Discus Spawning in Action! [Lots of Pics]

[Lightbringer]

So we recently purchased a new pleco tank and took the opportunity to rearrange the inhabitants of 3 of our other tanks. In the end we converted our 90 gallon community tank to a primarily discus tank; purchasing 3 friends for our lonely solitary discus ( the sole survivor of tank disaster we had a while back). I also purchased some new wood for the tank that filled the tall vertical space nicely.

Fast-forward just 6 days after introducing the new discus and I noticed that two of them were hovering near the new wood near what at first glance appeared to be scratches on the wood. When I leaned in closer I realized that it was a small clutch of eggs. Almost immediately, the female (Blue Diamond) began depositing more eggs. I quickly ran to get our DSLR and took the following pics:

Mom lays a string of eggs:

http://www.deadwarrior.com/downloads/pictures/fish/discus/discus_spawning_01.jpg

http://www.deadwarrior.com/downloads/pictures/fish/discus/discus_spawning_02.jpg

http://www.deadwarrior.com/downloads/pictures/fish/discus/discus_spawning_03.jpg

http://www.deadwarrior.com/downloads/pictures/fish/discus/discus_spawning_06.jpg

http://www.deadwarrior.com/downloads/pictures/fish/discus/discus_spawning_07.jpg

http://www.deadwarrior.com/downloads/pictures/fish/discus/discus_spawning_08.jpg

http://www.deadwarrior.com/downloads/pictures/fish/discus/discus_spawning_09.jpg

Dad inspects the eggs:

http://www.deadwarrior.com/downloads/pictures/fish/discus/discus_spawning_18.jpg

And fertilizes them:

http://www.deadwarrior.com/downloads/pictures/fish/discus/discus_spawning_20.jpg

http://www.deadwarrior.com/downloads/pictures/fish/discus/discus_spawning_43.jpg

Then Mom comes back and lays another string:

http://www.deadwarrior.com/downloads/pictures/fish/discus/discus_spawning_24.jpg

http://www.deadwarrior.com/downloads/pictures/fish/discus/discus_spawning_31.jpg

And inspects the brood:

http://www.deadwarrior.com/downloads/pictures/fish/discus/discus_spawning_29.jpg

I've kept discus off and on over the 20 some-odd years that I've kept tropical fish and never had a spawn. Heck, most of the folks we see successfully breeding them use what my wife and I jokingly refer to as the "discus dildo," a ceramic conical breeding platform. Something we never bought because we hate obviously man-made decor in our display tanks. So we were quite suprised (and pleased) to discover our discus spawning this evening on the mounted wood I had bought.

:):headbang2:D:)

[sledge760]

Very cool!

[Westie]

A Pidgeon Blood and a Kobalt Blue huh? Should be an interesting looking brood when they grow up. Keep the pics rolling!

[Yanbbrox]

Fantastic, I've tried to keep discus many times, even doing it the old fashioned way with little success let alone a spawn. Congrats

[Lightbringer]

A Pidgeon Blood and a Kobalt Blue huh? Should be an interesting looking brood when they grow up. Keep the pics rolling!

Yep, we're curious to see what sort of color patterns we get out of the pairing. Of course, now that we have potential fry on the way we feel the need to pick up yet another tank to act as a grow-out tank for the juvies.

[Eric A]

Well done there. :clap:clap Hope the fry survive. Nice discus too.

[BaTsBR]

nice discus and congrats to the parents.
they are awesome, and I bet the brood will be too

[Lightbringer]

Welp, being the new parents that they are...

...they ate their first spawn. Looking forward to the next round. Hope it doesn't take them too many tries before they figure out what they're supposed to do. :)

[Eric A]

Welp, being the new parents that they are...

...they ate their first spawn. Looking forward to the next round. Hope it doesn't take them too many tries before they figure out what they're supposed to do. :)

That was going to happen lol.