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Thread: Newbie Discus Tank

  1. #16
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    Default Re: Newbie Discus Tank

    I would like to buy wild fish direct from the river but my fear would be that I would know know how old they were and if they were sick or not. I would like first generation wild fish from a breeder. Then I would know the age of the fish and I would know they were as close to wild fish as possible.

  2. #17
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    Default Re: Newbie Discus Tank

    That makes sense. I'm in love with the look of wild discus much more than the idea that they are wild.

    My non-negotiables with stock are:

    #1 Can be healthy on 2-3 feedings per day. I originally planned for two but I could do a "before bed" feeding.
    #2 Be able to purchase all at once....I don't want to separately quarantine any discus at this point.
    #3 Eating flakes/granules at the breeder (I'd just buy whatever the breeder is feeding them).
    #4 Brazil sourced...only because it means no importing/customs issues (which is a Brazil thing!). The fact the fish could be native to the Amazon is more of a cool convenience.

    My preferences are:

    #1 A matched set of fish with similar looks
    #2 Heckels or similar

    Beyond that...all bets are off! My hope is that I am prioritising the right things when the time comes to look for stock.
    Last edited by Leigh Ann; 06-27-2020 at 07:13 AM.

  3. #18
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    Default Re: Newbie Discus Tank

    Quote Originally Posted by Leigh Ann View Post
    That makes sense. I'm in love with the look of wild discus much more than the idea that they are wild.

    My non-negotiables with stock are:

    #1 Can be healthy on 2-3 feedings per day. I originally planned for two but I could do a "before bed" feeding.
    #2 Be able to purchase all at once....I don't want to separately quarantine any discus at this point.
    #3 Eating flakes/granules at the breeder (I'd just buy whatever the breeder is feeding them).
    #4 Brazil sourced...only because it means no importing/customs issues (which is a Brazil thing!). The fact the fish could be native to the Amazon is more of a cool convenience.

    My preferences are:

    #1 A matched set of fish with similar looks
    #2 Heckels or similar

    Beyond that...all bets are off! My hope is that I am prioritising the right things when the time comes to look for stock.
    I am 100% with you in your approach. I have mixed wild types for variety. At this time these consist of Red Alenquer, Alenquer (its blueish so I think Blue Alenquer), Red Heckel, and Ica Red. The Ica Reds must have Heckel blend because they have the Heckel bars.

    With regard to the Ica Red. I have read that there is not a true wild Ica Red because the Ica region is so remote that collectors do not go there and in the Rio Ica there are Green Discus, not red discus. The Heckel bar can appear in any location where there are discus. The genes are in all of them. A red discus from any location can have a Heckel bar. By the way, any red discus was called “Alenquer” by the Germans. If they had a Heckel bar they were called “Ica”. It did not matter to them where the fish came from. The German red discus came from the Madeira and Purus and elsewhere and they were sold as “Alenquer”. My pseudo wild fish come form Malaysia. No telling what their true base parentage are. Which is way I think that you are fortunate to be able to access true wild discus.

  4. #19
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    Default Re: Newbie Discus Tank

    IMG-2307.jpg
    ECEFB967-EBEA-4DDE-902C-3F96F3AABA6A.jpg

    Aquarium has arrived! Sorry, could not rotate the photo. It has been moved to it's spot (not in the spot pictured). The sump is a 15 gallon, thought it was 10 so I was pleasantly surprised. The gravel is spread very thin...it is bare in some spots. I need to get some hoses tomorrow to connect the sump. Filter media is on it's way. Playing with aquascaping...this is the maximum decoration I will add. Everything here will be removed weekly (it's easy) for the water changes and a rinse.

    The sump is a 15 gallon, thought it was 10 so I was pleasantly surprised. I could not upload a photo of the sump tank in the thread...hopefully this link works.
    https://drive.google.com/file/d/1QKu...ew?usp=sharing

    The goal is to start cycling the tank by the weekend!
    Attached Images Attached Images

  5. #20
    Registered Member two utes's Avatar
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    Default Re: Newbie Discus Tank

    Sweet set up. Good luck with your new project. Personally l like the look of all the same strain, but that's just me. l cant wait to see how it all turns out for you.
    We're here for a good time...not a long time

  6. #21
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    Default Re: Newbie Discus Tank

    The tank is great but I am more impressed with what I can see of your interior decorating skills.

  7. #22
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    Default Re: Newbie Discus Tank

    LOL! Quarantine/Lockdown has led to some changes! The big glass table is on the way out. We rent the apartment and the furniture is not ours...in the process of swapping stuff out to make room for some furniture more suited for discus viewing! Tank is now situated against the wall of mirrors.

  8. #23
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    Default Re: Newbie Discus Tank

    Just did a kH test......I have VERY low alkalinity. Somewhere between 0-1. This is out of the tap. Was hoping for a higher number so I would have more of a pH buffer. Water is now being aged. There is no fish in the tank yet so I know I don't need to age now. I am just getting the water change logistics sorted out. Sigh.

  9. #24
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    Default Re: Newbie Discus Tank

    Still can't upload photos consistently. I am cycling the tank now. White film on the driftwood is a good sign I think! I'm surprised that my pH has only lowered one point. With such low kH and the addition of the catappa leaves, I thought I'd get a bigger swing.

    https://drive.google.com/file/d/1OAm...ew?usp=sharing

  10. #25
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    Default Re: Newbie Discus Tank

    Very nice. Would the ph not be low because of the amount of wood and leaves present in the tank? I do like that you have found a way to entertain your fish with the inclusion of the flat screen. If you should play YouTube videos of fish living in the Amazon you might trick them into thinking they really are living back home with their kin folk.

  11. #26
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    Default Re: Newbie Discus Tank

    Quote Originally Posted by peewee1 View Post
    Very nice. Would the ph not be low because of the amount of wood and leaves present in the tank? I do like that you have found a way to entertain your fish with the inclusion of the flat screen. If you should play YouTube videos of fish living in the Amazon you might trick them into thinking they really are living back home with their kin folk.
    You kill me. LOL. I may put on some fish TV for them when I'm at work. My dog will watch my cat...my cat will watch the fish...the fish will watch the TV. Everyone is entertained! I was surprised too about the pH. It's been holding steady for over a week. It actually fell two points compared to my aged water, i recalibrated my pH meter to be sure. Aged water reads a 7.8....aquarium water with leaves/wood reads at 7.6. I may take my water in to a LFS to confirm the kH because if it reads as low as I thought, I should be seeing a bigger swing with all those tannins and humic substances. I tossed a few leaves into my age water bins to see if could knock a few points of the pH as it ages. I don't want to chase a certain pH reading so I'm hoping the difference stays minimal. Just looking for stability between water changes.

  12. #27
    Silver Member Iminit's Avatar
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    Default Re: Newbie Discus Tank

    Ph really doesn’t matter as long as it’s constant. Changing ph is much worse. It’s best to keep your discus as close to tap as possible. Makes it easier for water changes.
    Nice looking tank! Good luck with it. Where will you be getting your discus from?

  13. #28
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    Default Re: Newbie Discus Tank

    Quote Originally Posted by Iminit View Post
    Ph really doesn’t matter as long as it’s constant. Changing ph is much worse. It’s best to keep your discus as close to tap as possible. Makes it easier for water changes.
    Nice looking tank! Good luck with it. Where will you be getting your discus from?
    I asked the same, Tom. My idea was for her to obtain a dipping net, rent a jeep, and head for the mother of all rivers...the mighty Amazon.

  14. #29
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    Default Re: Newbie Discus Tank

    Quote Originally Posted by peewee1 View Post
    I asked the same, Tom. My idea was for her to obtain a dipping net, rent a jeep, and head for the mother of all rivers...the mighty Amazon.
    I just might! There are opportunities to tag along on fish expeditions here! For now, I have a few local dealers I may contact here in Brazil. Santarem Discus (where Jack Wattley gets their wilds) does not distribute to Brazil...weird! But there are a few discus dealers in Sao Paulo so I will be contacting them to see what I can get. Wilds would be nice but I am open to pretty much anything. Regarding pH...I plan on doing a 50% water change this week just to see how much it swings. I'm not too worried about a 0.2 swing but that's the very edge of my comfort zone. Hopefully a 50% change doesn't cause that big of a swing...alternatively, I could do more frequent, smaller changes. The plan is to do 50% twice a week....but that plan may change after I stock the tank. I'll be constantly testing water initially and let the tank tell me what to do and when.

  15. #30
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    Default Re: Newbie Discus Tank

    Hi all. Some sad-ish news. I've had a change of circumstances (a promotion!) which I anticipate will mean more work...a.k.a. less time. I also anticipate more travel. To that end, I don't think it's wise to get into Discus at this time. I'm going to continue building a blackwater tank but it will be a community tank that can be maintained with a weekly water change. Since I know discus will likely need more than that, I don't think it's wise to go full steam ahead. Once I get a better handle on what life will be like post-covid with the new job, I'll have a chance to reassess. I want to thank everyone for the support and encouragement! This is a great community. FYI....it is RIDICULOUS how hard it is to get my hands on wild discus here in Brazil. Many companies fish them out of the Amazon and send them worldwide....but if you ask if they ship within Brazil, it's a no or a minimum order of 20 fish! I was surprised. It is possible to get wilds, just not as easy as you would think living right by the source! That being said, I probably need to do more research. Best wishes everyone!

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