Why discus fry look deformed?

Chat about all things related to Discus, from purchasing to breeding and everything in between. One of the most beautiful species in the hobby
Post Reply
User avatar
3monkeys
Posts: 18
Joined: Tue Mar 12, 2024 9:40 am

Why discus fry look deformed?

Post by 3monkeys »

Noticed some of my discus fry look kinda wonky, like their bodies aren't symmetrical. Water params are good, 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite, nitrate around 10 ppm. Tank's a 40 breeder, temp at 84°F, running a Fluval 307. Been feeding them beef heart mix twice a day. Anyone else run into this?
Top
User avatar
matto
Posts: 8
Joined: Tue Mar 26, 2024 7:35 am

Re: Why discus fry look deformed?

Post by matto »

Yo, that's sketchy. Had the same thing happen last year. Mine were all twisted up like pretzels. Turned out the breeder was messing with some weird genetics. You buy these locally or online?
Top
Dandy
Posts: 10
Joined: Mon Sep 02, 2024 5:35 am

Re: Why discus fry look deformed?

Post by Dandy »

Sounds like a genetic issue. If the parents were siblings or closely related, it's gonna show up in the fry. What's the lineage on these guys?
Top
User avatar
foxcape
Posts: 17
Joined: Sat Jun 08, 2024 12:53 am

Re: Why discus fry look deformed?

Post by foxcape »

matto wrote: ↑Sat Jul 26, 2025 7:09 am Yo, that's sketchy. Had the same thing happen last year. Mine were all twisted up like pretzels. Turned out the breeder was messing with some weird genetics. You buy these locally or online?
Yeah, some breeders cut corners. You gotta vet them hard. 3monkeys, you check the breeder's rep before buying?
Top
User avatar
rustier
Posts: 13
Joined: Sat Aug 03, 2024 8:33 pm

Re: Why discus fry look deformed?

Post by rustier »

Might be the water hardness too. Discus fry are super sensitive to that. What's your GH and KH? I keep mine at 3 dGH and 2 dKH, seems to work.
Top
User avatar
kadyash
Posts: 20
Joined: Mon Jan 17, 2022 9:00 am

Re: Why discus fry look deformed?

Post by kadyash »

Could be the beef heart mix. Some folks swear by it, but it's kinda heavy for fry. Try switching to baby brine shrimp or micro worms for a bit, see if they straighten out.
Top
metiteh
Posts: 14
Joined: Thu Oct 10, 2024 6:06 pm

Re: Why discus fry look deformed?

Post by metiteh »

Deformities in fry can stem from poor nutrition or water quality during the first few weeks. What's your water change routine? I do 50% daily for the first month, then taper off.
Top
User avatar
3monkeys
Posts: 18
Joined: Tue Mar 12, 2024 9:40 am

Re: Why discus fry look deformed?

Post by 3monkeys »

Thanks for the input, everyone. Got these from a local breeder, but didn't ask about lineage. Water's at 3 dGH, 2 dKH, and I'm doing 30% changes every other day. Gonna try switching to baby brine shrimp and upping the changes.
Top
User avatar
matto
Posts: 8
Joined: Tue Mar 26, 2024 7:35 am

Re: Why discus fry look deformed?

Post by matto »

Good call on the brine shrimp. Also, check if the breeder's got a rep for sketchy practices. Some dudes just wanna flip fish fast, don't care about quality.
Top
Dandy
Posts: 10
Joined: Mon Sep 02, 2024 5:35 am

Re: Why discus fry look deformed?

Post by Dandy »

Lineage matters big time. If the breeder won't give details, that's a red flag. Next time, ask for pics of the parents and their setup.
Top
Post Reply

Return to “Discus”