Pat's Wilds Journal 2

[Second Hand Pat]

This is a continuation of my wilds journal which I started about two months ago and included a pretty decent learning curve. Next I want to focus to my water parameters and growing out the sub-adults. I currently have 19 discus. Can we say overboard. :cheesy: I have 6 Nhamunda reds, 2 Uatuman Blues, 8 Green Tefes and 3 Alenquers.

This guy is the larger of the Uatuman blue
http://i925.photobucket.com/albums/ad95/Second_Hand_Pat/Wild%20Uatuman%20Blue/P3290007.jpg
http://i925.photobucket.com/albums/ad95/Second_Hand_Pat/Wild%20Uatuman%20Blue/P3290002.jpg

and here are my reference pictures to measure growth. I thought he had grown some but does not look like it. First picture is 2-01-2011 and next is tonight. White marks are about an inch apart.
http://i925.photobucket.com/albums/ad95/Second_Hand_Pat/Wild%20Uatuman%20Blue/02-10-2011UBlue2.jpg
http://i925.photobucket.com/albums/ad95/Second_Hand_Pat/Wild%20Uatuman%20Blue/02-29-2011UBlue2-1.jpg

Need to up the groceries.

[discuspaul]

Aw, c'mon Pat, they'll do very well with the care and attention you give them, and you know it ! LOL
When you get a spawning pair, I want some of the youngsters.

[Second Hand Pat]

Aw, c'mon Pat, they'll do very well with the care and attention you give them, and you know it ! LOL
When you get a spawning pair, I want some of the youngsters.

Well Paul, if I even get that far you are more than welcome to come claim some.

[lizziotti]

Ok pat time for more updates. Hows the crew doing? and pics please?

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[Second Hand Pat]

Ok pat time for more updates. Hows the crew doing? and pics please?

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using Tapatalk

Liz, tonight for sure. QT Crew is doing great. Friendly, eating good and look great. My favorite tank. I also do 50% daily WCs due to 10 discus in a 75, so a bit overstocked.

[Second Hand Pat]

Here you go Liz.

http://i925.photobucket.com/albums/ad95/Second_Hand_Pat/Wild%20Green%20Tefe%20Discus/P4010022.jpg
http://i925.photobucket.com/albums/ad95/Second_Hand_Pat/Wild%20Green%20Tefe%20Discus/P4010019.jpg
http://i925.photobucket.com/albums/ad95/Second_Hand_Pat/Wild%20Green%20Tefe%20Discus/P4010018.jpg
http://i925.photobucket.com/albums/ad95/Second_Hand_Pat/Wild%20Green%20Tefe%20Discus/P4010016.jpg
http://i925.photobucket.com/albums/ad95/Second_Hand_Pat/Wild%20Green%20Tefe%20Discus/P4010014.jpg
http://i925.photobucket.com/albums/ad95/Second_Hand_Pat/Wild%20Green%20Tefe%20Discus/TefeGang2.jpg

Group shots
http://i925.photobucket.com/albums/ad95/Second_Hand_Pat/Wild%20Green%20Tefe%20Discus/P4010020.jpg
http://i925.photobucket.com/albums/ad95/Second_Hand_Pat/Wild%20Green%20Tefe%20Discus/P4010021.jpg
http://i925.photobucket.com/albums/ad95/Second_Hand_Pat/Wild%20Green%20Tefe%20Discus/P4010024.jpg

And here is one of the new Alenquer
http://i925.photobucket.com/albums/ad95/Second_Hand_Pat/Wild%20Green%20Tefe%20Discus/P4010023.jpg

[Jennie]

that last alenquer is ROUND!

[lizziotti]

Thanks for the update they look great! Did scaleless recover fully?

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[Keith Perkins]

I love the pics Pat, the colors and markings on your wilds are very cool. We don't have the type of discus we keep in common, but it appears our exterior glass cleaning schedule is about the same. :D

[YSS]

Loving the greens. I will have to get some from John.

[Second Hand Pat]

that last alenquer is ROUND!

Thanks Jennie, I'm thinking about submitting some pictures if this bad boy to Simply-U and have it rated after it settles more and colors up.


Thanks for the update they look great! Did scaleless recover fully?

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You are welcome Liz. I am really happy with the QT crew and fill they are doing great. Scaleless remains a problem child and seems to improve with being out and better color than I will walk by and its rather dark. Maybe it has flagellates which got the better of it from the BN attack and it has not recovered 100%. I'm rather puzzled about this fish. Maybe I should return it to the disease section for a relook.


I love the pics Pat, the colors and markings on your wilds are very cool. We don't have the type of discus we keep in common, but it appears our exterior glass cleaning schedule is about the same. :D

Thanks Keith, I love the muted colors on these greens and each fish is a bit different then the next. Yea, I need to work on the glass cleaning and say that to myself everything I post pictures. First I'm :mad: and then :rolleyes2:.


Loving the greens. I will have to get some from John.

YSS, The greens are my favorites, friendly and outgoing. Like a pack of kids with no voices.

[Keith Perkins]

I try to clean the glass each time before I take any pictures. Maybe that has something to do with why I take so few pics. :)

[Teleman]

Hi Pat
Now I know how you get the fish to look so good, You take turns plugging them into the heater.:>) They are really looking great,starting to show their personalities. Keep up the good work.
Ken

[Second Hand Pat]

Hi Pat
Now I know how you get the fish to look so good, You take turns plugging them into the heater.:>) They are really looking great,starting to show their personalities. Keep up the good work.
Ken

Oh no Ken, I Photoshop the pictures :grin: How these stands coming?

[Second Hand Pat]

I try to clean the glass each time before I take any pictures. Maybe that has something to do with why I take so few pics. :)

I like your overhead pictures Keith. No glass and little water in the way.

[Jason K.]

lovely fish you have there pat!

[Second Hand Pat]

Thanks Jay :)

[Keith Perkins]

Hi Pat
Now I know how you get the fish to look so good, You take turns plugging them into the heater.:>)

That was part of a heater? Here I thought Pat had one of them fancy GPS locators on one of her fish.


I like your overhead pictures Keith. No glass and little water in the way.

Did some glass cleaning yesterday, we'll see if I can get the results posted today.

[Second Hand Pat]

OK, I get the "heater" LOL, that's a temp probe. Keith, would love to see more pictures.

[Second Hand Pat]

The discus in the QT are very excited about feeding time but the discus in the other two tanks (75 and 100) are are only so-so. One of the Alenguers in the 75 does come up for feeding however.

So I decided to try something different and feed smaller portions. First I skipped a couple of feedings on the 75 and 100, when I went to feed the 75 I received a much more enthusiastic response from all four fish and have had that same response this whole weekend. This warms my cockles.

The N. reds are responding better but are still a work in progress. I also again reduced the flow in the 100 gallon and I am seeing happier fish in that they are actually swimming about the tank and not staying in one place. I should have tried that sooner. Me bad.

[discuspaul]

Well, one can't say you don't learn very quickly, Pat ! LOL

[jaykne]

Wow Pat you are doing a very nice job, I know it must be a task keeping wilds in our water here in FL.:)!!!

[Second Hand Pat]

Hey Paul, discus will help you learn if you pay attention. I just need to pay attention
:blushing:

[Second Hand Pat]

Wow Pat you are doing a very nice job, I know it must be a task keeping wilds in our water here in FL.:)!!!

Hey Larry thanks, so far I'm doing a light RO mix with the well water. They look good and seem happy. Not sure if you remember but we talked on the phone about this. It was Dale Jordan to convinced me to have a go at keeping wilds and so far, so good. Dale's trick is to keep the GH below 150 ppm. The target GH is 70 ish.

[discuspaul]

Hey Paul, discus will help you learn if you pay attention. I just need to pay attention
:blushing:

Pat - You are sooooo right about your first statement - maybe not so about the second.

[Second Hand Pat]

Either way Paul it will not be happen again...the not paying attention part.

The N. reds were fairly active before I left for work. Believe they like the reduced flow. Isn't amazing how your life can be govern by silly fish. Wish I could have hung around this morning to continue to observe.

[2wheelsx2]

It seems to be a personality thing. In my cube, I created a flow pattern where the center of the tank is fairly slow and the flow on the outside near the glass is fairly high. My 5 wilds really like to swim against the glass when the lights are on. When they want to rest they just retreat to the center of the tank and sit there without moving (like when the lights are out at night), but when the lights come on, they come out to the strongest flow areas and swim around there constantly.

[Second Hand Pat]

It seems to be a personality thing. In my cube, I created a flow pattern where the center of the tank is fairly slow and the flow on the outside near the glass is fairly high. My 5 wilds really like to swim against the glass when the lights are on. When they want to rest they just retreat to the center of the tank and sit there without moving (like when the lights are out at night), but when the lights come on, they come out to the strongest flow areas and swim around there constantly.

I can see your flow working quite well in a cube equal distance all sides, right?

[2wheelsx2]

I can see your flow working quite well in a cube equal distance all sides, right?

Yep, 30" square.

[Second Hand Pat]

Nice, how many gallons and how tall?

[2wheelsx2]

Around 100 gallons. 24" tall rimless, drilled and direct plumbed. I put up a bit of a journal a while back and just put up some new pics:

http://forum.simplydiscus.com/showthread.php?85847-100-gallon-square-tank-morphed-into-discus-tank

[Second Hand Pat]

Great wilds tanks, nice mix of plants, wood, dither fish and of course your wilds, all greens?

[2wheelsx2]

Great wilds tanks, nice mix of plants, wood, dither fish and of course your wilds, all greens?Thanks. Yes, they are greens. I hope to add some browns at some point.

[Second Hand Pat]

While I had thoughts of returning the N. reds in the home tank (100 gallon) to the disease section of the forum I believe I am seeing small improvements finally with scaleless. Since the wedding weekend when this fish suffered a couple of BN attacks it recovered wound wise but has no been 100% since. It has been off and on hiding and dark.

The last couple of days it is mostly out and more evenly colored so I will give it a couple more days.

I have also started adding paprika to the BH mix to enhance the reds and believe I am seeing a difference already especially with the N. reds.

In the 75 gallon I have the U. blues and Alenquers. The smaller U. blue has very minor HITH. This particular fish seems to be more sensitive to water quality so I have to be careful to keep a fairly rigid WC schedule to keep this guy happy.

The QT is my fun tank at the moment. The tefes are happy and friendly, school nicely and swim all over the tank. While this tank has a sand bottom there is no wood in it. I think there is something about not giving them a place to hide and they will not hide.

[wgtaylor]

While I had thoughts of returning the N. reds in the home tank (100 gallon) to the disease section of the forum I believe I am seeing small improvements


I think there is something about not giving them a place to hide and they will not hide.
Hey Pat, are the N. reds the only ones that received the worming treatment?

I like to give a couple separation structures so they can define their space but not hide. They do seem more active and interact.
Bill

[Second Hand Pat]

Yes Bill, only the N reds received the worming treatment. So what are you thinking?

[wgtaylor]

Yes Bill, only the N reds received the worming treatment. So what are you thinking? Just it can be pretty harsh on them and takes time and a lot of clean water for them to get back to normal. You will give them the care they need I'm sure.

[Second Hand Pat]

Just it can be pretty harsh on them and takes time and a lot of clean water for them to get back to normal. You will give them the care they need I'm sure.

It's been about 8 weeks since the treatment but I will keep that in mind. Thanks Bill.

[Second Hand Pat]

This little fish seems to have more spots now then when it first came.

http://i925.photobucket.com/albums/ad95/Second_Hand_Pat/Wild%20Green%20Tefe%20Discus/P4070014.jpg
http://i925.photobucket.com/albums/ad95/Second_Hand_Pat/Wild%20Green%20Tefe%20Discus/P4070008.jpg

[Second Hand Pat]

http://i925.photobucket.com/albums/ad95/Second_Hand_Pat/Wild%20Green%20Tefe%20Discus/P4070031.jpg
http://i925.photobucket.com/albums/ad95/Second_Hand_Pat/Wild%20Green%20Tefe%20Discus/P4070016.jpg
http://i925.photobucket.com/albums/ad95/Second_Hand_Pat/Wild%20Green%20Tefe%20Discus/P4070013.jpg
http://i925.photobucket.com/albums/ad95/Second_Hand_Pat/Wild%20Green%20Tefe%20Discus/P4070010.jpg

[Second Hand Pat]

http://i925.photobucket.com/albums/ad95/Second_Hand_Pat/Wild%20Green%20Tefe%20Discus/P4070028.jpg
http://i925.photobucket.com/albums/ad95/Second_Hand_Pat/Wild%20Green%20Tefe%20Discus/P4070011.jpg

[Second Hand Pat]

http://i925.photobucket.com/albums/ad95/Second_Hand_Pat/Wild%20Green%20Tefe%20Discus/P4070030.jpg
http://i925.photobucket.com/albums/ad95/Second_Hand_Pat/Wild%20Green%20Tefe%20Discus/P4070024.jpg

[Second Hand Pat]

http://i925.photobucket.com/albums/ad95/Second_Hand_Pat/Wild%20Green%20Tefe%20Discus/P4070034.jpg

[Keith Perkins]

I don't know what nice wilds are suppose to look like, not my thing, but I like how yours look.;)

[Second Hand Pat]

http://i925.photobucket.com/albums/ad95/Second_Hand_Pat/Wild%20Uatuman%20Blue/P4070042.jpg
http://i925.photobucket.com/albums/ad95/Second_Hand_Pat/Wild%20Uatuman%20Blue/P4070046.jpg
http://i925.photobucket.com/albums/ad95/Second_Hand_Pat/Wild%20Uatuman%20Blue/P4070047.jpg

[Second Hand Pat]

I don't know what nice wilds are suppose to look like, not my thing, but I like how yours look.;)

Thanks Keith, sounds like a pretty nice compliment. :grin:

[Keith Perkins]

What can I say, I got the blues.

[Second Hand Pat]

What can I say, I got the blues.

LOL, That you do :cheesy:

[Second Hand Pat]

If you are not bored yet here's a feeding video of the QT crew.


http://s925.photobucket.com/albums/ad95/Second_Hand_Pat/Wild%20Green%20Tefe%20Discus/?action=view&current=P4070001.mp4

[2wheelsx2]

Definitely not bored. Those are some very very pretty fish.

[lizziotti]

Wow pat they are looking great! You must be a proud momma!

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[Second Hand Pat]

Definitely not bored. Those are some very very pretty fish.


Wow pat they are looking great! You must be a proud momma!

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using Tapatalk

Thanks 2wheelsx2 and Lizz, I'm really happy with all these guys.

[Second Hand Pat]

Nhamunda reds tank redo. (still needs work).

http://i925.photobucket.com/albums/ad95/Second_Hand_Pat/Nhamunda%20Reds%20Home%20Tank/P4100077.jpg
http://i925.photobucket.com/albums/ad95/Second_Hand_Pat/Nhamunda%20Reds%20Home%20Tank/P4100075.jpg

Scaleless (need to clean the glass).
http://i925.photobucket.com/albums/ad95/Second_Hand_Pat/Nhamunda%20Reds%20Home%20Tank/P4100080.jpg

[Eddie]

Fish look great Pat. Is that a 3d background?

[Second Hand Pat]

Thanks Eddie, I think they are looking good too. The background is a slimline. Sits flush against the back glass so no area to catch gunk between background and glass.

[Second Hand Pat]

75 gallon Redo...busy weekend LOL. (Alenquers and Uatuman Blues)

http://i925.photobucket.com/albums/ad95/Second_Hand_Pat/Wild%20Uatuman%20Blue/P4100081.jpg
http://i925.photobucket.com/albums/ad95/Second_Hand_Pat/Wild%20Uatuman%20Blue/P4100082.jpg
http://i925.photobucket.com/albums/ad95/Second_Hand_Pat/Wild%20Uatuman%20Blue/P4100083.jpg

[Eddie]

Yeah, I love those Alenquers and Uatuman Blues, insanely gorgeous!

[Second Hand Pat]

Me too Eddie...have you seem in the new Alenquer in the QT?

[Eddie]

Me too Eddie...have you seem in the new Alenquer in the QT?


Dont think so, is it the one you have with the greens? I havent seen pictures. Better than these?

[Second Hand Pat]

Yes, Very nice and believe good enough to be rated perhaps after some more settling time. It is showing more red that in the picture

http://i925.photobucket.com/albums/ad95/Second_Hand_Pat/Wild%20Green%20Tefe%20Discus/P4070030.jpg

[Eddie]

Very nice. Be nice to see them in a few months.


Sent from my iPod touch using Tapatalk

[Second Hand Pat]

I thought you might like it. Should be killer in a couple of months.

[Second Hand Pat]

I have not make an update in a while. Lost an Alenquer this past week. Very quick death and unsure as to why so the Alenquer/U. blue tank is back to 4 fish. I must admit they get along quite nicely and they are reasonable friendly, seem comforable and come over for feedings.

The Nhamunda reds are a group of six again and the extra N. red seem to lend stability to the group which is more outgoing as a whole. I also found that feeding these guys small red wigglers really make for an animated show. Also a couple of the red head tapajos are getting adult coloration now. The coloration on the red heads are impossible to tell until I removed most of the screening allowing more light to enter the tank. The N. reds have adapted to the increase in light quite nicely.

The tefes are still in the QT and they are just plain fun. Friendly, outgoing and always begging.

I am seeing some growth in the U. blues and the tefes. Not so much in the N. reds. Believe the red hed tapajos are getting the lion share of the feed leaving the poor N. reds wanting. Need to rehome the red heads or give them their own tank.

[Second Hand Pat]

To make room in the QT I moved the four larger tefes in with the N. reds. Makes for a busy tank and all the fish are becoming fairly outgoing.

http://i925.photobucket.com/albums/ad95/Second_Hand_Pat/Nhamunda%20Reds%20Home%20Tank/P4300026.jpg
http://i925.photobucket.com/albums/ad95/Second_Hand_Pat/Nhamunda%20Reds%20Home%20Tank/P4300024.jpg

Here a couple of the tefes. They are showing their bars.
http://i925.photobucket.com/albums/ad95/Second_Hand_Pat/Nhamunda%20Reds%20Home%20Tank/P4300032.jpg
http://i925.photobucket.com/albums/ad95/Second_Hand_Pat/Nhamunda%20Reds%20Home%20Tank/P4300028.jpg

[Second Hand Pat]

Home tank is very active with 10 discus and all the discus are quite outgoing. Glad this tank is over filtered. Once the QT is free I will be moving the N. reds to it and two more of the tefe's to this tank. I will be setting up a 40 gallon growout tank for the two smaller tefes and U. blues so they can be power feed with lots of WCs.

Here'a a video.

http://s925.photobucket.com/albums/ad95/Second_Hand_Pat/Nhamunda%20Reds%20Home%20Tank/?action=view&current=MyMovie.mp4