Why discus eggs turn yellow?

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foxcape
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Joined: Sat Jun 08, 2024 12:53 am

Why discus eggs turn yellow?

Post by foxcape »

Noticed my discus eggs turning yellow after a couple days. Water params are good, 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite, nitrate around 10 ppm. Tank's at 84°F, pH 6.5, soft water. Parents are healthy, been feeding them beef heart and bloodworms. Anyone know why this happens?
LilyPet
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Joined: Thu Oct 10, 2024 6:11 pm

Re: Why discus eggs turn yellow?

Post by LilyPet »

Yellow eggs usually mean they're infertile or the parents aren't tending to them properly. What's your tank setup like? Any tankmates stressing them out? Also, how old are the parents? Younger pairs sometimes struggle with breeding.
rockel
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Joined: Sat Jul 27, 2024 3:07 pm

Re: Why discus eggs turn yellow?

Post by rockel »

Yep, sounds sketchy. My buddy had the same issue, turned out his water was too hard. You using RO or tap? Might wanna cut it with some RO if your tap's got too much junk.
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Dawn
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Joined: Tue May 28, 2024 9:23 pm

Re: Why discus eggs turn yellow?

Post by Dawn »

rockel wrote: Thu Aug 14, 2025 8:06 pm Yep, sounds sketchy. My buddy had the same issue, turned out his water was too hard. You using RO or tap? Might wanna cut it with some RO if your tap's got too much junk.
Totally agree. Also, how often you doing water changes? Discus are picky, gotta keep it clean.
Coastal
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Joined: Sat Feb 17, 2024 10:42 am

Re: Why discus eggs turn yellow?

Post by Coastal »

Mine did that once, turned out the male was infertile. You got a backup male to swap in? Otherwise, might just be a waiting game till they figure it out.
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foxcape
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Re: Why discus eggs turn yellow?

Post by foxcape »

Thanks for the tips, everyone. I'll try adjusting the water hardness and see if that helps. Parents are about 2 years old, tank's a 75-gallon with just a few tetras. Water changes every other day, 30%.
Lionheart
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Joined: Thu Oct 27, 2022 4:53 pm

Re: Why discus eggs turn yellow?

Post by Lionheart »

Check the lighting too. Too much light can stress them out. I keep mine dim during breeding, seems to help.
kayden
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Joined: Thu Oct 10, 2024 6:22 pm

Re: Why discus eggs turn yellow?

Post by kayden »

Never had this happen, but my discus are still young. Gonna keep an eye on this thread for tips.
LilyPet
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Joined: Thu Oct 10, 2024 6:11 pm

Re: Why discus eggs turn yellow?

Post by LilyPet »

foxcape wrote: Thu Aug 14, 2025 10:21 pm Thanks for the tips, everyone. I'll try adjusting the water hardness and see if that helps. Parents are about 2 years old, tank's a 75-gallon with just a few tetras. Water changes every other day, 30%.
That's a solid routine. Maybe try upping the water changes to daily, 20% during breeding. Discus can be extra sensitive when they're spawning.
rockel
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Joined: Sat Jul 27, 2024 3:07 pm

Re: Why discus eggs turn yellow?

Post by rockel »

Also, what kinda substrate you got? Bare bottom's best for breeding tanks, easier to keep clean. Sand can trap junk and mess with the eggs.
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