Platinum Blue 1st spawn

Here is a short clip of my Platinum Blue parents with their 5 week old fry feeding on brineshrimp.
I chose these 2 fish to breed because their blue colouration was more pronounced than their siblings. Unfortunately the breeder had kept them in a tank not big enough to grow them on properly, hence their slightly stunted dorsals.
I moved the best 75 fry to a 100 gallon tank a few weeks after this video was taken so as to not get a recurrence of the problem.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x0RPB4qVHMw

Hi Deegee
Welcome to the forum, Sounds & looks like you know what you are doing.
nice to have you on board as your experience can help any new fish keepers.
That tank is realy nice and the Platinum Blue angels are a nice pair of fish
and i do like to see babies with the parents, By the way the Platinum Blue
Angels are one of my favourites, also that root is just right in your tank
All the best with rearing your fry.
Cheers Tony

Lovely video thank you for sharing

Hi Tony, thanks for your nice comments....one thing all these years as an aquarist has taught me is that I learn something new practically every day. There's something very addictive though about breeding and raising Angelfish. Discus may have the moniker as 'King of the aquarium' but in my opinion they are not nearly as interesting to observe as the more active Angels. The sight of a hundred or more little fins moving in unison is a sight to behold IMO.
Are you far from Wrexham? Once or twice a year I take a trek down to The Green Machine to see my friend James Findley, a very knowledgable and extremely helpful guy who has some awesome giant Altums.

Gald you liked the vid bridgegirl...here's a short clip I took this evening just before I gave my fry their supper. I'm really pleased with the way their fins are developing:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ak26IhXRDxc

Hi DeeGee
We are all learning all the time if we are honest. And i agree the Angels are more active
but for me the best thing is a swarm of fry feeding on the backs of a pair of Discus, dont
know way but it just is that bit more than with the Angel,s.
I am about 40 minuts from the Green Machine and you are right he has some very big
and realy nice Altums as well as knowing all there is to know about Aquatic plants.
if you are down and have 1 or 2hrs to have a look at my fish house you would be
more than welcome. you can phone me on 01745 336262 or just email me
Look forward to one day meeting you.
Cheers Tony

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k0y3D2ptsVY

Hi DeeGee
Nice video again, First thing i noticed is that your pair like to spread there
Eggs over a big area but as long as they do the job that is not a problem.
My own pair of Platinum Blue angels laid yesterday when i was out working
but they have been eating there fry the last three broods even though they are
a proven pair i think it must be because i put them in a different breeding tank this time.
Hope all go,s well.
Cheers Tony

Hope all goes well for Both Dee & Tony's eggs

Thanks for your comments Tony & Pterophyllum. Yes these angels do spread their eggs over a larger than usual area, I've found from my own personal experience that this is often the case with platinums. Unfortunately this sometimes results in a lower than average hatch rate...especially when much of the spawn is on the underside of objects in the tank. This latest lot are coming along nicely, I took out about 300 eggs and they are now wigglers in one of my hatching tanks. I left in 25-30 to be raised by their parents because I find this the most fascinating part of the hobby (observing parents with their new free swimming fry).
Here's a couple of short clips taken just after they hatched:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tZHc8igu4TU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jhenJj8btiY

How is your latest spawn coming along Tony?

Hi DeeGee
And once again two brilliant you tube videos Love the close up of them spitting them
on the bog wood, and all so clear so as to see the fry so well.
but As to my Platinum Blue angels think they have got the taste for there fry will
have to put the net over there next brood or remove them to the chip pan with some
batter, .
But i have nine other pairs with fry some small broods and two with 800 to 1,000 fry.
Just starting to get them all back on line from when i put all the breeders in three of my
six foot tanks befor xmas so i could have an easy xmas but it did cock it all up a bit, if all the
young pairs do not eat there eggs young i should get back on track.
but i must admit i have been putting more of my time into my discus breeding along with all my bristlenose breeding.
Cheers Tony

Tony please tell me how many hours are in your day

Hi Paul
The answer is to many hours and not enought =
I tend to get up about 5.30 am to 6.00 am depending on were the job is that i am
going to' So i have 30 to 40 minits to feed all the fish house and then myself then
of to work back about 4.00 pm geuss what straght in the fish house so i can water change
and feed. And that is about it 7 days a week apart from sundays wife (boss) said i was doing to much
and to have an easy day on sundays now just feed twice and try and beat the X box games.
I am trying to do some pics of fish house today.
Cheers Tony

Great looking fish and like the tank setup

Thanks C8LED.

Tony I am very envious of you having so many tanks...6 footers as well!..wow, how do you cope with all those water changes?
About 20 years ago I had a 120 gallon tank for my discus, the water changes became so time consuming that I decided to plumb in a header system whereby just by opening and closing valves I drained out about 30 gallons of tank water and then filled it up with aged and RO water...and not a siphon in sight! Just as the system was bedding in nicely my wife decided she wanted to move from the country into a town house, so it was gone with the auto water changer and back to the siphon. I don't have the luxury of a big enough garden in this property to build myself a nice fish house so I'm confined to a spare bedroom which has now been converted to a mini fish house with 3 x 4ft x 2ft x 2ft 100 gallon tanks.....and thats the absolute weight limit the ceiling joists will take. I'm so looking forward to building my retirement bungalow next year though, priority will be an annexe with a purpose built fish house so I can start breeding Discus again. After reading your posts I decided to add a couple of golden bristlenoses to one of my growing on tanks...and I've caught the bug, what wonderful characters those little guys have!....do you have any pics or links to other pages of your set ups and especially the discus and bristlenoses?

Here's a link to the latest group of platinum blues I kept in with their parents: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X6Xvb5H_jS4

Hi DeeGee
I think you are wright with the weight limit the 4ft x 2ft x 2ft tanks are very heavy when filled,
I think that size of tank is about the best you can have in a fish house if i could afford to put them all through
my fish house i would, But the thought of stripping down all my tanks and fillters starting again no thank you .
The water changes are not a problem really Say i take 10 to 15 minutes to syphon the water out which goes
strait down 40mm waste which goes strait into the main sewer, Then i get which ever down pipe is the
nearest from the 110 gallon over head tank clamp the pipe to the tank and open the valve So altogether
start to finish takes around 30 to 40 minits.
I will try and get some pics of all the different bristle nose plecs i have think there are about 9 different types now
as you say they are brilliant little things and they keep the tanks clean as a bonus.
Hope your wife lets you build a big fish house and it sounds like you know how to do it right as doing one the wrong
way can make it hard work and expensive.
And i think one of the best sights you can look at is a pair of discus with fry feeding on there backs.
BE VERY NICE TO YOUR WIFE SO YOU GET ALL YOU WANT.
Cheers Tony

Hi Tony, I'll definitely pop in for a chat later this year....I'd love to see your fish house.
The little bristlenoses are settling in fine with the young angels, even though they do get the occasional inquisitive peck.

Do you keep your young discus in the same tank with your young angels? I tried doing that several years ago but found the angels out competed the discus at feeding time so they ended up in separate growing on tanks.

I've just taken a quick video using my iphone of my now 12 week old angels enjoying their more copious surroundings....see if you can spot the bristlenose!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8j9qns1njt0

Hi DeeGee
As i said befor you are most welcome to have a look around my fish house.
I saw one on the wood but that was it sneaky little things arnt they.
The Angel's are looking very good and good shape, As to keeping baby discus with baby
Angels no way not untill the discus get to 2" and upwards as you say Angels take the
lions share of the food.
And i just got my first L183 bristle nose eggs yesterday so fingers crossed.
Cheers Tony