Who Gives A Fish Forums

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?

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.

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.

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.

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.

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%.

Check the lighting too. Too much light can stress them out. I keep mine dim during breeding, seems to help.

Never had this happen, but my discus are still young. Gonna keep an eye on this thread for tips.

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.

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.