Starting all over again!!!

[joscadi]

Hi Everyone

I had a previous post titled "What's wrong with my discuss??", and the gist of it is that one of my discus was swimming sideways and was bumping into things. Unfrotunately, that one died. When I got home today, another one was showing the same signs and that one died as well. I now have one left, and rather than buying more to keep that one coompany, I have decided to step back and asses what I am doing and perhaps start again. The three that I have I kept in a 60 gal. planted tank with about 2 to 2-1/2 inches of substrate. It is a community tank with 5 clown loaches, and 20 very small neon tetras.

I am planning on starting again and buying a smaller aquarium exclusively for discus. It is going to be a bare bottom tank with potted plants. I want to get some fry and try and raise them. Considering discus likes to school, I am planning on getting about 6 to 8, two to three inches. What size tank do you should I get? Considering I will probably be doing water changes daily, will a 20 gal. tank be big enough? I can always move them to my 60 gal. tank once they get big enough. What kind of filter should I get? I was thinking of getting a power filter, probably the AquaClear 300 which is really for a 100 gal. aquarium.

Any other advice will be really helpful. Despite, my previous failure, I really don't want to give up on the discus just yet, as they are really beautiful fishes.

I am hoping the more experienced hobbyist will be able to respond. Thanks all for your support.

[RyanH]

Going BB for at least the first few months is a great idea. Especially since you are still learning about keeping them. It eliminates many variables that can cause problems for new Discus keepers.... as you have found out the hard way.

You are wise to buy a group of Discus and to buy them all together. This will make things much easier for you. Decide what types or strains that you want to keep and find a reputable breeder who can sell them to you. If you have somebody local then all the better. Otherwise having them shipped to you can be a ton of fun as well.

For a group of 6-8 fish, a 55 gallon tank is really the ideal size. If you can't afford that size tank or don't have room, you could go with something smaller but they will outgrow it pretty quickly and you want to take that into consideration. Honestly, a 20 gallon tank is probably a bit too small even at the size and number that you are considering.

For filtration, I really like using sponge filters and Aquaclears. I will usually run an Aquarclear 70 or 110 (the new model #'s for the 300 and 500 respectively) and two hydrosponge IV's or V's. These filters will give you excellent biological and mechanical filtration and you cannot go wrong with them.

For that number of fish, it is really not possible to change too much water. Especially with young fish who really need alot of good food. I will feed my fish up to 6 times per day for the first several months of their lives and do nearly daily, large water changes.

If you take care of them, your Discus will reward you with health, size, and vigor. You will be amazed at what you can achieve with these fish with a solid game plan and some motivation. It sounds like you are now getting on the right track!

Good luck!

-Ryan

[joscadi]

I am almost embarassed to ask, but what is a hydrosponge? Also, the Aquaclear comes with carbon. Do I not use those?

Joel

[RyanH]

Hey Joel,

I would recommend not using the carbon. Rely on your filter only for mechanical and biological filtration. Keep the carbon around however in case you ever need to remove medications.

Here is a link to what the hydrosponges look like. They are a Discus keepers best friend. :

http://www.jehmco.com/PRODUCTS_/FILT...e_filters.html

[RyanH]

This page also shows some nice prefilters that can be used with your Aquaclears. A prefilter in some form is also a great idea.

[RyanH]

Here is a pic of one of my breeding pairs with a hydrosponge running in the tank.

[Howie_W]

Hi Joel,

Sorry to hear about your fish.

Ryan is right...with an handful of juveniles you want to start out with at least a 55 gallon size tank. This combined with a pair of Hydro sponges and whatever additional filter you go with such as the Aqua clear and a heater will be fine.

Having a 20 gallon around is perfect for setting up a hospital tank (if needed) or for a breeding pair.

I would consider not putting any potted plants in the tank to start out. You'll want to concentrate on daily water changes, feedings, and keeping the tank clean at all times.

Also refer to the post on how to properly quarantine new fish, as I think you will find this helpful as well! ....;

http://forum.simplydiscus.com//showthread.php?t=21044



Howie



P.S. Looking good Ryan!!!

[Cosmo]

Ryan... beautiful pair

Notice you don't have the lift tube on the Hydrosponge Do you keep it off to reduce current in the tank ??

LOVE your fish

Jim

PS. Let me know when the fry are ready... I'll stop over to pickup a few

[alpine]

Ryan, nice discus. What type is it ? Blue Turquoise ? Feel kind of stupid asking ...I better buy a book with pictures of all different discus strains.

In the Hydros IV I setup I added a 3 inch hose inside the filter itself, I figured that might give it more lift ?? I am doing something wrong by doing it that way ?

Roberto.

[RyanH]

I've always called him a Brilliant Blue but who knows LOL. I bought him from a Chowhound petsupply warehouse here in Grand Rapids. He was 1 1/2 inches, black in color, and half dead. I was pretty ignorant back then and a glutton for punishment.

He's a great dad when he wants to be. Unfortunately, my fish are not spawning for me right now. I have two other pairs that I've put back into a community tank because I'm getting sick of taking care of all those spawning tanks when they're not producing for me.

I've started to play around with my water chemistry using peat and RO in an attempt to get them into the mood so we'll see what happens. They've been dancing for me a little bit the last couple of weeks. That's encouraging. I'll probably drop a spawning cone back into their 29 this week.

Sometimes Discus just take breaks.

Jim,
Stop by anytime! Hopefully I'll have some fry by spring. If I do, they're all yours.

Here's a pic from more productive times:

[RyanH]

As far as the lift tube goes, it's totally personal preference. I hate lift tubes and I remove them once my sponge is cycled. If you have air running, you will get current.

[Cosmo]

Ryan,

Hopefully by spring I'll have some too and we can trade

Roberto,

The Hydro's come with a lift tube, supposed to provide greater water movement thru the sponge, that's why I was curious why Ryan removed his ? My guess is less turbulence to disturb the fry ??

If you're adding the 3 in hose on the inside, no, you're not doing anything wrong.. you're doing right - the tube should end in the base of the unit so water is drawn through the entire sponge... Jehmco also sells little airstones that fit inside the hydro's at the end of a 3 to 4 inch airhose, reduces the noise considerably and the smaller the bubbles the greater the water movement - hence, the greater the efficiency of the filter.

Jehmco is probably the lowest price on Hydro's Ive seen. Only downside is he buys and ships in bulk instead of boxed like others, so sometimes the sponges are a little out of shape.. still work great though

Jim

[RyanH]

I also use airstones in my hydros. Although Tad thinks I'm crazy for bothering. I agree that airstones greatly increase the waterflow and I'm sold on the practice of using them.

As far as the lift tubes go, I can't really say why I remove them. I just hate the way they look. I may cut them down sometime when I'm feeling really motivated so they aren't quite so tall. I could probably live with them then.

I have valves in my airlines that allow me to adjust my flow rate so that isn't it. One thing that I do like by not having them attached is that I can do larger water changes and still get waterflow through my sponges. It's really just one of my many little quirks. :undecided

-Ryan

[alpine]

I might add some airstones.

Roberto.