Water issues in Alaska

[PorcelainChina59]

Now, I'm going to go change their water...95%.

[PorcelainChina59]

Rick

BTW That video of the discus is gorgeous...are they yours???

[PorcelainChina59]

Hi Patti,

Sounds like you're doing great under the circumstances. Glad things are okay enough for you to be able to attend so diligently to the fish. 4-6 water changes a day is taking it to a whole 'nother level. Great if you can keep that up until you're confident in your water again but it's fine to do less frequent and higher percentage if and when that isn't sustainable. Seems to me that if you want to add BBS but can't find frozen, and the hatchery isn't a good option for you, then you might try the Ocean Nutrition BBS in a jar; I haven't used it but some other members have to good effect.

Also wanted to say that I smiled when I saw you were in Soldatna. I went up to the Kenai penninsula planning to work for the summer when I was a college student about 30 years ago (in a restaurant in Cooper Landing); unfortunately I wasn't feeling too good after a few weeks of line cooking and pretty much my one experience in your town was of a doctor there diagnosing me with mono! (Sadly, this brought my summer Alaskan adventure to a quick end.) But it sure is beautiful up there.

Tshethar,

Could that be Gwins Lodge your talking about??? Cooper Landing is a madhouse in the summer...well all of Alaska is. Were the reds in the Russian or the Kenai? I have lived in Alaska 35 years so I lived here when you were here. Sorry to hear your visit was cut short.
Thanks for the info and advice. Rick and you have restored my confidence in my filtered water, so now back to (1) 95% change and (1)50% change with just some clean up in between after feeding. Most of the time they clean up their plates though.

[RickMay1]

Rick

BTW That video of the discus is gorgeous...are they yours???

I wish it was mine.

[RickMay1]

Attachment 120173Attachment 120174Attachment 120175 My discus at just short of 5 week old.

They are looking pretty good. While I personally would change more as I posted before, they look like they are doing just fine with what you are doing.

For food, I would suggest you get ahold of beef/deer/elk/moose heart (I prefer wild game over Beef). Being an Alaskan, I assume that would be a trip to the freezer. Remove all fat or tendons, then run it through a grinder several times. Grind it fine because your fish are small. You could also add fish meat, I personally would stay away from Salmon or trout or other fish with high oil contents. Halibut or cod would be perfect, grind that up too and you now have one of the best discus foods I know of. This is a messy food, but if your going to be doing large water changes, that shouldn't be a problem. I usually feed this after a water change and by the next change it is all gone. Start with small amounts (like pea size) it will break apart and look like a mess but the fish will hunt it down and clean up....... Just see how they do. A lot of fish books and magazines will say to only feed enough for the fish to eat in a few minutes, discus are slow eaters. Figure an hour or more for them to eat it.

When I say finely ground, just think how their mouths are, that's how small the pieces need to be. Think pate grind, so a food processor or blender may work better than a meat grinder. I wouldn't grind a whole hart that size just a few ounces because when they get larger mouths, you dont need to grind as fine.

My current schedule:

morning: 95% water change, ground Beef Heart.
mid-morning and through the day: if the beef heart is all gone, I'll feed them small amounts of dried food. Just keep small amounts available for them to feed on.
Noon: Another water change, more beef heart. I don't always do this water change, maybe every other day and every day on the weekends they get a noon water change. If I don't change water, I don't feed Beef Heart just more dried foods.
Evening, a few hours before the water change: More beef Heart.
Late Evening: 95% water change, dried foods.
I've been keeping the lights on 24hrs, but that will change shortly.


When my fish were that size, I was feeding Baby Brine Shrimp instead of Beef heart but I think the beef heart will be ok as a substitute as long as it is finely ground.

[PorcelainChina59]

Thanks for saying that. I just made some Alaskan Moose Liver mix...before I read this. I put it in the food processor and made it like pate...as with all the meat. They love it. I had all the meat in my freezer...question??? can they have crab. This is cooked and processed crab legs (my step son is owns a crab vessel). I always have lots of seafood.

[PorcelainChina59]

Rick,

Link to my recipe. http://forum.simplydiscus.com/showth...-Alaskan-Blend

[PorcelainChina59]

They are looking pretty good. While I personally would change more as I posted before, they look like they are doing just fine with what you are doing.

For food, I would suggest you get ahold of beef/deer/elk/moose heart (I prefer wild game over Beef). Being an Alaskan, I assume that would be a trip to the freezer. Remove all fat or tendons, then run it through a grinder several times. Grind it fine because your fish are small. You could also add fish meat, I personally would stay away from Salmon or trout or other fish with high oil contents. Halibut or cod would be perfect, grind that up too and you now have one of the best discus foods I know of. This is a messy food, but if your going to be doing large water changes, that shouldn't be a problem. I usually feed this after a water change and by the next change it is all gone. Start with small amounts (like pea size) it will break apart and look like a mess but the fish will hunt it down and clean up....... Just see how they do. A lot of fish books and magazines will say to only feed enough for the fish to eat in a few minutes, discus are slow eaters. Figure an hour or more for them to eat it.

When I say finely ground, just think how their mouths are, that's how small the pieces need to be. Think pate grind, so a food processor or blender may work better than a meat grinder. I wouldn't grind a whole hart that size just a few ounces because when they get larger mouths, you dont need to grind as fine.

My current schedule:

morning: 95% water change, ground Beef Heart.
mid-morning and through the day: if the beef heart is all gone, I'll feed them small amounts of dried food. Just keep small amounts available for them to feed on.
Noon: Another water change, more beef heart. I don't always do this water change, maybe every other day and every day on the weekends they get a noon water change. If I don't change water, I don't feed Beef Heart just more dried foods.
Evening, a few hours before the water change: More beef Heart.
Late Evening: 95% water change, dried foods.
I've been keeping the lights on 24hrs, but that will change shortly.


When my fish were that size, I was feeding Baby Brine Shrimp instead of Beef heart but I think the beef heart will be ok as a substitute as long as it is finely ground.

Great schedule!! why the light on for 24 hours??? to encourage eating???? Doesn't that stress them out and cause their little sleep rhythms to be off. I would thinks sleep time is important also. I know kids grow more when sleeping than any other time...do fish???

[Tshethar]

Tshethar,

Could that be Gwins Lodge your talking about??? Cooper Landing is a madhouse in the summer...well all of Alaska is. Were the reds in the Russian or the Kenai? I have lived in Alaska 35 years so I lived here when you were here. Sorry to hear your visit was cut short.
Thanks for the info and advice. Rick and you have restored my confidence in my filtered water, so now back to (1) 95% change and (1)50% change with just some clean up in between after feeding. Most of the time they clean up their plates though.

Yup, it sure was Gwin's Lodge! You know, I'm not sure I can remember which of the salmon were running during my short stay, which was probably only about 3-4 weeks but felt a lot longer. I didn't actually do any fishing but I do have photos somewhere of me going on an inflatable boat ride down part of the Kenai on what I think might have been my one day off (!). What I mostly remember are huge rushes of people coming in when they were tired of eating their fresh salmon, it was raining, or the mosquitoes were getting to them. :-) I think the fact the place was open 24 hours a day had something to do with me wearing down pretty fast--never knew when folks might show when it never gets dark! Fun to see that the internet now lets me "visit" such faraway places.

Anyway, hats off to all of you year-rounders, and glad you've got some discus to keep you company through the winter. :-)

On your water, I'd just say that if you keep a close eye on your fish you'll see whether the larger water changes are appreciated or seem to bother them. Down here where I live I've found that there have been times that the quality of my municipal water has not been good for them--reasons largely unknown-- so I now use a sediment and carbon block pre-filter between my tap and aging barrel, and I treat the tank with Safe (even after aging) in case they unexpectedly boost chlorine or the like. Not sure if this is necessary but I like doing what I can to eliminate variables, especially since I've had some issues (including sudden losses) after water changes before.

[PorcelainChina59]

Yup, it sure was Gwin's Lodge! You know, I'm not sure I can remember which of the salmon were running during my short stay, which was probably only about 3-4 weeks but felt a lot longer. I didn't actually do any fishing but I do have photos somewhere of me going on an inflatable boat ride down part of the Kenai on what I think might have been my one day off (!). What I mostly remember are huge rushes of people coming in when they were tired of eating their fresh salmon, it was raining, or the mosquitoes were getting to them. :-) I think the fact the place was open 24 hours a day had something to do with me wearing down pretty fast--never knew when folks might show when it never gets dark! Fun to see that the internet now lets me "visit" such faraway places.

Anyway, hats off to all of you year-rounders, and glad you've got some discus to keep you company through the winter. :-)

On your water, I'd just say that if you keep a close eye on your fish you'll see whether the larger water changes are appreciated or seem to bother them. Down here where I live I've found that there have been times that the quality of my municipal water has not been good for them--reasons largely unknown-- so I now use a sediment and carbon block pre-filter between my tap and aging barrel, and I treat the tank with Safe (even after aging) in case they unexpectedly boost chlorine or the like. Not sure if this is necessary but I like doing what I can to eliminate variables, especially since I've had some issues (including sudden losses) after water changes before.

I hear yeah on the water changes. I have well water so no chlorine but sediment I have a plenty right now. Carbon block..hmmm will look into it.
I love Alaska and thinking back...oooo that hurt...when I first moved here in my 20's I about killed myself in the summer trying to do so much since it was daylight. Now I just go about my business and "whatever". The winter's are long and dark but if you like winter activities the way I do it's actually looked forward to. 1/2 the people and really lowed keyed. yeah!!!