NADA Newsletter just released

[Carol_Roberts]

The North American Discus Association has produced its first Newsletter. NADA members go here http://discusnada.org/forum/index.php?topic=192.0 (http://discusnada.org/forum/index.php?topic=192.0) and click on the green paperclip in the first post by John Hernandez to read the newsletter. It opens in Adobe. (If you want to join NADA go to www.discusnada.org (http://www.discusnada.org/) and click on Join NADA)

I’ve written three articles for this newsletter and have included some excerpts.



How To Select Discus (This article is full of photographs illustrating the good and bad points of discus shape, eyes, fins, etc.)

Discus are an investment, both in the initial cost and the time spent growing them out. Selecting the right stock is a learned skill. You have to develop an eye for a good discus. Health, shape, fins, eyes, size, color, pattern and source are all important considerations when selecting discus.
These pet quality discus are very healthy with erect fins and clear, bright eyes. Unfortunately they have a football shape and pointy noses

[Carol_Roberts]

Headstanding (This article includes pictures of sick discus and medication dosages.)
Head standing is when the fish cannot swim in the normal, horizontal manner and the nose is pointing down toward the bottom of the aquarium. We are seeing more and more cases of head standing in discus.

[Carol_Roberts]

Using Potassium Permanganate (This article includes pictures of the tank while I am actually dosing the PP)
You can’t find potassium permanganate (PP) on the shelves of your local fish store or online fish catalog. This purple crystal, which is used by discus hobbyists to kill bacteria, external pests, like gill flukes and reduce the bio-load in fish tanks can be found at stores that sell home water softener equipment. I purchased mine at Sears.

[Carol_Roberts]

:balloon: :balloon: :balloon:There are several other pieces including an Interview with Jack Wattley by Jerry Baer and an excellent article full of charts by Willie Loh showing why a 100% water change every 4th day is better than a 25% water change daily.

I am very proud of the newsletter and hope you all enjoy it :)

[Northwestcoastdisc]

Hello Carol,

These are wonderful information.

I would like to let you know that the PP does not available for sale in Canada.

I have been looking for that.

I talked to Cary @ GLD what I made save his fish alive the same diease what you use for PP. What I did use Tetracycline hydrochloride works so well.

I believe the NADA is a great site and worth information.

Duncan

[Resinman]

Duncan you have to look for a chemical company for PP . There are quite a few here in Toronto and Mississauga. These companies will ship too. I buy from Alchem. You need a business number and off you go. They supply formaldihide too and all kinds of neat things you will hear us talk about on here. If that fails and you have no business registration try a science - hobby store.

Brent

[Timbo]

its hard to get in canada because potassium permanganate is a key cocaine essential chemical (precursor)

Operation Purple: "As of June 2004, 3,242 shipments of potassium permanganate have been monitored, 65,242,436 kilograms have been tracked, 106 shipments have been stopped or seized totaling 6,038,821 kilograms, and 57 reported arrests have been made. Using a conservative production ratio, 6,038,821 kilograms of potassium permanganate have the capability to yield approximately 603.8 metric tons of cocaine (at 10 kilograms of potassium permanganate per kilogram of cocaine)."

"The trafficking of illicit precursors via the internet is also of concern through the US. One area to improve upon is through increased education to advise the owners and operators of major online auction websites of the use of precursor chemicals in clandestine labs, and urge them to consider banning the sale of precursor chemicals over their web sites."



http://www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov/publications/international/factsht/precursor.html

on topic: I'm going to join NADA; those articles look great, thx Barb!

[Resinman]

Guys all I know is I just ordered and picked up enough PP to last me a couple of years. I know another breeder in Toronto that has atleast the same. Nice reading but I had absolutely no trouble what so ever. Oh yeah don't forget to pick up the hydrogenperoxide too. That you can get at the drug store :)

If I am allowed here is a company in Mississauga that I bought my last bottle from.

ALPHACHEM LTD.

2485 Miltower Court
Mississauga, Ontario
L5N 5Z6

Tel: (905) 821-2995
www.alphachem.ca

The sales rep I worked with is Diane Todd

Now if that isn't sharing I don't know what is :)


Hey guys isn't NADA Americian based?

[Timbo]

hydrogenperoxide = meth lab

hehe...j/k:)

[Cosmo]

wrong time of year.. but I'm told pool supply stores carry PP

[Suzanne]

I'm in Toronto and am cycling a new 110 gallon tank - I have a smaller tank with 3 discus now and will be moving them and adding more - I know of Barb Newell in Burlington but I'd like to get in touch with other Discus breeders in
the area? Can you help?

[Patriots]

Hi Suzanne,
There are a few more but only one more I could attest to:
Kumlin's Tropical Fish
2051 Duberry Drive
(416) 569-0989
Pickering, ON
www.kumlinstropical.com

The Gentleman's name is Kumar. I have purchased over a dozen fish from him. He has a geat selection of Discus with many different types of strains. I think my favourite thing most of all in dealing with Kumar is the outstanding level of care and service he also provides both spending time with him in his fish room and when you need some expert or emergency advice.

Check out his website, all the fish on his website are currently available, and he has some real beauties (I was just there last night).

There are a few others that I have found that I wouldn't mention since they failed to respond to emails or voice messages. I assume they are not interested or not in business any more.

I would strongly suggest you check out Kumar, you will not be disappointed with his exceptional products and service.

[traco]

Suzanne

I can attest to Barb Newell's fish as I bought from her last May. Her love of discus and the love and attention she puts into her fish, and breeding, is excellent. I was, and am, impressed with her care and attention before, during and after I purchased my fish from her. She has beautiful discus and I highly recommend her. :)

All you have to do is read through this forum and you'll get a good idea of breeders. Word of mouth (and forum) here will let you know. Good luck on finding discus. Betcha can't stop at just 1 tank. :)

[jim_shedden]

Duncan:
My drugist (Gaurdian Drugs) was able to get PP for me

JIm

[Resinman]

Hey Suzanne I am up in Brampton and have a few strains available right now in quite a few sizes. Your more than welcome to come up and see or even chat awhile. Just send me a private message and we can talk

[mench]

Resinman,can ya post some pics of your setup and some of your fish? Myself and some of my fish buds live in western NY and are always looking to take a road trip to look at fish.
Jim how are the fish ya got fro Jim doing? Post a pic if ya can.

Mench

[Resinman]

As per request :) Not sure which part you are interested in but if anyone knows me from the old days they know it is the filtration end I love so here are a few pics of my set up.

These babies are 5 feet tall. Hence the knick name Resinman :)

Brent

Resinman,can ya post some pics of your setup and some of your fish? Myself and some of my fish buds live in western NY and are always looking to take a road trip to look at fish.
Jim how are the fish ya got fro Jim doing? Post a pic if ya can.

Mench

[Resinman]

This is the prefilter that all my tanks come to before they go to my Anaerobic filter.

[Resinman]

this is the main anaerobic filter stage. This filter is 6 feet long and what you see are polyester pads that are cleaned regularly. My filter media is siberax from Serra. The filter has a 1000 watt heater that preheats the water and keeps the whole system warm. The silver wrapping is insulation. To the right you see a white over flow drain when I want to do any water changes it over flows down the drain. On the left you see an orange float valve that automatically replaces any water that evaporates or leaves from vacumming the tanks.

[Resinman]

This bio tower is about 5.5 feet tall is ribbed inside with a sprinkler bar feeding the water over the bioballs. It is also ported to vent air from the bottom and out the top for gas removal. If you look closely on the floor you can see my Grundfos pump that feeds the water back to the tanks. It is a 3 speed pump. On top speed it does 3500 gallons an hour and is absolutely silent :)

[Resinman]

These are my UV's. I know I know we all feel differently about using these but I am a big advocate and have been for years. These are very nice units. They are 2 feet long and are quartz sleeved. They both produce 41 watts of UVB each and have about 90 gallons an hour going through them.

[Resinman]

The whole system is in another room and feeds about 30 tanks. I am in the middle of adding new tanks and another system so the room is a little messy.

[Resinman]

Right now I am still in the raising stage, I have bred some Snakeskins and Marlboros but have brought in some other fish. I have some Melons, Yellow Crystals, White face Marlboros, Diamonds, Eruptions and some Golden Snakeskins that I am waiting to grow up and breed. Here are the Golden Snakeskins

[Resinman]

Some Melons. The peppering came from me roughly netting them I am sure it will clear up next generation

[Resinman]

Here are the Crystals I have. These fish are so robust they are funny. My partner open the lid to feed them some live food and one jumped about 2 inches out of the water to get to the food before the others :) As you can see the nice thing about a good central is you can load the tanks. That is a 75 gallon tank with 50 - 2.5 to 3 inch Yellow Crystal Juvs in it.

[Resinman]

Sorry guys I think I over did it again. Please forgive me. Problem is I just love doing what I do with the fish.

Brent

[Greg Richardson]

Brent. Can you explain your statement about rough netting related to pepperring? I need some understanding there.
Thanks!

[Resinman]

Wish I had a picture of one Melon in particular. When I first received the melons I acclimated them and they were all fine with no peppering whatsoever. The breeder I buy from over seas has great fish. A friend of mine have the same melons that are 3 months older and are great fish. after I acclimated them I netted them and transferred them to their tank. When I netted them I actually caught them 3 and 4 at a time and was pretty aggressive with them. Back in the days of cobalts and wild caughts I was never gentle. The difference it seems in these melons and the cobalts is how fine scaled they are. Hence the individual bagging when I received them. I noticed the peppering as they grew. one of them is marked through the body from the netting. Since My friend has the same fish from the same breeder I can only assume the peppering I have is from my rough treatment of the fish

[Kindredspirit]

Duncan:
My drugist (Gaurdian Drugs) was able to get PP for me

JIm



Sears has PP....in the garden section~



Marie~http://smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/36/36_16_9.gif