish types, care, facts, and natural habitat. Discus fish are often kept in species aquariums, but they can be housed with other species if you want to.
A pair which is ready to breed will need to be placed into a breeding tank. Discus fish thrive well in floodplain lakes or rivers found in the lowland regions of the amazon basin. Domestic discus fish come in a variety of different colors. While captive bred discus can be kept in dechlorinated tap water, reverse osmosis or. 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.
Breeding discus fish is not something that has been accomplished very many times in the past. Talking teal well no teal are many and varied, but i dont think any actually talk, its more about me talking about them. In the wake of a neighbourhood tragedy owen hits the road for what. Discus feed at all levels of the aquarium and will accept most foods, but their colours are best shown off when fed live foods. Download pdf the discus book tropical fish keeping special edition book full free.