Who Gives A Fish Forums

I'm setting up a breeding tank for my Discus and wanna get the cone placement right. Got a 40 gallon bare bottom, two adults around 5 inches, temp at 86F, sponge filter running. Where's the best spot for the cone, middle or off to one side? Heard they like some privacy but not sure if that's just bro science.

Middle works if you've got enough space around it. Mine spawned fine with the cone centered, but they're picky about water flow. Keep the sponge filter on low, and make sure the cone's not directly under light. My pair freaked out when the LED was too bright overhead.

Nah, middle's sketchy if your fish are jumpy. Tried it once and they kept darting around like maniacs. Put it near the back corner, kinda shaded by some fake plants. Worked way better, and they chilled out after a day. Water's gotta be soft though, like under 100 TDS.

Coastal wrote: ↑Sun May 25, 2025 10:51 pm Middle works if you've got enough space around it. Mine spawned fine with the cone centered, but they're picky about water flow. Keep the sponge filter on low, and make sure the cone's not directly under light. My pair freaked out when the LED was too bright overhead.

Gotcha, so flow matters more than position? My filter's pretty gentle, but I'll dim the lights just in case.

Flow's huge. If it's too strong, they'll ignore the cone entirely. Also, check your nitrates. Mine won't spawn if it's above 10ppm, even with perfect placement. Daily 20% changes help, and I dose a bit of tannin extract to soften things up.

Coastal wrote: ↑Mon May 26, 2025 2:41 am Flow's huge. If it's too strong, they'll ignore the cone entirely. Also, check your nitrates. Mine won't spawn if it's above 10ppm, even with perfect placement. Daily 20% changes help, and I dose a bit of tannin extract to soften things up.

Yep, nitrates are sneaky like that. My tap's already soft, but I still cut it with RO when breeding. And yeah, tannins give the water that weird tea color they seem to dig.

Thanks for the tips, gonna try the corner spot and dial back the flow. Got some almond leaves on hand too, so I'll toss those in. Appreciate it!