Interested In Discus Fish

[rabbut]

Wild fish need acidic soft water. Tank bred fish aren't too fussed IME unless it is extreamly hard or alkaline. Actually, I find TB fish don't like soft acidic water as a rule. A lot depends on suppliers. Local bred fish are best, as you can see the breeders set-up and also find out what water perameters the fish have been raised in. Idealy, they will have been raised in local tap water, as then you won't require an RO unit German bred fish are probibly best or equal for quality to local stock, but may well need the soft acidic conditions. Asian bred fish are generaly of lesser quality, but un-fussy about water conditions.

No Discus will tollerate ammonia, nitrite or high nitrate, and all need it warm

HTH
Rabbut

 

[discus-fish]

My sister has made a nice website about discus fish, all the tips i gave her - inside, take a look.
[URL="http/discus-fish-tips.com/"]http/discus-fish-tips.com/[/URL]

 

[folieadeux]

My sister has made a nice website about discus fish, all the tips i gave her - inside, take a look.
<a href="http/discus-fish-tips.com/" target="_blank">http/discus-fish-tips.com/</a>

I have just joined this forum,and hope that there will be more activity soon. Thanks for the info on your sister's website. However I had a difficult time reading it. I did get some info from it, and applaud her for posting in the English language.

I had some experience with discus about 10-12 years ago, and I can definitely tell the change in some of the recommendations for discus care.

I have 8 discus that I have had for 7 & 1/2 months. These were approximately 50 cent size when I purchased them. I keep them in a 75 gal planted tank. I have done >50% water changes at least weekly. Some have grown very nicely.... 1 is approx. 4 and a half inches, 1 marlboro red(?) is approx. close to 4 inches, 1 other marlboro red is approx. 3 and a half inches, as is 1 blue. The other 4 range from approx. 3 and a half to 3 inches. (They are difficult to measure, and I am not good at estimating).

My question is, do any of you experts think that I did not do enough water changes when they were younger, and this could have stunted the growth of some of them? I have soft water, and my ph stays at 6, with no ammonia registering. My test kits do not test below ph of 6, so I know it could possibly be lower. I keep the temp at 84-86 F. I see the 2 larger discus often in a corner together, wiggling their bodies, so I assume that they may be starting to pair off. They all eat like pigs, but had been spoiled with black worms before I got them, and will only eat the worms and a homemade food of beef heart, shrimp, and spinach (sp).

Sorry this post is so long, but I obsess over these fish. I have a total of 7 tanks of various sizes with other fish, and have no problems with them.

Any advice will be appreciated.

 

[DiscusKeeper403]

My sister has made a nice website about discus fish, all the tips i gave her - inside, take a look.
<a href="http/discus-fish-tips.com/" target="_blank">http/discus-fish-tips.com/</a>

I have just joined this forum,and hope that there will be more activity soon. Thanks for the info on your sister's website. However I had a difficult time reading it. I did get some info from it, and applaud her for posting in the English language.

I had some experience with discus about 10-12 years ago, and I can definitely tell the change in some of the recommendations for discus care.

I have 8 discus that I have had for 7 & 1/2 months. These were approximately 50 cent size when I purchased them. I keep them in a 75 gal planted tank. I have done >50% water changes at least weekly. Some have grown very nicely.... 1 is approx. 4 and a half inches, 1 marlboro red(?) is approx. close to 4 inches, 1 other marlboro red is approx. 3 and a half inches, as is 1 blue. The other 4 range from approx. 3 and a half to 3 inches. (They are difficult to measure, and I am not good at estimating).

My question is, do any of you experts think that I did not do enough water changes when they were younger, and this could have stunted the growth of some of them? I have soft water, and my ph stays at 6, with no ammonia registering. My test kits do not test below ph of 6, so I know it could possibly be lower. I keep the temp at 84-86 F. I see the 2 larger discus often in a corner together, wiggling their bodies, so I assume that they may be starting to pair off. They all eat like pigs, but had been spoiled with black worms before I got them, and will only eat the worms and a homemade food of beef heart, shrimp, and spinach (sp).

Sorry this post is so long, but I obsess over these fish. I have a total of 7 tanks of various sizes with other fish, and have no problems with them.

Any advice will be appreciated.

I have to say, yes, your Discus are probably stunted, a picture may help to tell how badly stunted they are though, for two reasons: A. because you did not do enough water changes, 50% daily would have been better. B. Because you have them in a planted tank, which is probably very hard to clean and thus you are leaving debris behind.

You say no ammonia is reading, are your nitrites the same?

At 7 1/2 months I would say at least 4-4.5 inches, and it seems you have got a few to this size. I know some people who get their discus 5+ in that span of time, but it takes a lot of dedication There will always be a few runts in the tank though, and Discus do not always grow at the same rates depending on their status in the hierarchy.

Best place for Juvys are in a bare bottom, with a minimum 30% water change daily, with at least 3 feedings a day.

Regards,

DL

 

[folieadeux]

My sister has made a nice website about discus fish, all the tips i gave her - inside, take a look.
<a href="http/discus-fish-tips.com/" target="_blank">http/discus-fish-tips.com/</a>

I have just joined this forum,and hope that there will be more activity soon. Thanks for the info on your sister's website. However I had a difficult time reading it. I did get some info from it, and applaud her for posting in the English language.

I had some experience with discus about 10-12 years ago, and I can definitely tell the change in some of the recommendations for discus care.

I have 8 discus that I have had for 7 & 1/2 months. These were approximately 50 cent size when I purchased them. I keep them in a 75 gal planted tank. I have done >50% water changes at least weekly. Some have grown very nicely.... 1 is approx. 4 and a half inches, 1 marlboro red(?) is approx. close to 4 inches, 1 other marlboro red is approx. 3 and a half inches, as is 1 blue. The other 4 range from approx. 3 and a half to 3 inches. (They are difficult to measure, and I am not good at estimating).

My question is, do any of you experts think that I did not do enough water changes when they were younger, and this could have stunted the growth of some of them? I have soft water, and my ph stays at 6, with no ammonia registering. My test kits do not test below ph of 6, so I know it could possibly be lower. I keep the temp at 84-86 F. I see the 2 larger discus often in a corner together, wiggling their bodies, so I assume that they may be starting to pair off. They all eat like pigs, but had been spoiled with black worms before I got them, and will only eat the worms and a homemade food of beef heart, shrimp, and spinach (sp).

Sorry this post is so long, but I obsess over these fish. I have a total of 7 tanks of various sizes with other fish, and have no problems with them.

Any advice will be appreciated.

I have to say, yes, your Discus are probably stunted, a picture may help to tell how badly stunted they are though, for two reasons: A. because you did not do enough water changes, 50% daily would have been better. B. Because you have them in a planted tank, which is probably very hard to clean and thus you are leaving debris behind.

You say no ammonia is reading, are your nitrites the same?

At 7 1/2 months I would say at least 4-4.5 inches, and it seems you have got a few to this size. I know some people who get their discus 5+ in that span of time, but it takes a lot of dedication There will always be a few runts in the tank though, and Discus do not always grow at the same rates depending on their status in the hierarchy.

Best place for Juvys are in a bare bottom, with a minimum 30% water change daily, with at least 3 feedings a day.

Regards,

DL

 

[folieadeux]

My sister has made a nice website about discus fish, all the tips i gave her - inside, take a look.
<a href="http/discus-fish-tips.com/" target="_blank">http/discus-fish-tips.com/</a>

I have just joined this forum,and hope that there will be more activity soon. Thanks for the info on your sister's website. However I had a difficult time reading it. I did get some info from it, and applaud her for posting in the English language.

I had some experience with discus about 10-12 years ago, and I can definitely tell the change in some of the recommendations for discus care.

I have 8 discus that I have had for 7 & 1/2 months. These were approximately 50 cent size when I purchased them. I keep them in a 75 gal planted tank. I have done >50% water changes at least weekly. Some have grown very nicely.... 1 is approx. 4 and a half inches, 1 marlboro red(?) is approx. close to 4 inches, 1 other marlboro red is approx. 3 and a half inches, as is 1 blue. The other 4 range from approx. 3 and a half to 3 inches. (They are difficult to measure, and I am not good at estimating).

My question is, do any of you experts think that I did not do enough water changes when they were younger, and this could have stunted the growth of some of them? I have soft water, and my ph stays at 6, with no ammonia registering. My test kits do not test below ph of 6, so I know it could possibly be lower. I keep the temp at 84-86 F. I see the 2 larger discus often in a corner together, wiggling their bodies, so I assume that they may be starting to pair off. They all eat like pigs, but had been spoiled with black worms before I got them, and will only eat the worms and a homemade food of beef heart, shrimp, and spinach (sp).

Sorry this post is so long, but I obsess over these fish. I have a total of 7 tanks of various sizes with other fish, and have no problems with them.

Any advice will be appreciated.

I have to say, yes, your Discus are probably stunted, a picture may help to tell how badly stunted they are though, for two reasons: A. because you did not do enough water changes, 50% daily would have been better. B. Because you have them in a planted tank, which is probably very hard to clean and thus you are leaving debris behind.

You say no ammonia is reading, are your nitrites the same?

At 7 1/2 months I would say at least 4-4.5 inches, and it seems you have got a few to this size. I know some people who get their discus 5+ in that span of time, but it takes a lot of dedication There will always be a few runts in the tank though, and Discus do not always grow at the same rates depending on their status in the hierarchy.

Best place for Juvys are in a bare bottom, with a minimum 30% water change daily, with at least 3 feedings a day.

Regards,

DL

I think I messed up on trying to reply. Thanks for your quick response.

Now another question to show my ignorance. I was recently given 3 adult discus by a friend who got tired of them because he could not get them to breed. 2 of them he bought as a breeding pair. The 3rd one was part of a breeding pair,but his mate died before I was given them. I have them in a 40g long tank, which I feel sure is too small for them. I also have a small amt of gravel in the tank to anchor a few plants. I have been cleaning the tank every other day (50%), because they don't eat well, and leave uneaten food in the tank.

They are not at all active, I guess because of them having been in a 20g tank (2 in 1 tank, 1 in another 20g), and not "socialized" like my others have been. They all get along, 2 staying in one corner, and the other one in another corner. At times the single discus tries to bully the others, but they hold their ground.

Should I take the gravel and plants out of the tank? Should I put them in at least a 50g tank. The water parameters are the same as with my other discus. Should I try to keep the ph of 6 higher? I do not want to get free advice without giving back, but I read so much conflicting info on the internet, and nothing I read is very consistent.

I should mention I am not trying to breed them. I do not have enough experience to do that. But they are beautiful fish, and my 13 yr old grandson has claimed them as HIS!

Fran (folieadeux)

 

[DiscusKeeper403]

My sister has made a nice website about discus fish, all the tips i gave her - inside, take a look.
<a href="http/discus-fish-tips.com/" target="_blank">http/discus-fish-tips.com/</a>

I have just joined this forum,and hope that there will be more activity soon. Thanks for the info on your sister's website. However I had a difficult time reading it. I did get some info from it, and applaud her for posting in the English language.

I had some experience with discus about 10-12 years ago, and I can definitely tell the change in some of the recommendations for discus care.

I have 8 discus that I have had for 7 & 1/2 months. These were approximately 50 cent size when I purchased them. I keep them in a 75 gal planted tank. I have done >50% water changes at least weekly. Some have grown very nicely.... 1 is approx. 4 and a half inches, 1 marlboro red(?) is approx. close to 4 inches, 1 other marlboro red is approx. 3 and a half inches, as is 1 blue. The other 4 range from approx. 3 and a half to 3 inches. (They are difficult to measure, and I am not good at estimating).

My question is, do any of you experts think that I did not do enough water changes when they were younger, and this could have stunted the growth of some of them? I have soft water, and my ph stays at 6, with no ammonia registering. My test kits do not test below ph of 6, so I know it could possibly be lower. I keep the temp at 84-86 F. I see the 2 larger discus often in a corner together, wiggling their bodies, so I assume that they may be starting to pair off. They all eat like pigs, but had been spoiled with black worms before I got them, and will only eat the worms and a homemade food of beef heart, shrimp, and spinach (sp).

Sorry this post is so long, but I obsess over these fish. I have a total of 7 tanks of various sizes with other fish, and have no problems with them.

Any advice will be appreciated.

I have to say, yes, your Discus are probably stunted, a picture may help to tell how badly stunted they are though, for two reasons: A. because you did not do enough water changes, 50% daily would have been better. B. Because you have them in a planted tank, which is probably very hard to clean and thus you are leaving debris behind.

You say no ammonia is reading, are your nitrites the same?

At 7 1/2 months I would say at least 4-4.5 inches, and it seems you have got a few to this size. I know some people who get their discus 5+ in that span of time, but it takes a lot of dedication There will always be a few runts in the tank though, and Discus do not always grow at the same rates depending on their status in the hierarchy.

Best place for Juvys are in a bare bottom, with a minimum 30% water change daily, with at least 3 feedings a day.

Regards,

DL

I think I messed up on trying to reply. Thanks for your quick response.

Now another question to show my ignorance. I was recently given 3 adult discus by a friend who got tired of them because he could not get them to breed. 2 of them he bought as a breeding pair. The 3rd one was part of a breeding pair,but his mate died before I was given them. I have them in a 40g long tank, which I feel sure is too small for them. I also have a small amt of gravel in the tank to anchor a few plants. I have been cleaning the tank every other day (50%), because they don't eat well, and leave uneaten food in the tank.

They are not at all active, I guess because of them having been in a 20g tank (2 in 1 tank, 1 in another 20g), and not "socialized" like my others have been. They all get along, 2 staying in one corner, and the other one in another corner. At times the single discus tries to bully the others, but they hold their ground.

Should I take the gravel and plants out of the tank? Should I put them in at least a 50g tank. The water parameters are the same as with my other discus. Should I try to keep the ph of 6 higher? I do not want to get free advice without giving back, but I read so much conflicting info on the internet, and nothing I read is very consistent.

I should mention I am not trying to breed them. I do not have enough experience to do that. But they are beautiful fish, and my 13 yr old grandson has claimed them as HIS!

Fran (folieadeux)

Hi Fran,

Yes, lots of conflicting and bad information posted on the internet. I would probably put the adult Discus in the 50 gallon, as long as they are adult Discus gravel should be fine, as you do not have to keep the tank as spotless, that's better for growing purposes. Are you using R/O water, or is your pH 6 or below from the tap? I would probably just keep them in what ever pH your tap water is, if you are using R/O it will be much easier on you using tap water, as long as the Discus weren't born and raised in R/O they will be fine.

 

[folieadeux]

My sister has made a nice website about discus fish, all the tips i gave her - inside, take a look.
<a href="http/discus-fish-tips.com/" target="_blank">http/discus-fish-tips.com/</a>

I have just joined this forum,and hope that there will be more activity soon. Thanks for the info on your sister's website. However I had a difficult time reading it. I did get some info from it, and applaud her for posting in the English language.

I had some experience with discus about 10-12 years ago, and I can definitely tell the change in some of the recommendations for discus care.

I have 8 discus that I have had for 7 & 1/2 months. These were approximately 50 cent size when I purchased them. I keep them in a 75 gal planted tank. I have done >50% water changes at least weekly. Some have grown very nicely.... 1 is approx. 4 and a half inches, 1 marlboro red(?) is approx. close to 4 inches, 1 other marlboro red is approx. 3 and a half inches, as is 1 blue. The other 4 range from approx. 3 and a half to 3 inches. (They are difficult to measure, and I am not good at estimating).

My question is, do any of you experts think that I did not do enough water changes when they were younger, and this could have stunted the growth of some of them? I have soft water, and my ph stays at 6, with no ammonia registering. My test kits do not test below ph of 6, so I know it could possibly be lower. I keep the temp at 84-86 F. I see the 2 larger discus often in a corner together, wiggling their bodies, so I assume that they may be starting to pair off. They all eat like pigs, but had been spoiled with black worms before I got them, and will only eat the worms and a homemade food of beef heart, shrimp, and spinach (sp).

Sorry this post is so long, but I obsess over these fish. I have a total of 7 tanks of various sizes with other fish, and have no problems with them.

Any advice will be appreciated.

I have to say, yes, your Discus are probably stunted, a picture may help to tell how badly stunted they are though, for two reasons: A. because you did not do enough water changes, 50% daily would have been better. B. Because you have them in a planted tank, which is probably very hard to clean and thus you are leaving debris behind.

You say no ammonia is reading, are your nitrites the same?

At 7 1/2 months I would say at least 4-4.5 inches, and it seems you have got a few to this size. I know some people who get their discus 5+ in that span of time, but it takes a lot of dedication There will always be a few runts in the tank though, and Discus do not always grow at the same rates depending on their status in the hierarchy.

Best place for Juvys are in a bare bottom, with a minimum 30% water change daily, with at least 3 feedings a day.

Regards,

DL

I think I messed up on trying to reply. Thanks for your quick response.

Now another question to show my ignorance. I was recently given 3 adult discus by a friend who got tired of them because he could not get them to breed. 2 of them he bought as a breeding pair. The 3rd one was part of a breeding pair,but his mate died before I was given them. I have them in a 40g long tank, which I feel sure is too small for them. I also have a small amt of gravel in the tank to anchor a few plants. I have been cleaning the tank every other day (50%), because they don't eat well, and leave uneaten food in the tank.

They are not at all active, I guess because of them having been in a 20g tank (2 in 1 tank, 1 in another 20g), and not "socialized" like my others have been. They all get along, 2 staying in one corner, and the other one in another corner. At times the single discus tries to bully the others, but they hold their ground.

Should I take the gravel and plants out of the tank? Should I put them in at least a 50g tank. The water parameters are the same as with my other discus. Should I try to keep the ph of 6 higher? I do not want to get free advice without giving back, but I read so much conflicting info on the internet, and nothing I read is very consistent.

I should mention I am not trying to breed them. I do not have enough experience to do that. But they are beautiful fish, and my 13 yr old grandson has claimed them as HIS!

Fran (folieadeux)

Hi Fran,

Yes, lots of conflicting and bad information posted on the internet. I would probably put the adult Discus in the 50 gallon, as long as they are adult Discus gravel should be fine, as you do not have to keep the tank as spotless, that's better for growing purposes. Are you using R/O water, or is your pH 6 or below from the tap? I would probably just keep them in what ever pH your tap water is, if you are using R/O it will be much easier on you using tap water, as long as the Discus weren't born and raised in R/O they will be fine.

Please tell me how to reply or ask questions on this forum without resending everything I have previously written.

 

[DiscusKeeper403]

Please tell me how to reply or ask questions on this forum without resending everything I have previously written.

If you look on the lower right corner of a thread there is a button that says "Add Reply."

 

[folieadeux]

<!--quoteo(post=2519423:date=Aug 30 2009, 03:51 PM:name=folieadeux)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (folieadeux @ Aug 30 2009, 03:51 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=2519423"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Please tell me how to reply or ask questions on this forum without resending everything I have previously written. <img src="http/www.fishforums.net/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/yay.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="" border="0" alt="yay.gif" />)<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

If you look on the lower right corner of a thread there is a button that says "Add Reply."

Thanks for telling me. I will now test this to see if I am doing it right.

 

[folieadeux]

<!--quoteo(post=2519423:date=Aug 30 2009, 03:51 PM:name=folieadeux)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (folieadeux @ Aug 30 2009, 03:51 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=2519423"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Please tell me how to reply or ask questions on this forum without resending everything I have previously written. <img src="http/www.fishforums.net/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/yay.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="" border="0" alt="yay.gif" />)<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

If you look on the lower right corner of a thread there is a button that says "Add Reply."

Thanks for telling me. I will now test this to see if I am doing it right.

OK I think I got it. Now I would like to ask why my 8 discus, which I got as juvys, do not seem to be growing. I have previously asked questions about their growth, and Connor kindly told me I had probably stunted their growth by growing them out in a planted tank, and not enough water changes. That info will be very useful if I decide to buy other juvys later. Now a year after acquiring them, I have one nice sized pair that spawn, but eat the eggs the next day or so. The others are various sizes, as listed in previous posts. What I am asking is, does stunting keep them from futher growth? I use water from the tap, which comes out at approx 7.2 pH, but by the next day the pH is down to 6.0. Ammonia and nitrites are neg. Temp is usually 86 degrees. I still do water changes of 50% at least weekly now, not every other day as in the past. I feed them 2x's daily, and they eat well. They all look good, just don't seem to grow any larger.

Your response will be appreciated.

 

[DiscusKeeper403]

OK I think I got it. Now I would like to ask why my 8 discus, which I got as juvys, do not seem to be growing. I have previously asked questions about their growth, and Connor kindly told me I had probably stunted their growth by growing them out in a planted tank, and not enough water changes. That info will be very useful if I decide to buy other juvys later. Now a year after acquiring them, I have one nice sized pair that spawn, but eat the eggs the next day or so. The others are various sizes, as listed in previous posts. What I am asking is, does stunting keep them from futher growth? I use water from the tap, which comes out at approx 7.2 pH, but by the next day the pH is down to 6.0. Ammonia and nitrites are neg. Temp is usually 86 degrees. I still do water changes of 50% at least weekly now, not every other day as in the past. I feed them 2x's daily, and they eat well. They all look good, just don't seem to grow any larger.

Your response will be appreciated.

Yes, you have stunted them and they won't grow any larger. Two feedings a day definitley isn't enough either. IMHO 5 or 6 feedings and a large daily water change on the best way to get your fish to their largest potential size.

 

[folieadeux]

OK I think I got it. Now I would like to ask why my 8 discus, which I got as juvys, do not seem to be growing. I have previously asked questions about their growth, and Connor kindly told me I had probably stunted their growth by growing them out in a planted tank, and not enough water changes. That info will be very useful if I decide to buy other juvys later. Now a year after acquiring them, I have one nice sized pair that spawn, but eat the eggs the next day or so. The others are various sizes, as listed in previous posts. What I am asking is, does stunting keep them from futher growth? I use water from the tap, which comes out at approx 7.2 pH, but by the next day the pH is down to 6.0. Ammonia and nitrites are neg. Temp is usually 86 degrees. I still do water changes of 50% at least weekly now, not every other day as in the past. I feed them 2x's daily, and they eat well. They all look good, just don't seem to grow any larger.

Your response will be appreciated.

Yes, you have stunted them and they won't grow any larger. Two feedings a day definitley isn't enough either. IMHO 5 or 6 feedings and a large daily water change on the best way to get your fish to their largest potential size.

 

[folieadeux]

OK I think I got it. Now I would like to ask why my 8 discus, which I got as juvys, do not seem to be growing. I have previously asked questions about their growth, and Connor kindly told me I had probably stunted their growth by growing them out in a planted tank, and not enough water changes. That info will be very useful if I decide to buy other juvys later. Now a year after acquiring them, I have one nice sized pair that spawn, but eat the eggs the next day or so. The others are various sizes, as listed in previous posts. What I am asking is, does stunting keep them from futher growth? I use water from the tap, which comes out at approx 7.2 pH, but by the next day the pH is down to 6.0. Ammonia and nitrites are neg. Temp is usually 86 degrees. I still do water changes of 50% at least weekly now, not every other day as in the past. I feed them 2x's daily, and they eat well. They all look good, just don't seem to grow any larger.

Your response will be appreciated.

Yes, you have stunted them and they won't grow any larger. Two feedings a day definitley isn't enough either. IMHO 5 or 6 feedings and a large daily water change on the best way to get your fish to their largest potential size.

Thanks again Connor. You always answer quickly. You said that they will not grow any larger. Are you saying that I should now feed 5-6 x's a day, and do large water change daily for these fish, as it will help them. Or is this for future advice?

 

[SBL]

Hey, aren't Discus not supposed to be fed BWs? not saying yor fault but, they shouldn't.