As the name goes King of Aquarium, breeding discus is not the same as breeding any other fish. It requires dedication and care at the same time it is extremely rewarding. Every aquarist should witness the breeding process in person at least once.
How to breed the king of the aquarium – discus fish?
So to get started, you will have to find the right pair and this is very difficult in Discus but at the same time, it is possible. Breeding the discus would require a lot of patience and get yourself prepared to witness the magic happen. We have laid out the step by step guide which would help to breed discus fish and raise the offsprings
- Mating Discus Pair
- Fish Food – Daphnia and Beef heart
- Breeding tank
- Aquarium bio sponge filter
- Sticker or paint to cover the 3 sides of tank
- Aquarium Light
- Aquarium heater
Total cost: USD 750
Total time: 7 days
Step 1 – Selecting the mates
Pick the ones from your growing lot which are already showing breeding behavior. This is the most-trusted method to select your pair.
Step 2 – Picking the right fish tank
Get a tank that is 30 to 40 gallons in size. Bigger tanks will make it difficult for the fry to find their parents and smaller tanks will cause a lot of fluctuations.
Step 3 – Setup the breeding tank
Get a tank that is stickered on the 3 sides except one through which you can observe your fishes. This is to provide the Discus fish with a secure feel during breeding. Keep the water temperature around 82 F, pH close to 6.5, minimum lighting, and avoid strong filtration.
Step 4 – Setup the fish tank
Keep the Discus fish in separate breeding tanks that is completely devoid of decors or substrate. This is done so that there is no disruption caused in breeding
Step 5 – Setup the breeding cone
Place a breeding cone anywhere inside the tank. Your fishes will lay their eggs on them. You can make a breeding cone at home using a PVC pipe and gluing it to a flat tile.
Step 6 – Triggering
Make some changes in the aquarium to trigger the breeding process. There are various changes that you can try: water temperature, diet, or even starve them for a day or two, etc. You can even try feeding them live black worms.
Step 7 – Laying of eggs
Once the Discus fish lays its eggs, the parent will take care of them, even eat the unfertilized eggs so that there is no spread of diseases and they will fan them for aeration. Make sure the water is soft and not too hard as this will make the shells harder for the young ones to hatch them. The eggs hatch into fry in 48 hours.
Step 8 – Caring the fry
They attach themselves to the parent fish. At this stage, there are chances that Discus fish will feed on the young ones. Once they are independent, they will start to swim away from the parent, search, and feed on the food themselves. This is when you should feed them with the correct diet, the right amount, and at the right time.
Step 9 – Feeding
Feed the Discus fish with food that the fry can also feed on. Opt for food that will sink to the bottom of the tank.
Step 10 – Separate the parents
This is the time that you should be separate the young ones from the parent fish. This is because there are chances that the young ones will damage the scales of the parent fish. Also changing tanks will prepare the parent Discus for the next breeding cycle and give more space for the younger ones to grow.
Finally the young ones on their own