ChicagoDiscus.com     Golden State Discus

Page 2 of 4 FirstFirst 1234 LastLast
Results 16 to 30 of 48

Thread: Thomas' Stendker - Contest Thread

  1. #16
    Registered Member
    Join Date
    Jan 2018
    Location
    Switzerland
    Posts
    66
    Real Name
    Thomas

    Default Re: Thomas' Stendker - Contest Thread

    Haha! Hopefully it won't get that cold in the tank ;)

    I haven't had too much time to watch the fish yesterday but this morning they all look relaxed. I don't usually have much time to watch them in the morning but apparently they also need some time to properly wake up :P

    I wish I could find a way to photograph them with the natural light that shines in the room before the lights are turned on. Our brains are much better at filtering out the reflections than our cameras/editing software!

    For now, here are a few close-ups of some of the discus:
    The Blue Diamond
    poissons_180614_120.jpg


    The Blue Snake Skin
    poissons_180614_134.jpg


    The Téfé
    poissons_180614_143.jpg


    :)

  2. #17
    Registered Member
    Join Date
    Jan 2018
    Location
    Switzerland
    Posts
    66
    Real Name
    Thomas

    Default Re: Thomas' Stendker - Contest Thread

    Hey!
    I have some news!!!
    Now it is certain... The German Wonder is a female! :D
    She laid some eggs last night. From the moment she started going from bottom to top, it approximately took her 30 minutes to lay an egg.
    After each pass, she visually checked if anything was deposited on the wood.
    And eventually, when the first egg came out, it only saw the light for a few seconds before she ate it.
    A few minutes later, the second egg was out and as quickly eaten.
    She then laid 4 eggs that were eaten a bit later.

    While all this happened, the Blue Diamond was looking curiously. He hasn't tried to pass over the eggs or to eat the eggs.
    I guess that he is too young :)

    Here are a few photos to illustrate this exciting night:

    poissons_180619_017.jpg

    poissons_180619_020.jpg

    poissons_180619_026.jpg

    poissons_180619_047.jpg


    A close up of the second egg:
    poissons_180619_057-2.jpg

    The non-cropped version:
    poissons_180619_057.jpg

    Checking the egg:
    poissons_180619_059.jpg

    Eating the egg:
    poissons_180619_062.jpg

    And finally the 4 last eggs:
    poissons_180619_073.jpg

    :)

  3. #18
    Registered Member
    Join Date
    Oct 2017
    Posts
    18

    Default Re: Thomas' Stendker - Contest Thread

    I love the Color of your fish!

  4. #19
    Registered Member Pices's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2016
    Location
    Port Charlotte, Florida
    Posts
    1,586
    Real Name
    Patty

    Default Re: Thomas' Stendker - Contest Thread

    Great pictures Thomas. It’s a girl-congratulations
    If the discus are happy, I’m happy

  5. #20
    Registered Member
    Join Date
    Jan 2018
    Location
    Switzerland
    Posts
    66
    Real Name
    Thomas

    Default Re: Thomas' Stendker - Contest Thread

    Hey all!
    The discus are still doing great here!
    A few days back, the Blue Diamond got scared of something and probably bumped into something. He now has a small scar on the side but nothing to get scared about. It's healing well and he (it) doesn't look bother at all about it.
    He still behaves as he used to, courting the German Wonder, showing off to the others, putting the Blue Snake Skin back in place.
    The "couple" is still active. They are actually currently dancing for each other next to their favourite piece of wood!

    Since the last time I posted, I removed a few plants that did not seem to be growing to try out a few new plants (Cryptocoryne usteriana and Vallisneria Natans (not so sure about the exact name)). I used hydrogen peroxide to clean them before inserting them in the tank. It's the first time I do this so I hope that neither the fish nor the plants will have any problem!

    And here are a few photos of the tank...:)
    (I think that you'll figure out which are taken with my phone and which are taken with my camera;)

    IMG_20180624_195308_mod_2.jpg
    IMG_20180624_195843_mod_2.jpg

    poissons_180614_029-2.jpg
    poissons_180621_108-2.jpg


    ps: you'll probably see that the colour of the Solid Fire Red is not the same for my camera and my phone. The reds saturate very quickly on my phone...
    In the real life, its colours is closer the the portrait I took of it though when we look at the whole fish in the tank, it looks closer to red than orange.
    I try to be as close to their actual colour on my camera photos but don't do it with my phone. It may also change depending on the device you're using to view the images. Any way... I'm drifting off subject ^^

    :)

  6. #21
    Registered Member
    Join Date
    Jan 2018
    Location
    Switzerland
    Posts
    66
    Real Name
    Thomas

    Default Re: Thomas' Stendker - Contest Thread

    Hey!
    I haven't had much time to observe the fish in the past few days. I have only had a few minutes now and then to check on them and to feed them apart from the time I spend doing water changes.
    In the past week, I noticed that the other fish (the Blue Snake Skin, the Téfé and the Solid Fire Red) start to show courting behaviour. The Leopard Snake Skin is still the smallest and probably also the youngest and hasn't started "dancing" for the others.
    It's quite nice to see them behaving this way. Even with the few minutes I have every day, I can see that their behaviour changes constantly. The Blue Diamond and the German Wonder look like they are still "together". They keep eating the algae from their piece of wood and to dance for each other.
    I've also noticed that the Téfé seems to be cleaning the other piece of wood. I have absolutely no experience in this, but I feel like the Téfé is a female (based on her/its behaviour). The Solid Fire Red also seems to be a female. And the Blue Snake Skin seems to be a male (because of the way the Blue Diamond chases him compared to the way he behaves with the other fish).
    Obviously, I could be totally wrong, but I thought that it'd be interesting to write it down somewhere. This way, in a few months, I'll be able to look back at what happened rather than rely on my memories ^^

    Also in order to keep track of what happens in the tank... the genital papilla (I'm not sure it's the correct term) of the German Wonder was out last night. My guess is that by the time I checked on the fish, she had already laid some eggs and had also eaten them. I could also see some kind of small pointy protrusion under the Blue Diamond's belly, but it may also just be something I imagined :P
    I took some photos and will try to have a look at them tonight.

    On the other side of the tank, I saw the same kind of courting between the Blue Snake Skin and the Téfé. The come next to each other, spread their fins and stay parallel to each other while slightly moving their bodies. The Téfé also shakes her/its head from time to time.
    We'll see in the future if anything happens there ;)

    I wish I had more time to watch their behaviour though...

    I had hoped that this thread would lead to discussions or other exchanges but at least I can use it as a notebook for myself and for others to see how things go in different tanks, in different countries, with different owners over time!

    :)

  7. #22
    Registered Member Pices's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2016
    Location
    Port Charlotte, Florida
    Posts
    1,586
    Real Name
    Patty

    Default Re: Thomas' Stendker - Contest Thread

    Thomas, I’ve read that males have slightly longer pointed dorsal fins at the end and females don’t have the point. My BD has that point as does yours, but most people say you have to see them laying eggs or see wigglers to be sure. With all the courting behavior you’re seeing, you should know soon enough.
    I know the females (egg layers) in my group do have a pointy end on the back of their dorsal fins so it’s true with my three egg layers. Looking forward to your pics.
    Patty
    If the discus are happy, I’m happy

  8. #23
    Registered Member Pices's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2016
    Location
    Port Charlotte, Florida
    Posts
    1,586
    Real Name
    Patty

    Default Re: Thomas' Stendker - Contest Thread

    Quote Originally Posted by Pices View Post
    Thomas, I’ve read that males have slightly longer pointed dorsal fins at the end and females don’t have the point. My BD has that point as does yours, but most people say you have to see them laying eggs or see wigglers to be sure. With all the courting behavior you’re seeing, you should know soon enough.
    I know the females (egg layers) in my group do have a pointy end on the back of their dorsal fins so it’s true with my three egg layers. Looking forward to your pics.
    Patty
    I meant to say females in my group do not have pointy dorsal fins
    If the discus are happy, I’m happy

  9. #24
    Registered Member
    Join Date
    Jan 2018
    Location
    Switzerland
    Posts
    66
    Real Name
    Thomas

    Default Re: Thomas' Stendker - Contest Thread

    Thanks for your comments Patty!
    I've also read that males tend to have pointy fins. However, I've also read that this is not a reliable way of sexing.
    So instead of looking at their physical attributes only, I'm trying to look at their behaviour. I do not meant that the behaviour alone is enough to differentiate between males and females. I just have some kind of feeling that I'd like to verify in the future :)

    The tank has slightly changed in the past two days.
    The Blue Diamond now spends more and more time on the left part of the aquarium, bullying the Blue Snake Skin or hitting on (not literally) the Téfé.
    As a result, the German Wonder often looks lonely, next to the piece of wood on the right...
    The Blue Snake Skin is the only fish with some damaged fins (only pectoral) and some loose scales. He parades for the Téfé mainly, and he tries to hold his grounds (his waters) when the Blue Diamond comes near him.

    In the meantime, the Solid Fire Red and the Leopard Snake Skin don't seem to want to get involved in all these relationships. They may be younger or not just into any of the others.

    I haven't had time to check at the photos on my camera, so I snapped a few with my phone:

    IMG_20180701_163942_mod_1048.jpg

    IMG_20180701_220753_mod1048.jpg

    IMG_20180702_225004_mod_1048.jpg

    IMG_20180702_231025_mod_1048.jpg

    :)

  10. #25
    Registered Member Pices's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2016
    Location
    Port Charlotte, Florida
    Posts
    1,586
    Real Name
    Patty

    Default Re: Thomas' Stendker - Contest Thread

    Your tank is so picturesque. The background color really enhances the colors in your fish. The water is so clean, your fish are so healthy. It’s very relaxing to look at.
    I know what you mean about behavior. I have some fickle ones too. I guess that’s part of why we are so fascinated with them. You never know what (or who) they are going to do next. They sure know how to keep our attention don’t they?
    Patty
    If the discus are happy, I’m happy

  11. #26
    Registered Member
    Join Date
    Jan 2018
    Location
    Switzerland
    Posts
    66
    Real Name
    Thomas

    Default Re: Thomas' Stendker - Contest Thread

    Thanks for all your posts Patty! They keep me going ;)

    I'm out of town, but my girlfriend took a photo for me ^^

    So here it is:
    IMG_20180707_230023.jpg



    I hope she won't resent me too much for relying on her to take care of everything while I'm away!

  12. #27
    Registered Member Pices's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2016
    Location
    Port Charlotte, Florida
    Posts
    1,586
    Real Name
    Patty

    Default Re: Thomas' Stendker - Contest Thread

    Thomas, I am in love with your fish! Every single one is a stand out beauty. The shapes, the colors, the mix are all exquisite. Your girlfriend looks to be doing an excellent job taking care of them and she takes great pictures to boot!
    Patty
    If the discus are happy, I’m happy

  13. #28
    Registered Member
    Join Date
    Jan 2018
    Location
    Switzerland
    Posts
    66
    Real Name
    Thomas

    Default Re: Thomas' Stendker - Contest Thread

    Hey!

    I haven't had any time lately!
    Couldn't even take my camera out... So I've only taken a few photos with my phone (and have not even had time to upload them yet!).

    The Blue Diamond and the German Wonder are still swimming along. I haven't seen any egg-laying, but I also have not had too much time to spend in front of the tank :/

    On the other side, some interesting things happened. The Blue Snake Skin keeps courting the Téfé. 2 days ago, I noticed that they had completely cleaned one leaf. I'm in awe of their cleaning abilities!
    So on the 11th, I noticed that the sexual organs of the Téfé and of the Blue Snake Skin were apparent. I did not spend the whole night in front of the aquarium to see what would happen, but the Téfé had the typical egg-laying behaviour (kind of gently hovering over the leaf and rubbing her belly against it). So I don't know if eggs were laid, but I know that they are getting excited!
    While the Téfé was doing her things, the Leopard Snake Skin was trying to get in-between the Téfé and the Blue Snake Skin, which was pretty funny. He (we'll see if he's a he later maybe...?) must be jealous...? :P


    To summarise, things are moving along and nothing very special happened in the past few days. It's only gradually getting more and more heated/exciting :D

    The first couple:
    (is it me or is there a small heart shape below the dorsal fin of the German Wonder?!)
    IMG_20180710_221305.jpg

    Here we can see who are the bosses in the tank! (and we can see that the vallisneria that I introduced in the tank after H2O2 treatment died back but are shooting new leaves. You can see them between the wood and the rocks in the background)
    IMG_20180710_221255.jpg

    Even though they are crammed in a corner of the tank, they managed to get things going here! The leaf they chose is the one we see (blurry) in the foreground.
    IMG_20180711_221712.jpg

    IMG_20180711_222136.jpg

    I took this one to show her sexual organ showing:
    IMG_20180711_221705.jpg

    What I would call the two couples. One side each ;)
    IMG_20180711_222715.jpg

    The Leopard Snake Skin who tries to get involved as well!
    IMG_20180711_222659.jpg


    And a few photos I took this morning with the lights off. The tank was only lit by the sunlight through the window. In person, the colours of the fish are really interesting with this illumination. However, taking photos become a bit more difficult :P
    IMG_20180713_082320.jpg

    IMG_20180713_082259.jpg

    IMG_20180713_082149.jpg

    ;)
    Last edited by thomaswal; 07-13-2018 at 10:40 AM.

  14. #29
    Registered Member
    Join Date
    Oct 2017
    Posts
    18

    Default Re: Thomas' Stendker - Contest Thread

    Your fish are stunning!

  15. #30
    Registered Member Pices's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2016
    Location
    Port Charlotte, Florida
    Posts
    1,586
    Real Name
    Patty

    Default Re: Thomas' Stendker - Contest Thread

    Thomas, I just saw the heart shape in the first pic. It’s a perfect heart! makes him even more special.
    Patty
    If the discus are happy, I’m happy

Page 2 of 4 FirstFirst 1234 LastLast

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  

Cafepress