Who Gives A Fish Forums

I'm planning to set up another discus tank this year, although it's still on the horizon since I don't have the tank yet. When selecting discus for a group, do you consider the possibility of future pairing, and thus choose specific individuals? I've been thinking that having a diverse range of strains might lead to less desirable offspring. On the other hand, I find tanks with the same strain discus to be quite visually appealing.

When I'm selecting juvenile discus to grow out, I typically choose them based on their potential for pairing up in the future. I usually stick to just two strains at a time, ones that I think will produce nice-looking offspring. For instance, I've had success with Flachens and Santarems, as well as Santarems and red snakeskins, and also Fire reds and Pigeon snakeskins. I was able to get pairs from each of these combinations and they turned out well.

One thing I've learned, though, is to never mix Pigeon and non-Pigeon strains. If they do pair up, the resulting fry can be quite unattractive.

Re: Picking discus in case they might pair-off

Originally posted by micsim

That's my approach when selecting a group of juvenile discus - I choose them with the possibility of future pairing in mind. I limit myself to two strains at a time, selecting ones that I think will produce attractive offspring. For instance, I've had success with combining Flachens and Santarems, as well as Santarems and red snakeskins, and Fire reds and Pigeon snakeskins. Each of these pairings resulted in nice-looking fish. However, I've learned to avoid mixing pigeon and non-pigeon strains - the resulting fry can be quite unattractive.