Tips on Keeping and Breeding Discus Fish

If you're seriously interested in knowing about discus fish breeding, you need to think beyond the basics. This short article takes a closer look at things you need to know about. Ideal for breeding discus fish are 20 or 30 gallon tall fish tanks. You should provide some vertical surface in the tank (e.g.: inverted flowerpot) that will enable them to lay their eggs.

In order to provide some shelter for the pair you could add some potted plants to the breeding fish tank. They can be kept in bare tanks but benefit from bog wood and plants as these help the discus feel safe knowing they have somewhere to hide. If they get stressed and scared in a bare tank they can dash around and hurt themselves. Use some sponge filter for the filtration system to handle the biological load. Also required is a outside power filter which picks up any waste that might be in the water.

Discus fish come from the calm warm waters of the Amazon River and prosper when these conditions are replicated in the home aquarium. For both general maintenance and breeding of discus the pH should be maintained between 5.5 and 7.0, the temperature between 83 and 86 degrees F.

Water changes should be performed weekly. However a small water change should be done every day, or every second day. Frequent water changes increase appetite and promote mating activity in discus. Notice that discus will often spawn after a water change!

If good water quality is maintained the discus will have large appetites and should accept any food offered to them. Spawning discus should be fed frozen blood worms, beef heart, frozen or live brine shrimp, live white worms or Tetra Color Bits. In order to avoid parasites invading the tank you should never feed live tubifex or black worms to discus.

A "happy" breeding pair will lay eggs every week for a period of about 4 months. Usually discus will go through two of these spawning cycles in a year. The female will lay around 80-400 eggs and then the male fertilises them. It can take between 48-60 hours for the eggs to hatch and another 60-72 hours until they are swimming freely.

Immediately upon becoming free-swimming the fry will move to their parents sides, and start feeding off them during this time. The fry will feed off their parents sides for as long as you leave them together, however they should be offered small foods such as baby brine shrimp. You will notice after about 3-6 weeks that the parents will be exhausted, also the fry will be growing fast. It's a good idea to remove them at this stage.

Breeding Piranhas

Piranhas are unique creatures that have gained popularity not only because of their appearance, but also for the many myths that are told about them. Unfortunately, only a few species of piranha have been bred, including Serrasalmus nattereri, S. spilopleura, S. hump rhombeus S.. Moreover, the relatively easy to grow is S. maculatus.

Whichever you choose this type, you should be an aquarium of at least 100 liters. A group of 5-6 piranhas is quiteappropriate, but if you want them breeding it is best to keep only one pair, so there is no other fish to take care of them. If you select a matching pair of two adult piranhas, one thick and another thinner - in most cases thick piranhas represent women and thinner piranhas represent males. Just make sure you do not take care of them after they were fed. Even if a person finds and a female does not automatically mean success, it is a step on the road.

The ideal temperature isbetween 73 ° -83 ° C. The standard fluorescent lamps for lighting in order. Piranhas some cover, and should brighten up even half of the aquarium darker than the others. The piranha fish are tough, but it's a good idea to keep the water clean and clear. In its native habitat, the Amazon, the rainy season when most fish spawn. Frequent water changes and larger seem to have a huge impact on the success of reproduction are (as you simulatethe rainy season) and are very helpful in getting the piranhas breeding condition.

When your piranhas lose all their color and turn almost all blacks are in breeding condition! Both can start protecting a specific site, hunting for other piranhas that come too close. If they start to pick up gravel in his mouth, as if digging means that normally have already begun the process of mating. Be sure to disturb your piranhas during this time! The female isrelease eggs into the pit, and then leave the nest (but might be close to him). The man is usually responsible for guarding the nest and eggs. The number of eggs laid varies from 700 to 400 eggs will hatch in 2-3 days.

If you are lucky enough to have reached this stage, it is time to take small fish. Prepare a tank from 10 to 15-liter under-gravel filter and heater. The water tank should be the parents'. Be very, very carefully for the transfer of the fry, as parentsextremely protective and aggressive. The fry will quickly absorb their yolk sacs and can feed live baby brine shrimp as food.

One thing you should notice is the legal issues. Some states do not allow the sale or possession of piranhas at all. Other states require a permit for the sale or possession of piranha. Be sure to check whether any local restrictions before purchasing your piranhas.