PDA

View Full Version : Week #2, Water change #2



Chad Hughes
06-05-2009, 12:08 AM
Well, it's the end of week two and I've performed the second of 52 water changes that will be performed on my contest fish tank for the year. Everything is going well. I tested the tank water prior to the change and everything is spot on. I've attached pictures of the test results and the rest are all of the fish enjoying life!

There is a bit of algae that is beginning to linger so I eliminated the potassium phospahte in the plant fertilizer mix today. Should clear things right up. Other than that, there is nothing too new to report. I am very tempted to pull a couple of the fish out for measurement, but I promised myself that I would only do that once a month. I think every four weeks will give a good idea of how growth is going.

Their eating habits are insatiable. No matter when I approach the tank they come flying up like they haven't eaten in hours. Most of the time I break down and feed them a little something, but I am trying to stick to a monitorable feeding schedule.

That's about it for now. Enjoy the pics!

Best wishes!

rickztahone
06-05-2009, 12:10 AM
i'm glad you are having success with the 1 week WC schedule Chad. i knew that if anyone could do it, it'd be you! congrats again, and the discus are looking beautiful. do any of yours have that faint reverse stress bar look? i've kind of grown to like it

Chad Hughes
06-05-2009, 12:24 AM
Thanks Ricardo. I did notice some of the bars when I first got the fish, but I have to say that I haven't noticed them since. I'll have to look close. They were pretty faint in the beginning, but I did notice them. They're all tucked in bed right now, so tomorrow I'll check it out and if I can get a picture, I'll post it for you.

Best wishes!

wgtaylor
06-05-2009, 12:46 AM
Hi Chad

Hey those babies are fat. They look great. I know what you mean about hard to resist feeding them all the time especially being a contest and all. Looks like the plants are starting to grow too. I'm sure happy you have chosen to raise your discus this way, it's great to check in to see your setup.
Did I hear you have enough time to go to Vegas, lucky guy.:)
Good job, take care

Bill

calihawker
06-05-2009, 12:55 AM
They really look great in there Chad! I know what you mean. I break down and feed them a little something between meals as well. :)

MRQuad
06-05-2009, 01:07 AM
that is sooo nice chad.. you did a great job on them..

Chad Hughes
06-05-2009, 01:08 AM
Hi Chad

Hey those babies are fat. They look great. I know what you mean about hard to resist feeding them all the time especially being a contest and all. Looks like the plants are starting to grow too. I'm sure happy you have chosen to raise your discus this way, it's great to check in to see your setup.
Did I hear you have enough time to go to Vegas, lucky guy.:)
Good job, take care

Bill

Bill,

Yes, they are chubbing up. The pics were taken right after the water change and a feeding. I am a sucker for young discus begging at the glass. I guess they're kind of like puppies. LOL!

The plants have grown about 5" since the last post. That is typical. They are fast growers and really eat up nutirents in the water. They happen to look pretty nice too. I am most impressed with the growth of the corkscrew vals. They have really taken well and are starting to shoot off runners.

I'm glad to hear that you appreciate my setup and look forward to the updates. Honestly, I look forward to posting them. I love to enjoy aquariums and in doing so, I like them to look like aquascapes. I've gotten pretty good at taking care of them and I've always had discus do well in them.

Yes, I went to Vegas for a wedding. Have you ever been to one of those Vegas chapel weddings? It was the weirdest thing I've ever experienced. We were in the chapel for about 5 minutes and the whole thing was done. After that was the reception that lasted from about 5 pm to 2 am. It was a good time! Didn't hit any jackpots though, but I did contribute to the livelyhood of the Hooters girls at the Hooters Casino. LOL!

Thanks again Bill!


They really look great in there Chad! I know what you mean. I break down and feed them a little something between meals as well. :)

Steve,

Thanks man! Yeah, when I walk past and they get all excited, I have to hook them up. It's a weakness. LOL!

Best wishes!

Eddie
06-05-2009, 01:33 AM
Looking good Chad, they are bulking up, I can really tell. Nice work!


Take care bro,

Eddie

acroken
06-05-2009, 09:54 AM
Glad to hear you made it out of LV with out losing your shirt, seams like your money was well spent there:D Fish and tank are looking awesome. Are you running ozone? Thanks for the post, I look forward to the next one. Have a good weekend.

Kenny

Chad Hughes
06-05-2009, 11:49 AM
Looking good Chad, they are bulking up, I can really tell. Nice work!


Take care bro,

Eddie

Eddie,

Thanks man! They are really putting on some girth. We're working with great stock! ;)

Take care brother!



Glad to hear you made it out of LV with out losing your shirt, seams like your money was well spent there:D Fish and tank are looking awesome. Are you running ozone? Thanks for the post, I look forward to the next one. Have a good weekend.

Kenny

Kenny,

Yeah, it was a good trip and still had my shirt. LOL! I always have agreat time in Vegas. I go about twice a year for one reason or another.

The tank is doing very well and the fish are AWESOME! I do run ozone for about 2 hours a day, about 11 hours apart. I do not use a controller. Initially I took readings with an ORP meter to see where the baseline was and set it from there. I haven't checked since last week, but it was OK then and everything is working so well, I just don't check stuff that is working. LOL!

Thanks for the interest in the updates! Have a great weekend as well!

Best wishes!

Larry208
06-05-2009, 03:09 PM
Chad:

They are sure great looking fish. Like how they are putting on some weight. Looking good keep up the good work.

Larry:)

Chad Hughes
06-05-2009, 03:11 PM
Hey Larry!

Thanks a bunch! I am very happy with the way they are coming in to form. I't only been a couple of weeks and already differences can be seen. I am curious how the colors will evolve. I'll keep you posted!

Best wishes!

Scribbles
06-05-2009, 04:18 PM
Chad,

Your discus are looking super! Glad your wc schedule is working out so far. I think that plants can really help in that respect. Keep up the good work.

Chris

Chad Hughes
06-05-2009, 04:52 PM
Chris,

Thanks so much! Yes, I've had great success with these methods.

Best wishes!

Armandi_Fishcarer
06-06-2009, 07:33 PM
Chad, what can I say bro, from your last w/c can see some remarkable changes. Keep it up, already I can't wait to see the next w/c. If they keep running at this rate & hope they do for you, the other contestants will be bitting their finger nails. :D

Regards
Ahmed ;)

Chad Hughes
06-06-2009, 08:20 PM
Ahmed,

Thanks for the great compliments! I really appreciate that. Like I've said before, I am very curious to see how the different methods deliver in the end. We have to wait 50 more weeks though! LOL!

Best wishes!

TankWatcher
06-07-2009, 05:16 AM
Beautiful, chunky & so healthy looking. They are obviously very happy.

Chad Hughes
06-08-2009, 02:39 PM
Beautiful, chunky & so healthy looking. They are obviously very happy.

Thanks Robyn!

Yes, they seem to be as happy as can be! so far so good. I'll be posting another update Thursday night. Until then, take care!

Best wishes!

Chad Hughes
06-09-2009, 12:21 AM
i'm glad you are having success with the 1 week WC schedule Chad. i knew that if anyone could do it, it'd be you! congrats again, and the discus are looking beautiful. do any of yours have that faint reverse stress bar look? i've kind of grown to like it

Ricardo,

I took a close look at all the fish this evening and I can't say that any of them are showing any bars. I do know what you are talking about though. When the fish first got here, I did see some faint lines. They must show them only when stressed and leave no traces when not stressed.

Best wishes!

Marywouters
06-10-2009, 01:45 AM
This is stunning. I always thought you needed daily waterchanges to have your fish growing to normal proportions. I am very curious to see how they will be doing at the end of the year.

Mary

mikel
06-10-2009, 05:59 AM
Chad: Glad to see that you fishies are holding their own versus all the BB ones in the other group. I am also curious to see if this grow-out in a planted tank is possible. I have always grown out my juvies in BB with massive water changes, but you may offer a viable alternative. I personally dont care for the hassle of plants, but a planted tank is definitely more pleasing to the eye. So far, your fish look absolutely stunning, and very plump! There could be an upset and a shocker at the end yet! Good luck! :))))))))):):):)

Chad Hughes
06-10-2009, 02:56 PM
This is stunning. I always thought you needed daily waterchanges to have your fish growing to normal proportions. I am very curious to see how they will be doing at the end of the year.

Mary

Mary,

Thank you for the kind words. I have grown out fry with these methods but never took the time to document the full process. With the contest discus I am taking this opportunity to not only provide detailed week by week progress, but I also have others growing out the same fish. I've never had this type of opportunity before. Although I get excellent growth tthrough these methods, I too will be eager to see the final result at the end of the contest.

I'll be posting another update tomorrow, so stay tuned! LOL!

Best wishes!

Chad: Glad to see that you fishies are holding their own versus all the BB ones in the other group. I am also curious to see if this grow-out in a planted tank is possible. I have always grown out my juvies in BB with massive water changes, but you may offer a viable alternative. I personally dont care for the hassle of plants, but a planted tank is definitely more pleasing to the eye. So far, your fish look absolutely stunning, and very plump! There could be an upset and a shocker at the end yet! Good luck! :))))))))):):):)

Mike,

Thank you for the kind words!! As mentioned above, I'll be anxious to see the final result as well. As for plants, the biggest hassle is probably keeping them trimmed. I once had to go to Hong Kong for work and I left the tank without any real attention for three weeks. When I got back the whole tank was nothing but plants. The nice part about plants is that in situations like having to travel, you can count on them to keep your water parameters in check. Works like a charm!

I'm not looking for an upset or a shocker with the contest. I would like to see a photo finish though. I doubt that my methods will produce bigger fish than any other contestant. What I do hope for the judging will be difficult! LOL!

Best wishes!

GuitarCrazyo
11-05-2009, 07:50 PM
Im less then 3 weeks out from the Pittsburgh and am weighing
177. My carbs are still low. Im trying to get down to 174 so I can carb up mid week before the show. Any other thoughts on getting ride of water?

Chad Hughes
11-09-2009, 05:34 PM
Im less then 3 weeks out from the Pittsburgh and am weighing
177. My carbs are still low. Im trying to get down to 174 so I can carb up mid week before the show. Any other thoughts on getting ride of water?

I'm not sure that I understand your question. :confused: