Hans Discus Grow Out

[mkng07]

This is my first batch of discus. I ordered from Hans and will be growing out a group of 5 blue pigeon bloods in a 40 breeder. Future plans are to eventually move them to a 75.

Tanks set up and ready to fill with water and fish! :)

http://i1214.photobucket.com/albums/cc481/youngz13o/IMG_1691.jpg
http://i1214.photobucket.com/albums/cc481/youngz13o/2015-10-12%2018.53.43.jpg

Fish are here!
http://i1214.photobucket.com/albums/cc481/youngz13o/Mobile%20Uploads/2015-10/C9D9C76B-5C09-47AD-B197-9C6A5EA6D07F.jpg

After first water change
http://i1214.photobucket.com/albums/cc481/youngz13o/Mobile%20Uploads/2015-10/E2BDF8CD-F423-48A6-8B62-6F3BDC61A8A4.jpg
http://i1214.photobucket.com/albums/cc481/youngz13o/Mobile%20Uploads/2015-10/335F3753-B792-4779-A846-E9B70B5A3611.jpg

Fourth day settling into new tank
http://i1214.photobucket.com/albums/cc481/youngz13o/Mobile%20Uploads/2015-10/58D77BD3-0236-4723-8BC3-CE276DBE3418.jpg
http://i1214.photobucket.com/albums/cc481/youngz13o/Mobile%20Uploads/2015-10/F36EA7CF-794E-4BD9-B385-38D4C7711EDE.jpg
http://i1214.photobucket.com/albums/cc481/youngz13o/Mobile%20Uploads/2015-10/7C4F9E87-31C5-4780-813B-86D733175AC7.jpg
http://i1214.photobucket.com/albums/cc481/youngz13o/Mobile%20Uploads/2015-10/68547E4B-22E1-4FB1-8717-9809C7D7F4E3.jpg
http://i1214.photobucket.com/albums/cc481/youngz13o/Mobile%20Uploads/2015-10/512770BE-8597-4F74-9BB2-E4DD98213524.jpg
http://i1214.photobucket.com/albums/cc481/youngz13o/Mobile%20Uploads/2015-10/D2A965CE-DEB2-4045-9825-AD305FF22DC3.jpg

I'm currently feeding new life spectrum cichlid pellets and tetra color flake food with plans to eventually make my own gel food once I can find some beef heart.

[Filip]

I wish you good luck with them .
How big are they right now 2"?
Are the rummies and pleco from the same source or did you mix them in this tank?

[Meshelly]

Most excellent. I will return to see your updates on these little guys!

[rickztahone]

Nice tank setup.

[dprais1]

hans doesn't use beefheart, lean groundbeef in his mix.

my avatar is a 6" (maybe a bit more) blue pigeon I got from him in march at 2.5". They will color up nicely. when they hit 5"+ you will see the red really develop, the white will whiten and the two colors will be much more defined.

[mkng07]

The rummys and plecos are sourced from another established tank.

@dprais. Nice to meet another fellow blue PB enthusiast! Can't believe you grew him from 2.5" to 6" in less than a year. Care to share his diet? My guys are around the 3-3.5" mark right now but they are growing fast and everyday I notice a bit more pattern/color development. Its really amazing.

[dprais1]

I have han's marlboro reds, brilliants, and blue pigeons. I have a blue diamond, a blue snakeskin and a couple of turks from a local breeder. I really like the blue pigeons the best!


I've fed them everything from tetra bits, to assorted flakes foods, NLS, beefheart mix, live worms and groundbeef mix. all my fish seem healthier when they get some fresh food in their diet daily--be it live worms or a beef mix***. I think that flake and pellets are maybe harder for them to digest(?). anyhow just my opinion.

Right now I feed mainly a beef mix and feed flake and/or pellets if I don't plan or have time to do a big waterchange. So I try for two 50% waterchanges a day, each about 30 min after beef mix and a mid-day meal of flakes or pellets. I really disliked NLS pellets, others praise them up and down but I found they made a big mess. once or twice a week I do close to 100% waterchange.

Truth is lots of clean water will have the biggest impact on their growth. I wouldn't worry overmuch about the food(although everyone does) just keep your filters clean and do lots of big waterchanges.

***I also find that I am FORCED to do bigger waterchanges with beef mixes because they are messier, so maybe that is why they seem healthier and not because of the food.

[seankelly]

Iv gotten lots of Discus from Hans,all at 2 1/2 inches,all grew to 5 1/2 - 6 1/2 in a year and beautiful!!!

[mkng07]

Did not expect discus to grow this fast. After a little over a week I can tell they are much larger.

I notice some of them shiver and shake sometimes. Is that breeding behavior or just normal? I was also thinking of putting a medium in the tank in case they wanted to try to breed. Would a PVC pipe or brick work?

http://i1214.photobucket.com/albums/cc481/youngz13o/Mobile%20Uploads/2015-10/8A505C56-AD49-4CAE-9253-F3A5EDD609C4_1.jpg

[rickztahone]

Too small for breeding. Maybe in a few months. Just keep the tank clean and feed good food :)

[mkng07]

At 2 weeks, they are still pretty shy. When I enter the room, they dart behind the sponge filter and hangout there for a while before slowly re-emerging out. They've been better then the first day but its just a slow process I guess. Coming from mbuna's, this is just something I'll have to get used to because the mbunas I've kept are usually completed acclimated to the new tanks after one day.

[mkng07]

1 month update:

Brief Summary:

One out of the five discus one is currently being treated in a hospital tank with prazi + metro ( hasn't eaten since I got him)
The other 4 discus have a healthy appetite and are doing well except one slow grower. He is eating just as much as the other discus but just growing slower.

All 5 discus together:
http://i1214.photobucket.com/albums/cc481/youngz13o/Mobile%20Uploads/2015-11/A7469A6B-E426-4086-BA37-15B5AAB32956.jpg

Hospital Tank:
http://i1214.photobucket.com/albums/cc481/youngz13o/Mobile%20Uploads/2015-11/D57DAB5B-9A2C-4BAC-9A14-1EFAED686AE9.jpg

http://i1214.photobucket.com/albums/cc481/youngz13o/Mobile%20Uploads/5734CB96-30D6-47BF-9FBD-52D8DF8454F1.jpg

[mkng07]

ugghhhh I've been trying to figure out how to post pictures without using photobucket for the last hour. I'm out of space on photobucket and have been trying to use either google drive or iphoto with no success. Any tips anyone? I don't want to continue using photobucket if possible since a majority of my photos or not on there.

[jeff12]

ugghhhh I've been trying to figure out how to post pictures without using photobucket for the last hour. I'm out of space on photobucket and have been trying to use either google drive or iphoto with no success. Any tips anyone? I don't want to continue using photobucket if possible since a majority of my photos or not on there.

Try tinypic.

[mkng07]

Try tinypic.
Thanks.

Starting to feed them a beefheart mix now. Its a lot more work, waterchange wise but the discus seem to devour it.
http://i66.tinypic.com/291c7dt.jpg
http://i64.tinypic.com/2q99e8p.jpg
http://i64.tinypic.com/aoaps7.jpg

[rickztahone]

ugghhhh I've been trying to figure out how to post pictures without using photobucket for the last hour. I'm out of space on photobucket and have been trying to use either google drive or iphoto with no success. Any tips anyone? I don't want to continue using photobucket if possible since a majority of my photos or not on there.

Use Flickr.com. Great free hosting website.

[SNap0283]

Looks like you have added a few other discus in as well?

[mkng07]

Yup, got some discus from Kenny awhile back. Couldn't resist. :)

[mkng07]

February Update:

Been another month and their colors are really starting to change. Starting to develop the deeper reds and white spots.

http://i65.tinypic.com/bj8wwl.jpg

http://i65.tinypic.com/2gyazcm.jpg

Little discus just isn't growing anymore

http://i68.tinypic.com/ea12mb.jpg

[monilovesdiscus]

I've started making my own food. Recently, I bought my own grinder to do my beef. I found if I buy super super lean meat [I check it for fat just by looking at it] then it seems less fatty than what they show at the store. I can also grind it so it's nice and smooth. I get better cubes out of it when I do my gelatin mix. For some reason, pre-ground beef just is fattier.