Breeding Rams

[Zante]

Approximately 24 hours after spawn I can have a good look at the eggs.
Third time round, and again they look infertile, all of them.

I hope I'm not seeing properly, because... Well... I know that they need a few false starts, but I would have expected fertile eggs on the third attempt. Even with 200ppm TDS at least some fertile eggs.

Am I expecting too much?
Am I being impatient?

Oh well... If they are infertile they will be gone by tomorrow evening, and then I will know for sure.

 

[DevotedToDiscus]

To be honest mate, I don't think it is possible for the eggs to get fertilized with your TDS reading so high. If you can get down to 100ppm you should be golden

Patience my friend.

 

[Zante]

Thanks DTD, I was starting to fear he could be infertile, you know, from reading too much, and overthinking

Oh well... If rams are supposed to be REALLY easy, I'm starting to really understand what you're going through with discus.

BTW, my five are doing really well, after the two nitrite spikes, the 18 hour days, the fin rot, and the fungal infection, I only lost one, which was the smallest and bullied one. To be honest she was starting to look stunted. I guess what I have left must be bulletproof!
This week they have decided they want to hide again. Something must have frightened them. They've started coming out again yesterday.

 

[DevotedToDiscus]

That's good to hear that your Discus are on the mend. I will say that I have noticed over the years that when any of my fish have been sick they always seem to be tougher afterwards. It is as if their immune systems become stronger.

My Discus spawn in my main tank quite regular, but the eggs are never fertile due to the fact that the TDS of that tank water is close to 200ppm. In the breeding tank I get close to 100% fertility now, as I have that water under 100ppm. I am still struggling with the fry development, and I think this is due to the fact that the water is still not perfect. Hopefully your Rams fry will not be so fickle and once you have fertile eggs you will have success.

Stick at it mate, and keep us posted.

 

[Zante]

Yep, sure enough... I got back from tending to the discus in the office tank and the eggs were gone.

Let's look at the silver lining: I'm no longer racing with my fish to get the TDS reading down, I have at least two weeks' time.

 

[Zante]

Mmm... I must have stirred some rubbish from the bottom, because I took a reading of the tank water and the TDS was about 260ppm, which went down to about 180 with the water change.

I will have to seriously wash the gravel and suck as much muck as possible next time round.

 

[Zante]

Ok, I now have 55 litres of RO water heating up. That should make an impact on the TDS reading, then it will be just a question of maintaining it until the next spawn.

THEN I will know if Fred is sterile as I'm suspecting.

In that case they are going back in the community tank an it will be B&B's turn.

 

[Zante]

Result!

Now the TDS reading is 90 ppm.
Now to maintain this level until the next spawn.

 

[Zante]

Spawn again.

That was quick...

 

[Livewire88]

Good luck with the fry if they hatch mate, I have had two lots of eggs hatch but the fry tend to vanish withing a week of them being free swimming, even tho my Rams are on their own in the tank!!

 

[Zante]

Well... Let's see if I get fertile eggs first... Then I'll think about hatching!

 

[Zante]

Uhm... they look fertile this time round.

We'll see for sure in the next couple of days, if the parents don't eat this lot too...

 

[Zante]

Mmm... they don't look fertile, do they?

 

[Zante]

That's it...

The two have another chance to come up with fertile eggs, not necessarily fry, just fertile eggs, then they're going back in the community tank.

I've had a good look this morning, and there are hardly any eggs left, most of them white, and those that aren't don't show the dark markings after a day and two nights.

At the time of spawning the TDS was just under 100 (I measured it as they were spawning). I will try lowering it a bit more to give them another chance, but I had a pair of rams spawn in my community tank and come up with fertile eggs first time round. These have no excuse not fertilising eggs on the fifth spawn.

Unfortunately of that "successful" pair I only have the female left, or I would have started with them...

 

[Zante]

While I was fretting over Fred and Wilma, Barney and Betty have quietly spawned in a hidden corner of the tank, I only saw the eggs while inspecting the co2 diffuser.

Now I can check if it is the tank conditions, or if the main pair is not fertilising the eggs.

I must say that these eggs do look different, and both parents are a lot more protective, as they tried to attack me through the glass, while Fred and Wilma would have allowed me to sqush the eggs without batting an eyelid (well... If they had eyelids...)