Methods Required to Breed Discus Fish

Discus are popular home aquarium fish that can cost a hefty amount in pet stores. For this reason, many people enjoy breeding discus, but may find themselves frustrated by discus that won't breed or who eat their eggs or fry. Discus require optimal water quality and plenty of high-protein food to induce breeding. After that, the aquarist has the choice of whether to let the parents raise the fry, or try and raise the fry away from the parents.

  1. Natural Method

    • Stock your aquarium with six or more discus. More discus increase your chances of getting a breeding pair. When two discus pair off they will defend their "territory" against other tank mates. When you observe this behavior, move the pair to a 20-gallon breeding tank. This tank should have no substrate, and vertical surfaces, such as plants or an inverted flower pot, for the discus to lay eggs. Sponge filtration and warm, soft, acidic water is a must. Maintain a pH as close as possible to 6.5, and a temperature between 82 and 86 F. Very clean water promotes breeding, so small, frequent water changes are advised to remove nitrates. Feed breeding discus high-protein food. During the spawning cycle, the female lays eggs weekly up to 15 times. Eggs hatch in 48 hours, and become free-swimming in another 72 hours. At this point, fry will begin to feed off a mucous secretion produced by the parents. Offer the fry newly-hatched brine shrimp after five days. Remove the fry two to three weeks later, as they will begin to nip at the parents. The fry should be fed newly-hatched brine six times a day.

    Variations on Natural Method

    • Some aquarists recommend covering eggs with mesh until they hatch to keep the parents from egg-eating. Others remove the female after the hatch, as the females are more likely to eat the fry than the males. The father will feed and raise the fry.

    Artificial Method

    • Sometimes discus will eat their eggs or their fry. Because of this, some aquarists prefer to raise discus eggs artificially, away from the parents. This can be accomplished by removing eggs to a glass mason jar and placing them in a small (5-gallon) tank with a sponge filter filled with water of the same parameters and temperature of the water in which the eggs were laid. Place an air stone in the jar. Adding two or three drops of methyl blue will help you see the tiny fry. Once the fry become free-swimming (3 days) feed small drops of plankton diet for filter feeders and rotifers every four to six hours. Perform small water changes after each feeding.