Breeding Discus Fish: Simple Ways To Breed Fish

Simple ways to raise your fish

The most fascinating fish you can have is the discus. Well, of course, this is just my opinion. These beautiful creatures are very expensive and can cost hundreds of dollars for a single fish. I personally find this to be insane pricing on Discus and I would never recommend anyone pay more than $70 for a single adult. In Michigan, this is where I have my aquarium store. The going rate at Discus is about $45 for a youth and about $70, on the higher end for an adult. With the high price of discus, I want to give you some secrets that will save you money on your fish because when you follow these tips correctly, you may never have to buy another disc again.

The next step

Keeping a Discus aquarium is a blast, however there is more to the hobby. I even know that I love taking care of my records, raising them is the next level of the hobby. This is fun and it is also a great way to save money at the expense of the fish. Breeding discs can be difficult, however with the right guidance it can be a really easy experience. When you care about discus, you know how expensive fish can be. This is the reason why breeding is extremely popular among record enthusiasts. Discus are excellent breeders and in some cases will breed in your main tank without even knowing it. This ends up being a pleasant surprise, so pay close attention if you think this happened. You will see fry swimming around in a few weeks.

Time to start

I want to show you a few different ways to start your discus breeding process. I will show the easy and expensive option and also the least expensive method to use. The easy option is to buy a breeding pair. When you buy a breeding pair, let your dealer know what interests you. They will give you some options and pricing information to get you started. Traders and people who don’t mind spending money prefer this route due to the fact that it can get fish to start mating within a couple of days. Mating pairs are expensive, costing between $200 and $300 per pair.

You’ll want to use this next option to save some money on your reproduction costs. With this option you buy a group of at least 6 youth records. In this method, you expect the sexes of the fish to be different. This is not 100% guaranteed. I can say that this method has never failed me when setting up new tanks and I demand it all the time. I would definitely recommend this option for someone just starting to set up their new aquarium.

the mother the father

With a bit of time, in his main tank he will start to notice who the mating partner will be. Discus like to establish territory within your aquarium. When you see two fish defending it from their other tank mates, they are preparing to breed. Be careful with this because these two fish will become mom and dad. Now it’s time to move them both to the breeding tank. A breeding tank is a separate tank from the main tank where you keep your fish. When breeding discus, it is recommended to have at least a 20 gallon tank for both fish.

We need to set up the breeding tank

You want to keep your drive stress free during the tank change. Use the water from your main tank to fill the “discus breeding tank”. This will maintain the pH level that your fish use as well. Remember to leave the bottom of the breeding tank clear. You don’t want to have rocks or gravel at the bottom of the tank. There is a reason for doing this step. You want to make it as easy as possible to remove food scraps and debris. The only decoration needed is a vertical surface for your eggs. “Aquarium discus” lay their eggs just like angelfish do.

Both types of fish prefer to lay their eggs on a vertical surface. You will have many options for vertical surfaces. Most people go the easy route and use a plant like a java fern. What I like to do is use an upturned ceramic pot. When you think your tank looks a bit empty, I advise you to place a potted plant in one corner to give your discus some shelter. Although this is not necessary, keep this tip in mind if your fish are feeling stressed. Another key in the discus breeding process is filtration. I use a sponge filter for the bioburden plus I like to use a small power filter and put a small bag of peat in the back to keep the pH level in check.

The Easiest And Most Important Discus Breeding Tip

Keep in mind that the Discus fish breeding tank is usually much smaller than its original tank. it is crucial that you remember this fact. Check the breeding tank regularly for ammonia spikes and water temperature. Check the water every day and clean up the debris every day. This practice is very imperative when breeding discus fish. Records are very particular about the water conditions when playing them. When the water quality is bad, the fish won’t even try to mate.