Adam's Grow Out Contest 2018 [Archive]

Adam S

09-25-2018, 02:10 AM

My name is Adam, but most people call me... Adam.

Here's a quick look at my essentials for the contest:

10 gal with horrible paint job, heater, and sponge filter:
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55 gallon aging barrel, pump, and hose to refill:
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bbs hatchery (used this religiously when I was still working with a lot of swordtails... we'll see how useful it is for discus fry):
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Arranging events like this always sound fun until you're elbow deep in a tank, cursing and trying to catch 100+ dime-sized critters that'd really rather not be caught, so a big thanks to Al for not only providing the fish but for putting the contest together to begin with. :D

Adam S

09-26-2018, 12:19 PM

Just tested pH, GH, and KH for the first time in years along with TDS.
pH: 7.6-7.8
GH: 19-20
KH: 7-8
TDS: 460-480 ppm (meter was jumping around a bit)

Perfect discus water, no?

Mr.BigBlock

09-26-2018, 02:59 PM

Good luck!

Pices

09-26-2018, 03:36 PM

Nice set up Adam. Looks like you’ve thought of everything. All you need now is fish.
Patty

danotaylor

09-27-2018, 12:42 AM

Looking good Adam. Is the white stuff on the BBS bottles just the adhesive where you removed the label? On my phone it looked like some fancy type of filtration scroll and I logged on to the PC to ask you about it...LOL, now I see it more clearly :o...it might even help if I wore my glassess, like, ever ;)

brewmaster15

09-27-2018, 02:23 PM

[QUOTE=Adam S;1298632]My name is Adam, but most people call me... Adam.

bbs hatchery (used this religiously when I was still working with a lot of swordtails... we'll see how useful it is for discus fry):
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I may have to steal this idea Adam , you would laugh at my ,um,,, set up:)

al

Adam S

09-27-2018, 06:25 PM

Thanks, Patty and 2ljd!

Looking good Adam. Is the white stuff on the BBS bottles just the adhesive where you removed the label? On my phone it looked like some fancy type of filtration scroll and I logged on to the PC to ask you about it...LOL, now I see it more clearly :o...it might even help if I wore my glassess, like, ever ;)
Bbs here don't even get a rinse lol. Straight into tank!

Adam S

09-27-2018, 06:31 PM

Babies arrived. Like Kwiege, the box had some leakage issues, but they all made it. Here's a blurry, fresh out of the bag shot:

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9 of the 10 are eating, so good start after some mistakes by USPS.

Tshethar

09-27-2018, 06:49 PM

Great news! :) Best of luck with them.

brewmaster15

09-27-2018, 06:51 PM

Awesome Awesome Awesome

Second Hand Pat

09-27-2018, 09:54 PM

So glad they came Adam. They look good! :D
Pat

Filip

09-28-2018, 06:22 AM

Great job Adam . They
look pretty good in your tank .
Your BBS hatchery is very neat and well thought Invention.
Good luck on your journey .

P.s.
Al , I wonder why all the contestant tanks had to be painted in white ?

Adam S

09-28-2018, 10:19 AM

Nothing like breakfast and a 90% water change.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H3cDG0tHBys

Tshethar

09-28-2018, 11:09 AM

Looking good!

Second Hand Pat

09-28-2018, 11:15 AM

They look great Adam :) BBS is great even at this age.
Pat

Mr.BigBlock

09-28-2018, 02:29 PM

They look great...good luck!

Jody

09-28-2018, 08:34 PM

I cannot wait to see how they turn out!

Paul Sabucchi

09-29-2018, 10:34 AM

Glad they made it ok, hope even the 10th one gets with the program and starts eating, wishing you all the best for the contest and I echo Al in admiring your brine shrimp hatchery

Adam S

09-29-2018, 08:22 PM

All 10 are eating well at this point. I tried some earthworm sticks this afternoon (staple pleco food), and they seemed to like them.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C2p4TbVbPbc
(YouTube wouldn't let me mute the video, so enjoy the filler music!)

Second Hand Pat

09-29-2018, 08:29 PM

They look great Adam :)
Pat

Jody

09-29-2018, 10:57 PM

Looks like they are feeding well - how many times per day?

Adam S

09-30-2018, 09:44 AM

They are being fed 4 times a day with 90% water change daily.

It's amazing how quickly fish heal at this age. One of the little guy's tail was split all the way to the base, but now, you can't tell which one it was.

Tshethar

09-30-2018, 10:58 AM

They really are looking good! All seem strong and healthy. Nice!

Adam S

09-30-2018, 05:48 PM

They really are looking good! All seem strong and healthy. Nice!
Thanks, Bill, maybe a little too strong. They're getting comfortable enough to pick at each other during feeding times.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H3zSI_3kQsQ

Tshethar

09-30-2018, 06:03 PM

You're not kidding, eh? I saw the beginnings of this with mine yesterday, but yours are going all out! And honestly, they all look like big ones--I'm jealous! :p

I think Al hooked you up... probably part of his big scheme to get you started on the DiskusGold. :laugh:

rickztahone

10-02-2018, 01:21 AM

Looking good Adam. You will have fun in this challenge simply because you guys have so many other discus groups to compare your own to. Fun times!

danotaylor

10-02-2018, 01:31 AM

Looking good Adam. All the best to you mate during the grow out challenge!

Pices

10-02-2018, 10:45 AM

That’s a feisty healthy hungrier bunch you got there.
Patty

Adam S

10-04-2018, 08:04 PM

Thanks, everyone. No real updates, just a pic and moving pic of the little guys. They're getting pretty used to water changes...

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... because they always get fed afterwards. The water is "aged" (agitated for 3 hours), but I don't bother heating it. A short dip into the 70F's doesn't phase them at all. :thumbsup:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lV6jcrHY5RM

Filip

10-05-2018, 05:11 AM

Adam S

10-05-2018, 10:44 AM

The new water is about 74F/23C (room temp) and yes, they eat right after. The only thing these guys are scared of is when I open the door to the stand; then, they scurry under the sponge for a few seconds.

brewmaster15

10-05-2018, 10:51 AM

Looking great Adam!

al

Filip

10-08-2018, 04:41 AM

This temp. drop experience is def. something new for me Adam .
And I remember my stand door and my canopy closing , causing stress to all my new discus arrivals too.

Adam S

10-11-2018, 06:10 PM

To answer Al's prompt, the lighting schedule for these guys is 6:00AM to 9:00PM.

Here they are in hunger formation:

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Mr.BigBlock

10-11-2018, 08:09 PM

They're coming along nicely!

modealings

10-13-2018, 01:32 PM

Looking good! How do you like that aqueon pro heater? I picked one up last minute for this challenge and have really liked it (moreso than the ebo jager). Ive had a few glass ones explode and this seems like a nice alternative.

Adam S

10-13-2018, 01:38 PM

Thanks, Joie.

Eric, Aqueon Pros are my favorite by far. My only complaint is how finicky the temperature setting is, but other than that, they're solid.

Adam S

10-19-2018, 11:05 PM

Scrubbing the tank bottom scares the little guys apparently. Not something I usually worry about (first time doing it with this tank), but boy did they sulk afterwards.

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Pices

10-20-2018, 08:17 AM

I like the hunger formation pic, like they’ll just mosey on up there to see what the hold up is. Ha They look great Adam.
Patty

Adam S

10-27-2018, 02:58 AM

Meant to post this earlier tonight, but Ian Kinsler can't throw a ball to save his life. Anyways, the babies were getting pretty feisty with each other, so they were bumped up to a 20 long.
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Tshethar

10-27-2018, 03:51 AM

Meant to post this earlier tonight, but Ian Kinsler can't throw a ball to save his life. Anyways, the babies were getting pretty feisty with each other, so they were bumped up to a 20 long.
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Yup, with you on that one. I think we all missed Pedroia there. Oh well. At least the discus are doing well! :) New tank looks good!

Pices

10-27-2018, 11:26 AM

Man that water and those fish look fantastic. Nice!
Patty

Adam S

10-28-2018, 06:22 PM

Made a slight change to the tank. Instead of an air, the sponge is now powered by a 100 gph powerhead.

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Also, here's how I stabilize water in 2-3 hours instead of overnight. The thing shooting the water is a fan spray nozzle from HD.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VsY2oekzRD0

Adam S

10-28-2018, 06:44 PM

Yup, with you on that one. I think we all missed Pedroia there. Oh well. At least the discus are doing well! :) New tank looks good!

Thanks, Bill! Not sure why the rest of my family was worried though. Mitchy Four Bags and Pearce are MONSTERS! Let's hope they wrap it up tonight.

Tshethar

10-29-2018, 01:57 AM

Thanks, Bill! Not sure why the rest of my family was worried though. Mitchy Four Bags and Pearce are MONSTERS! Let's hope they wrap it up tonight.

Damage Done, brothah! Crazy how good that roster was from top to bottom. And how about 2+ nights of relief pitching from Joe "Nails" Kelley?

As for this discus competition, we're just going to have to grind it out, one fish at a time. :thumbsup:

Second Hand Pat

10-29-2018, 06:48 AM

Hi Adam, what were the reasons for adding a pump to the top of the sponge? Fry and tank look great :D
Pat

Adam S

10-29-2018, 09:09 AM

Damage Done, brothah! Crazy how good that roster was from top to bottom. And how about 2+ nights of relief pitching from Joe "Nails" Kelley?

As for this discus competition, we're just going to have to grind it out, one fish at a time. :thumbsup:

My ankles hurt after watching Chris Sale. The slider was putting in work last night.

Hi Adam, what were the reasons for adding a pump to the top of the sponge? Fry and tank look great :D
Pat

Thanks, Pat. The pump makes cleanup a lot easier, as the waste ends up in a small pile near the back. As an added bonus, they seem more outgoing now.

Adam S

11-03-2018, 12:12 PM

fljones3

11-03-2018, 04:25 PM

What kind of shrimp? Did they live through the event? :D

Adam S

11-03-2018, 06:35 PM

Cherry shrimp. They learned how to get along after a couple hours lol.

dagray

11-03-2018, 06:46 PM

Cherry shrimp. They learned how to get along after a couple hours lol.

you have a colony of these? I love some shrimp as they are fun to watch.

fljones3

11-03-2018, 07:08 PM

you have a colony of these? I love some shrimp as they are fun to watch.

I agree. Would love to try some.

dagray

11-03-2018, 07:17 PM

I agree. Would love to try some.

They are easy if you don't overfeed, and do well in a small 5-10 gallon tank. When I had them they were in a 20 gallon with otttos as they are too big to fit in the Ottos mouth, I have also seen them kept with endlers live bearers.

Cherry shrimp are great at cleaning up algae, uneaten food, and detritus from plant decay.

Usually if you buy them they will be between 1/2 and 1 inch, but they grow fast.

Adam S

11-03-2018, 09:04 PM

I have quite a few, pm if you want to try some. Big discus will devour them though. Keep alone or with plecos if you want numbers. Contrary to some claims, they love water changes and tap water!

Adam S

11-11-2018, 12:11 AM

Update time: fish are still doing well, but I feel like they're lagging behind the competition a fair bit. I started feeding more heavily and changing water twice a day, so hopefully they can make up some ground.

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danotaylor

11-12-2018, 12:10 AM

They look clean, happy and healthy. The eye/body ratio still looks on the money for the ones shown in the pic. You have some good looking fry there for sure Adam. Keep at it mate!

Adam S

11-18-2018, 02:31 AM

Weekly update: no major events. Lots of aggression during feeding, so I've been making an effort to really spread the food around the tank. Of course, whatever bites the other fish are getting are better than the bites they already have.

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Second Hand Pat

11-18-2018, 10:44 AM

They look good Adam :)
Pat

sanjay21

11-19-2018, 01:07 AM

Looking great Adam :)

Adam S

11-30-2018, 10:26 PM

Had to skip last week's update, so here's this week's:

The guy in the back is my stud for the contest. He (presumably) is putting his siblings to shame unfortunately, and I'm not thrilled with his growth either. Doing the contest over again, I would definitely make some big changes to their care during the first several weeks. Think I started treating them like 'juveniles' instead of 'babies' far too quickly.

P.S. Thanks, Daniel, Pat, and Sanjay :D.

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jeep

11-30-2018, 11:37 PM

Think I started treating them like 'juveniles' instead of 'babies' far too quickly.

Ditto! I'm not unhappy with mine but I was a little late serving bbs. Yours are good and round and have plenty to look forward to!

Pices

12-01-2018, 09:22 AM

My pictures are getting worse by the week, but at least the fish are doing okay.

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I added some shrimp to help clean up the food particles between water changes. The video was taken right after they were added, so the discus were pretty excited.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LrXW7ZDTs6Q

The music in your video cracked me up! Your babies look great. La la la la la la la la. This is a little off topic, but when you get over whelmed with shrimp can you feed them to discus?
Patty

Adam S

12-01-2018, 10:25 AM

Yes to discus, and you will never see angels swim as fast as they do chasing live shrimp!

About the cherry shrimp in the pictures... It's probably just coincidence, but after feeding the discus some shrimp mix I make for plecos (market shrimp, fish, peas, etc.), they ate all ~20 overnight. Whoops.

Pices

12-01-2018, 11:22 AM

I knew discus liked to snack on them, I just didn’t know if the shell was good for them to snack on. Now I know what to do with the extras down the road. Thanks Adam. Also, accident? I think not! The nose “knows” apparently!
Patty

Adam S

12-02-2018, 01:21 PM

Hi all,
I had mean't to ask this in beginning but for reference facts, could you all tell us how you acclimated the fish when you received them for the contest?
Thanks,
Al

The bag water was still pretty warm, so I just cut the bags, drained into a net over a bucket, and released into the tank. No light or feeding until morning. I usually temp. acclimate for 20-30 minutes, but after the delay by USPS, they needed clean water asap.

Adam S

12-07-2018, 10:36 PM

Fish are doing fine, no big changes to speak of. To answer Steve's water change prompt: water is drained out the backdoor with a 25' drinking water hose and pumped back to the tank from a 55 gal barrel with a Mag 7 (or 9.5, can't remember). I think the sponges have been squeezed and the tank scrubbed a total of one time...

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modealings

12-08-2018, 07:04 AM

Do you keep any bristlenose with your discus Adam? As they grow bigger I was thinking this could be an option to keep the slime down - my tank walls seem to get pretty grimey w the BH feedings.

Adam S

12-08-2018, 11:55 AM

Nope, but plenty of people appear to do it successfully. Bristlenose just eat too much to keep in a growout tank imo.

Adam S

12-15-2018, 12:46 AM

Another week passes by. Their favorite food so far seems to be earthworm sticks, but it's also the most messy.

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Mando

12-20-2018, 12:46 AM

How long before an ss stops showing their bars? I have one at 3.5 inches and still shows them.

Pices

12-20-2018, 10:14 AM

Nice shapes and they seem to know how great they look too. They’ve got that, “Check me out” look about them. Ha ha
Patty

Adam S

12-20-2018, 10:55 AM

How long before an ss stops showing their bars? I have one at 3.5 inches and still shows them.
Hopefully someone else can chime in. No clue.

Nice shapes and they seem to know how great they look too. They’ve got that, “Check me out” look about them. Ha ha
Patty
They like attention from everything except the siphon hose. Still sends them scurrying to the other side of the tank.

Adam S

12-22-2018, 12:21 AM

Holy shoddy camerawork, Batman! Pic 1 is the victim I'll be subjecting to the ruler of truth sometime this week. Pic 2 is what most of its siblings look like at the moment. Not super proud of them, but it's what I get for cutting BBS too early and not feeding enough in general. Guess I didn't retain much from raising fancy swords lol.

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Adam S

12-29-2018, 01:51 AM

Still trucking along. Completely forgot to measure this guy during the water change, so I'll update that tomorrow.

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Phil4Discus

12-29-2018, 08:28 PM

Fish are looking great Adam!

LizStreithorst

12-29-2018, 08:35 PM

I've always believed that feeding for fast growth is likely to result in heaviness in the area of the chin. I think your fish look just fine.

danotaylor

12-29-2018, 11:23 PM

Sorry Adam, quick hijack lol
Liz by "chin" do you mean where the gills attach to the upper chest area.
BTW, I agree, you fish look very nice and proportionate mate. Good job :thumbsup:

Pices

12-29-2018, 11:37 PM

I love the black tips on your guy. He may not be the biggest (yet) but he sure is pretty!
Patty

Second Hand Pat

12-29-2018, 11:54 PM

Looking good Adam :D
Pat

LizStreithorst

12-30-2018, 09:06 AM

Sorry Adam, quick hijack lol
Liz by "chin" do you mean where the gills attach to the upper chest area.
BTW, I agree, you fish look very nice and proportionate mate. Good job :thumbsup:

No, I should have said heavy chest. The area just under the mouth.

danotaylor

12-30-2018, 10:05 AM

Thanks Liz...that is what I thought you meant ;)

Adam S

12-31-2018, 09:39 PM

Thanks all for the kind words.

Here's the biggest one up against a ruler and some 1/4" graph paper, a little over 2" SL.

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