AquaticSuppliers.com     Cafepress Store

Results 1 to 14 of 14

Thread: Week 39

  1. #1
    Registered Member wgtaylor's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2007
    Location
    Brookings, Oregon
    Posts
    997

    Default Week 39

    All the contest albino discus have been doing very well. I keep making water changes at exactly the same temp as the tank
    to try to prevent any spawning activity. I suppose as soon as I do a couple cold water changes it would get things going but will
    wait another month. Gotta admit I'm a little anxious to see them spawn.
    My water out of our tap is 65 microseimens, 30 parts per million, ph 6.5 with a gh and kh <1 so forces me to do daily water changes to
    keep the ph from dropping but they really enjoy their water changes. The nitrites and ammonia stay at zero and nitrates <5.
    All sides, bottom of tank, air lines and any surfaces in the tank are wiped down every other day.
    I am still feeding beefheart/shrimp mix twice per day and flake one to two times with pellets once at midday during their water change.
    I only use beefheart and shrimp in my mix at a ratio of 50% shrimp 50% beefheart.
    I add no additional supplements to the food or water. Anyway, on with some pictures.






    and......Whitey


    The more these albino's grow the more beautiful they are in their tank but my I also have a love for wild discus.
    Here is an update on my wild caught royal blues from week17 post.
    Hoping they would have colored up more by now but just shows how much patience is required raising wild discus.
    They have grown two inches, never been wormed or treated for flukes and remain very healthy.
    They have been raised exactly like the contest discus except only doing water changes every other day with these.




    Second pic one of the heckels joined in. The heckels also have grown a little over two inches and have remained healthy.
    Been giving them the simplest of care and they are all thriving. I never witnessed any of the myths about how hard wild discus are to care for.
    I treat them like any other discus, medicate only if needed, give them good food and plenty of water changes while they are growing.




    This is how I'm hoping their color will intensify, a deep mahogany color along with the royals full striations and black halo ring.
    I will probably use these to cross with the wild royal blues above.



    Will try to have at least one more update on these wilds by the end of the competition. Hope you enjoy.
    Bill

  2. #2
    Registered Member Chad Hughes's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2008
    Location
    San Diego, CA
    Posts
    4,696

    Default Re: Week 39

    They are gorgeous Bill! Your updates are always so informative. Well done my friend!

    Best wishes!
    Chad Hughes

    [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]

  3. #3
    Registered Member wgtaylor's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2007
    Location
    Brookings, Oregon
    Posts
    997

    Default Re: Week 39

    Ya Chad, I repeat some info for new viewers that are reading for the first time, then try to add whatever I can. Have to add a little interest to promote wild discus too, all part of the hobby.
    Guess I get a little carried away.
    Thanks Chad

  4. #4
    Registered Member Eddie's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2004
    Location
    Vacaville, CA
    Posts
    28,057

    Default Re: Week 39

    Gorgeous collection Bill, the Albinos and Wilds. Man, wish I could swing by your place and check out your tanks, I'd never leave!

    Great work my friend and take care!

    Eddie
    Visit Eddie's Place

    "If you ask for an opinion...don't get pissed when I give you mine."

  5. #5
    Registered Member Jason K.'s Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2009
    Location
    burlington , wi
    Posts
    615

    Default Re: Week 39

    awsome fish, this may be a newbe question, but why only every other day w.c. with the wilds?
    Jay,

    the reason i like discus?... is discus seem to like me.

  6. #6
    Registered Member wgtaylor's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2007
    Location
    Brookings, Oregon
    Posts
    997

    Default Re: Week 39

    Quote Originally Posted by fishshaped View Post
    awsome fish, this may be a newbe question, but why only every other day w.c. with the wilds?
    I'm not pushing the wilds for maximum growth like the contest discus so not feeding as heavy. Their tanks stay cleaner but wilds could handle daily water changes.

    Quote Originally Posted by Eddie View Post
    Gorgeous collection Bill, the Albinos and Wilds. Man, wish I could swing by your place and check out your tanks, I'd never leave!

    Great work my friend and take care!

    Eddie
    You are welcome anytime Eddie.
    Thanks

  7. #7
    Registered Member rickztahone's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2008
    Location
    Pacoima, California
    Posts
    12,908
    Real Name
    Ricardo

    Default Re: Week 39

    awesome update

    Click here to view my 75g Acrylic Tank w/ Bean Animal Overflow with 40g Sump Thread

    Also, click here for my 25 group of discus grow out thread


    http://i3.cpcache.com/product/162117...ht=75&width=75
    Want to look like Al did at his ACA talk with his white Simply Polo shirt?(You can catch Al's awesome Discus talk HERE)
    You can get this and many more items such as T-shirts/Polos/hoodies/cups from our merchandise shop:
    Cafepress.com

  8. #8
    Registered Member Scribbles's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2009
    Location
    Sammamish, WA
    Posts
    2,594
    Real Name
    Chris

    Default Re: Week 39

    Incredible collection!

    Chris
    "The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated."~ Mahatma Gandhi

  9. #9
    Registered Member wgtaylor's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2007
    Location
    Brookings, Oregon
    Posts
    997

    Default Re: Week 39

    Quote Originally Posted by Scribbles View Post
    Incredible collection!

    Chris
    Thanks Chris
    When I got some of those dark red wilds it was at the end of the season and they didn't look great, nobody wanted them.
    It took almost a year before they turned into real beauties. Wanted to show even muttly looking wild discus can become winners.


    Quote Originally Posted by rickztahone View Post
    awesome update
    Thanks Ricardo
    I really like the contest albino discus but enjoy putting in a plug for the wilds too. I enjoy them all.

  10. #10
    Registered Member ockyra215's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2009
    Location
    Philadelphia Pa.
    Posts
    1,039

    Default Re: Week 39

    Bill,
    Just caught up on all 39 weeks sitting here,Great looking discus!Hows the fish room coming or is it still on the back burner for now.

  11. #11
    Registered Member
    Join Date
    Dec 2002
    Posts
    4,036

    Default Re: Week 39

    LOVE those wilds Bill!...Scrolling down thru the pics of the contest fish, then BAM! right in my face with those sweet wilds. I did not expect that. It was like night and day compared to the Albinos! Great fish...Bill

  12. #12
    Registered Member wgtaylor's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2007
    Location
    Brookings, Oregon
    Posts
    997

    Default Re: Week 39

    Quote Originally Posted by William Palumbo View Post
    LOVE those wilds Bill!...Scrolling down thru the pics of the contest fish, then BAM! right in my face with those sweet wilds. I did not expect that. It was like night and day compared to the Albinos! Great fish...Bill
    Hey thanks Bill. Those albino's are really growing on me, I'm liking them more all the time. Thinking of crossing them with rose reds to get intermediates than back to albino's. I've used the rose reds as teasers to get the wild blues spawning. Got the royal blues and heckels from snookn21 when they were pretty small. They are an eye catcher for someone who likes wilds but have a ways to go yet. You know how that is.


    Quote Originally Posted by ockyra215 View Post
    Bill,
    Just caught up on all 39 weeks sitting here,Great looking discus!Hows the fish room coming or is it still on the back burner for now.
    Thank you very much.
    Once I got the handicap rails installed on the stairwells and the inspector out of my hair it started the rainy season. We get almost 100 inches of rain here during the winter so will have to wait a while to trench in the water and power for the fish room. I have most of the tanks, blower and most of the rest of equipment. It's high up on the to-do list, hoping by Aug.-Sept.

  13. #13
    Registered Member Apistomaster's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2006
    Location
    Clarkston, Washington
    Posts
    2,425

    Default Re: Week 39

    All your wild Discus are nice but I especially like your royal Blues. Your other blues resemble my Alenquers.
    I only change about 2/3 the water every 3rd to 4th day with my wild Discus and that seems enough. I don't crowd wild Discus. I allow about 15 gallons per adult fish. If they show signs of eminent spawning would I bother to begin using more RO water. I know wild S. haraldi breed fine in water with a pH at almost at 7.0 and water softness of 400 ppm, but I would begin to lower it 60 ppm. I have successfully bred wild S haraldi in much harder water and a pH as high as 7,6. The TSDs was over 850 ppm. Proof enough to me to believe they are very adaptable. I raised 147 fry to salable size from that one hard water spawn. What more could one ask? A pH close to 7.0 is fine most of the time. Wild S. haraldi are easier to keep than most inexperienced people imagine.
    If you use a mix of RO water with some tap water it is unlikely that the pH would go below 6.0 using no chemical acid buffers. I have a dozen 1 Royal blues coming in at any time.
    They will be interesting to see how they turn out given the high quality of their parents.

    I would use much softer and more acidic water if I were trying to breed wild Green Discus.
    I would keep and try to breed wild Greens in water with about 40 ppm TDS and a pH between 5.o and 6.0. As long as my plecos sell well this yer i plan to buy 8 or 10 wild Red Spotted Greens.
    Larry Waybright

  14. #14
    Registered Member calihawker's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2006
    Location
    Cool, California
    Posts
    1,470

    Default Re: Week 39

    Great update Bill. Pics are awesome. All you fish look so happy and healthy. Great job my friend!

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