Guests and Lurkers.. or .....non posters

[DecaturDiscus]

Hi! I've been lurking for about a year now - about as long as I have had discus. :lurk:

I had other fish growing up (discus seemed too fragile, and too expensive). Discus-keeping has been a challenge, but having them swimming in your tank has truly been just the best.

I want to thank everyone for all their helpful posts. From cycling filters to beefheart to hex to presponges, all the information has been so great - my discus and I really appreciate it.

I have a 70 gal with a trickle filter, where 8 of my discus currently live. I also have a 55 with 5 juvies in it. I recently set up a 20 gal because a RSG male (presumably) was getting a little aggressive, except with a BD female. Together she lays eggs regularly, and "he" follows along and eats them up ???.

We're all moving to a new house in 2 weeks ;D. It's about 5 miles away, but I'm just not looking forward to hauling all those tanks and water. I'm sure the fish won't like it either.


Anyway, thanks again for all the good advice. I've got to go pack some dishes and cups now. I'll post some pics ASAP. Looking forward to talking again soon.

[Carol_Roberts]

My goodness, a whole year of reading. You must be doing something right since you've not had to post asking questions Moving sure is a lot of work. At least you don't have to go far ;D

[joebat]

OK.. hello all. My name is Joe and I have been reading Simply for a while now. I think Simply is just the best aquarium site on the net. I have read so many great articles here. My favorie fish are discus, but I love rams too.
I am on the coast of Texas and am a retired merchant marine, I haven't been able to have aquariums like I want for a while, but I can now. I have had discus before( I got them out of the back of a magazine!), but the information was just not out there the way it is now on keeping them.

I have a 75 gal planted tank now with 2 adult wilds and 3 4" phoenix. I started with the co2 and all that, but I had to cut it off because...I just can't get it right. I don't like to see my fish gasping in the morning.

Anyhow, after reading the great article on plywood tanks, I'm off on another venture! And RO, and peat, and. and! In the mean time, about all my fish do is eat and watch the refrigerator, which I guess is ok for now. There sure is a lot to learn and I am so glad Simply is here.

And that's a little about me and my fish!

Cheers!
Joe

[April]

hello there decatourdiscus and joebat. so nice to see you both post and that you've read and absorbed and enjoyed our forum so much. thanks for posting. thats what its all about..helping people to learn and feel comfortable about keeping discus and get some enjoyment out of them.
good luck in your move decatour . im sure it will all go well. Make sure you keep a nice corner for your discus Decatour in that new house. or..a large corner. ;D

[jake]

Hello,

new to the list, not new to Discus, bought my first wild browns from 'Pflukes Aquarium' in Rochester,NY in 62 I think, then Vietnam came, things settled down in mid 70s when got some 'candy apple reds', and finally got some blues later which bred, wandered around the world since teaching fish farming, moved to north central Michigan last winter and finally about to set up some tanks for turquoise and maybe stripped reds.

[Discus_KC]

Welcome Jake !!!!

Looking forward to seeing tanks and then fish in them !!!!!!

Jack

[April]

welcome jake. theres a great discus breeder near you..his name is Cary..at great lakes discus. if you get a chance..you should go see his fish.

[Dillan]

Hi there... thanks for the welcome! My name is Dillan. My dad and I kept hundreds of fish when I was a kid. My ex-partner had a 100 gallon salt water tank that renewed my interest last year. When we separated and he took the fish with him, I decided to start up a tank of my own. I find cichlid behaviour to be fascinating and was thinking of keeping African Cichlids but decided to take up the challenge of keeping the more challenging -- and rewarding -- Discus.

I have 4 3" beauties at the moment: a Blue Turq., a Blue Diamond and two that I just recently learned are 'Red Dragon' (solid peach, like the lighter colour on a Marlboro Red, with black dorsal and anal fins). I keep them in a heavily planted 40 gallon tank.

Vancouver is in a rainforest (like the Amazon only temperate!) and the tap water here is VERY soft (kH = 1!) and pH about 7.5. It's been a bit of a challenge to get my water to kH=3 and pH=6 but slowly but surely I think I'm there. Unfortunately, initially, I used a product containing phosphates to lower my pH and quickly had such high phosphate levels that I just about killed all my babies! MANY daily water changes later and things are back to normal and my family is doing great again.

I work at home and love having my aquarium next to my desk -- my fish are great company!

I'm glad I found this forum since most of my friends laugh at my obsession with my fish. I know you guys will relate!

Dillan
Vancouver, BC

[April]

hi there..no need to get your ph down..or your kh way up to 3. if you get your kh or gh up to 2 in vancouver..your doing good.
i live in vancouver also. i just turn on the tap..and add the water . lots of water changes..keeps the ph from sliding. you can however add some oyster shells or coral or aragonite to buffer. some people on the forum have thier discus at ph of 8 or so..and they still do well.

[anne]

Hi all,

have been lurking about a month now...in preparation for the discus I've yet to buy!! The site is a great way to find out more and see how "real" tanks work...
I currently have a small tank with easy tropical fish, and am planning a larger one with discus in it, getting the tank in a couple of weeks. I'll no doubt be asking daft questions in the beginner section in the near future... actually, the very near future with specifics on tank advice etc!!!

[Dillan]

I don't know why I initially thought I had to perfectly replicate the pH and kH of the Amazon. Everyon kept telling me that our tap water here (Vancouver) is fine and that keeping pH and kH stable is more important than matching amazon conditions. Especially for fish that have never been to the Amazon (half of mine are from Asian farms where I hear the pH can be up to 8...) Took me awhile to take that advice, but I'm now saving a fortune on chemicals -- my pH is stable at about 7 and my kH, which I harldy ever even check much anymore, is stable at about 2. Most importantly, my fish are all doing just great! Live and learn! (LISTEN and learn!)

Other things I was slow to take advice on:
- To plant or not to plant?! -- I started with a heavily planted tank but have since removed the gravel & most plants and put a bunch of Swords in small clay pots. Looks good, the fish like having places to forage and hide, and it's easy to keep clean.

- Beef heart. Discus grow like stink on beef heart, but it makes it harder to keep the water clean (leftovers + lotsa poop = phosphates etc!). Also, fish don't have stomachs for digesting red, warm-blooded meat very well, so too much beef heart can cause big problems. I give a little beef heart as a once-a-day treat -- but only after my fish have eaten lots of pellets, flakes and bloodworms!