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Kindredspirit
08-31-2005, 11:56 AM
:confused:

I so need some help, Please! Right when i think i have it all down, i read on some other site, 'do it this way'....here are my questions:

Can you have a dojo eel with discuses?? I have one with one for about three months and all is good, but i am getting three more discuses tomorrow!

Next: I wanted to get a Blue colbot lobster...its like 3 inches and the history says peaceful and blah blah..any comments on this??? i so want him!!

Also... i can not get my Ms. Pringles, my discus, to eat anything but bloodworms! Is that okay????

Last but not least, are you not suppose to use Activated Carbon?? I have been from the beginning , for like 4 months! My readings are :

ammonia = 0
nitrites = 0
nitrates = 20
hardness = 120-250
alkalinity = 80-120
Ph = 6.8-7.6

What does that tell you??? I am going by what the bottle says and i keep it pretty much these readings. Which one is the most important?? I do water changes every other day, about 20%, 30 gal tank...

My next question pertains to driftwood...do discuses need that?? I was going to get a piece , but was told that it would make my water tea colored...and my water is crystal clear and i so want to keep it that way!!

I think i have one more question....i sure hope someone answers all this!! i wonder what one would do if you looked at your tank, or discuses and thought they were ill...by looking at them...
What would be the first thing, besides testing your water, would you do?? What would you do next? I was told to administer Quic Cure....

Any suggestions?? I am worried about my other discuses coming soon ...I have never wanted to hug a fish before!!! But these guys are so cute!!!! i love them....how do you love a fish???


anyways.. thanks to anyone who wants to answer all my questions...please remember i am new ( and a blonde) so please talk in layman terms, and not scientist talk!! thank you!!


Marie!

Carol_Roberts
08-31-2005, 04:40 PM
Most of your questions can be answered by reading through the beginner section here or "Discus Care" at www.discusnada.org

I keep only discus with discus in bare bottom tanks with nitrates less than 5. No driftwood, no carbon, bloodworms are fine, but you should add a good dry food like tetra bits. First line of defense if fish look ill is extra water changes. Best to have stable water rather than trying to adjust your water to a "perfect" number for pH or hardness.

Kindredspirit
08-31-2005, 08:02 PM
Thanks Carol! you say no carbon....but if i do not use the two blue carbon filters my tank will be cloudy and not crystal clear!!!

Eddie
08-31-2005, 10:28 PM
Hey there Marie,

Activated carbon is not required to keep your water crystal clear. If you have a bare bottom tank that is cycled (meaning biofiltration) then your water will be clear. Your tank is cycled obviously because your water readings are good. My tanks stay crystal clear all the time and I do not use carbon. I'm sure it's the same with graveled tanks. HTH

By the way, It's easy to love a fish. They are your babies and you give them lovin all of the time. You should post some pictures of your tank.

Eddie

traco
08-31-2005, 11:38 PM
Hi Marie

First I love the name you have for your discus, Ms. Pringles! :D :D :D Second, listen to Carol, plus go to the link she suggested. This forum is also great for all info. And don't feel foolish asking questions, better a dumb question and you learn than going along in helter skelter and having disease or casualities.

Learn and enjoy!!

Barb

Kindredspirit
09-01-2005, 08:34 AM
:angel: Thank You Guys! I was beginning to think that my questions were hella dumb that is why no one answered me! Thank you ! I have oodles of questions and i did go to that site and made a list of things to purchase! I have three discuses coming real soon! Okay...so i do not need carbon to keep my tank crystal clear??? How cool is that? So why do people use carbon?? dont answer that, i really do not care if Ms. Pringle doesnt need it! Okay, i have a Penguin Bio 150, whatever that means... but thatz what it says! So, take out the little blue carbon filters?? and put what in?? nothing?? And i dont have a bare bottom tank, i do have gravel, but only less than a 1/4 ''....

My next question is : Ms. Pringles, my only discuses of two months, is such a mellow *****, but she wont eat anything , nothing at all but bloodworms, and i use to feed live ones but , umm...Hell No! i dropped one on me and that will never happen again! So, now i feed frozen and she loves them, but she wont eat anything else i tried! Is this okay?? Also, I wanted to thank, Barb and Eddie for replying ! I so do not know how to reply individually on this site!

Eddie
09-01-2005, 04:21 PM
Hey there Marie,
You from California? Anyways, to reply individually to somebody just click on thier name and you will have the option to private message them. To check your PM's just look up at the top of the page on the right hand side and you will see if you have any PM's. As far as the blue filter, you can be creative. Use a bio bag and fill it with any kind of bio media or just cut the top of the blue cartridges and pour out the carbon and fill the blue cartridge with a filter media. See link for examples:
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/Product/Prod_Display.cfm?pcatid=4327&inm=1&N=2004+113804+113565
You should use a pre-filter on your intake tube, something like a simple sponge. See link below
http://forum.simplydiscus.com//showthread.php?t=27064
These are just ideas. As far as getting your girl to eat something else, try feeding a little bit of blood worms and just a bit of another type of food also. Even if she doesn't eat it keep it up and don't give in. Do this for as long as takes to get her to eat the new type of food. Continue putting less and less bloodworms until she eats all the food. This might take a while but don't let your girl be the boss. I've pretty much stopped one food and started another continously for 2 weeks until they ate the new food. The fish won't starve and somebody will start to eat. After that, they will all eat. Get back with me in a few weeks and let me know the progress. Also, don't hesitate to ask more and more questions. No question is a bad question. :)

Eddie

Kindredspirit
09-02-2005, 03:33 PM
Eddie, thanks for the info..but i am a little confused! I have a Peguin Bio Wheel 150. Chemical? Biological? Mechanical?? I have those two blue activated carbon in there, remember? Okay...Intake thingy everyone talks about....is that where the two blue filters are? or next to it is a little box that fills with water?? What is the intake??? Next....inside my tank is the long black thingy which im thinking is the fliter thingy...that connects to the BIo wheel on the outside of the tank... So, now...i like the idea of cutting the top of the blue activated carbon filters, empty out the carbon and fill with filter media....sounds simple enuff...esp for me! But what is filter media? With my luck i shall fill with something dreadful and kill everyone! Now you say i should us a pre-filter on the intake tube, im thinking you want me to cover that long black filter in my tank that connects to the Bio Wheel, with a sponge? right? the whole thing? how far up? and where to get one?? i will read the links....Eddie, i also just rec'vd my new discuses about two hours ago...they so do not look like the beautiful colors i ordered, but i am sure that it is due to travel and stress...right? I hope they start swimming around more soon....how long before something could be wrong??
You are so sweet , thank you for all your help!

Cali!

(Marie)

Eddie
09-02-2005, 04:14 PM
Hey there Cali (Marie),

You are correct. The black tube that hangs into the water is the intake tube. That is where you would place the sponge. You should read the link I attached in the last message about pre-filter sponges. It's very useful on this subject. The other link that I sent you has a good example of the media you could use. It's made for a specific filter but you could use it, It works. I use it and it's easy to rinse. It would be very easy to take care of. When ever you clean the filter media you always want to use water from the fish tank. Just fill a bucket with water from the tank and empty out the media in bucket. basically, move the media around in the water then put it back in the blue cartridge. You wouldn't have to do this very often if you have a pre-filter. The pre-filter is just that. It collects most of the more larger particles and lets the cleaner water hit the media. The pre-filter can be taken off daily if you'd like and just rinse it in regular tap water. The pre-filter will not act as a bio-filter. It is used as a mechanical filter only.

Also your fish may not look like what you ordered due to shipping and usually the fish fotos your looking at to select your discus are the best fish of the bunch. Your fish will develop into gorgeous Discus with proper care. Good feeding and water quality are the best way to raise beautiful fish. It will also, keep your fish from becoming ill.

Eddie

Kindredspirit
09-02-2005, 04:52 PM
Thanks Eddie! i will go with all you suggest! Hey, i have aquarium salt, lots of it, can i use that instead of Kosher? Marie!

Eddie
09-02-2005, 05:07 PM
Yes.

http://forum.simplydiscus.com//showthread.php?t=25743