# need response asap



## snyderguy (Feb 9, 2010)

So my discus's eggs are finally hatching but since they've laid them on the filter tube, some are falling and getting sucked up by the filter. They should be free-swimming within 12 hours but would it be ok to turn the filter off? It's a canister filter, but just wanted some opinions.


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

The reason the fish put the eggs on the filter tube is so the filter would "fan" them for them. Cichlids are smart enough to get lazy. Turning the filter off would likely cause a gradual ammonia surge and reduced oxygen in the water. I don't think either one is good for fry. 

Put a piece of filter sponge or a commercial sponge "pre-filter" over the filter intake or take some fry by siphoning out wigglers and raising them yourself. 

If you have good parents they will notice what is happening and move the fry themselves.



Edit: I mean the discus, not your Mom and Dad. But if Mom wants to raise discus, let her.


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## snyderguy (Feb 9, 2010)

Hah, I moved out of mom's house long ago. I turned off the filter for maybe 30 minutes to let the parents establish themselves with their wrigglers. They were frantically moving them all away from the original spot so a few got sucked up but it looks like they're all ok. I've still got about 30 left so I'm pretty happy with that. This is their first successful batch, after 4 attempts, so it's really interesting to watch them. They're naturally good parents though.


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## sq33qs (Jul 12, 2010)

Awesome, congrats on the new fry, hope they give you a lot of fun.
I still have semi mature angels that i'm hoping will spawn at some point.


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## livefishcam (Nov 1, 2010)

Its great when you get baby fry. I agree turning the external filter off to stop the poor baby fry getting sucked up sounds a good idea until they have hatched and you are there to move them to a fry net / tray then of course get your filter back online asap.

Well done on breeding discus's as they are hard enough to keep alive and require a lot of tlc to keep.

the only thing I have ever had breeding is rainbow cichlids and oh my god did they breed every time i did a water change!

had to get rid in the end as they started to tank over the tank. it reminds me of that file "Piranha"


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## snyderguy (Feb 9, 2010)

I've heard that discus are pretty hard to breed but I didn't do anything special. In fact, I had thought I had two females that "hooked up" so I was kinda confused when the eggs hadn't been turning white like before after about 2 days. Then I saw a little wriggling tail and it's been exciting ever since


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