Im new to discus and loving them

[Quintin]

I have 2 80mm red turq discus in a 2 foot planted tank.they were very shy in the begining but have warmed up to me in the last week.they used to investigate me at feeding time but kept their distance.then while feeding them blood worms this morning the one started nibling the food out my hand and eventually grabbed the whole block and ran off with it.they also follow me up and down the glass when im walking past.Discus really are the best fish ever

How do you tell which discus are juviniles and which are grownups.I was told they are adults at around 150mm.Is this true?

[camuth8]

Are you planning on getting more discus? 2 discus in one tank won't work out very well with the pecking order. It'll only chase around that fish and it would get really stressed out. Discus are considered adults around 127mm. It should be pretty easy to tell when they're that big unless they're stunted. How many water changes are you doing? What is your feeding schedule?

[strawberryblonde]

Actually, 150mm is closer to the correct size for an adult discus, though many will grow even larger than that if they are given a proper environment and a good feeding schedule. Discus can grow for a full 2 years.

Since you only have 2 of them, they are fine in the 20 gallon tank for now. If you decide to add more, and they will do better with 5-6 of them in a group, then you will need a larger tank. You could put them into a 50g (about 180 litres) tank to grow them out if there are 5-6 of them. 200 litres would be even better since they'd be able to stay in that tank even as adults.

For the best growth and health of your new discus you'll want to do the following:

1) Remove the gravel and plants - I know it's looks pretty with plants in there, but your discus are still babies and need very VERY clean water in order to stay healthy and grow.

2) Paint the bottom of the tank with white paint after you remove the gravel so that they can't see their reflections.

3) Change 50% of the water every day.

4) Feed them 4-6 times per day. Be sure to feed a good variety of high protein foods and include some discus flakes that are full of vitamins and minerals.

When they are 130mm - 150mm in size you can add back the substrate and plants and reduce the water changes to every other day. Sand is a much better substrate for discus since the food and poop stays on top of it and is easier to see and remove.

[Quintin]

My wife started a small aquarium fish shop recently and she got two red turq discus which i fell in love with so i took them from her.i have only had them for amonth and as you probably know people dont take care when dealing with fish so they were obviously stressed when we got them.they are 80mm in size.i have white gravel with neon coloured pebles mixed.2 foot tank at 80 degrees fh.green vines in front of tank live plant and rock formation with same pattern as them.i feed them 3 to 4 times a day just enough for them to finnish in 2min time.i feed them frozen blood worms which they started eating out my fingers today and also discus coulor enhancing sinking pelets.i do 50 percent water changes every second day and wash gravel and filter (powerhead) once a week.treat water with anti chlor only.thinking of looking for

[Quintin]

Thanks for the info.I know its better not to have the gravel but i feel its cruel to fish to put them in a bare tank.i do 50 % water changes every day and feed them 3 times a day enough to finnish in 2min.i give them blood worms and discus sinking pelets.i want to get a 4 foot tank and 2x blue and 2x green turqs to Acompany my babies.how do you tell the differance between turqs and pigeon bloods cause i have people telling me they are the one or the other.i was told turqs have verticle paterns while pigeons have horizontal patterns.i dnt know how old my discus are but they 80mm in size.

[dagray]

Quintin,
if you insist on gravel (I also use substrate) then put some bottom feeders (cory cats as an example) in to scavenge any uneaten food (and there will be some) also inexpensive snails like Malaysian trumpet snails don't add to the bioload on your tank and will help eat anything that gets trapped in the substrate.

Dave

[strawberryblonde]

I know that a lot of people think that it's horrible to raise discus in a bare bottomed tank, but it's actually better for them. They are VERY sensitive to nitrates and dissolved organic compounds (DOC's) in the water when they are young! By having gravel and plants, you're allowing the nitrates and DOC's to build up in the tank all week long. Over the course of a few months of that, your discus babies will probably get sick...most do.

The tank doesn't have to look bare though! You can paint the bottom white, then add a small piece of driftwood and 2 or 3 small potted plants. Doing it that way means that it's easy to move them around while you are vacuuming the bottom. It's also easy to lift them out so that you can clean the driftwood once a week and so that you can do super water changes every few days. When I say super water changes I mean that on those days you would remove the pots and driftwood, then wipe down the sides and bottom of the tank (I use a soft scrubbie sponge on a long handle, but you can use paper towels or just a standard sponge if that's easier). Once the tank has been wiped, wipe off the heater and any air stone tubing. Then you rinse out the filter media in used tank water. I just fill a small bucket with tank water as I'm draining the tank and then rinse the media in the bucket.

Once the driftwood is scrubbed clean and rinsed well and the tank has drained down to about 3", put the driftwood and plants back in, then refill the tank.

Pigeon blood discus have had the dark bars bred out of them...that's the only way to tell the difference between the two types of domestic discus. =)

[Quintin]

Ok,i think ive messed up a bit,look i dnt have a complicated tank rite now 1xlucious row of vines front of tank.1xrock formation.once a week i take the discuss out and wash tank thouroughly and 50% water changes every day.planning to get drift wood for 4 foot tank and java moss on a rock living plant.i heard corries might out compete for food and that having tank mates when starting like cardinals,neons not good idea.my discus have pigeon blood pattern with black pattern over eyes both sides the other not as destinctive (verticle).will post pics when get permission

[Quintin]

i heard i could not put snails in discus tank at all.we dnt really have relible sourses all the time.wont corrys be to dilly for discus?

[dagray]

I have cories in a tank with discus... just have to watch the type of cory so you know it can handle the temperatures discus like.

[Quintin]

im trying to load a pic of my discus79916

[Quintin]

ill post some new pics of my 2 discus and their tank later today.feel free to comment.i enjoy constructive critissm
thank for all the info and i have read the begginer forum

[blueluv]

im trying to load a pic of my discus79916

Is that zebra stone in your tank, in the background?

[lipadj46]

I would get a bigger tank, get rid of the "natural" clown puke gravel and get 3 more fish. Your tank is not suited for 2 discus. The only way it would be OK for 2 discus is if it were bare bottom with no other fish, you were doing daily complete water changes and they were a mated pair. Believe me I am not trying to br cruel, I believe how you are housing your fish in far from ideal and they will end up sick.

sent from an undisclosed location using morse code

[strawberryblonde]

Ok,i think ive messed up a bit,look i dnt have a complicated tank rite now 1xlucious row of vines front of tank.1xrock formation.once a week i take the discuss out and wash tank thouroughly and 50% water changes every day.planning to get drift wood for 4 foot tank and java moss on a rock living plant.i heard corries might out compete for food and that having tank mates when starting like cardinals,neons not good idea.my discus have pigeon blood pattern with black pattern over eyes both sides the other not as destinctive (verticle).will post pics when get permission

Quintin,

I'm not sure what's going on here, but it's like you're not hearing us. First up, it's much better to put ALL of your questions into this thread instead of posting them one at a time all over the forum.

1) No, do not put a male betta into that tank with your discus.

2) No, do not put your lobster into the discus tank.

3) No, Bristlenose Catfish don't add toxic chemicals to a discus tank. They DO poop a lot, which means that you'd need to do more water changes if you had a normal sized tank. You don't have a properly sized tank for your discus, so don't add Bristlenose or any other fish to the tank.

4) You don't need snails in your discus tank.

5) Until your tank is large enough and you've learned how to properly care for juvenile discus do NOT add cories to the tank.

6) There is no need to remove the discus from your tank once a week in order to clean the tank. Just remove the plants and gravel, paint the bottom of it white, do a daily water change and rinse out your filter media in used tank water (in a bucket) every few days. That's ALL you need to do!

7) The discus in your picture is not a pigeon blood. I explained in another reply that pigeon bloods have had the black bars bred out of them. You can't tell if it's a pigeon blood by looking at whether the patterns on the body are vertical or horizontal. The only way to tell is to look for black bars. Your discus has a black bar, therefore it is not a pigeon blood.
It looks like a Red Turquoise discus to me.

[Quintin]

I have removed the substrate and grass now my fishys are not happy but im making plan for bigger tank with some amazons driftwood with java moss and some rocks with java moss.hope they will forgive me

[Wjmulder]

Just to be clear, paint the OUTSIDE of the bottom of the tank. It will cut down on the reflection and make the discus happier.

[Quintin]

it was painted.But i think they miss weaving between the plants.and the problem with powerhead filter is that it pushes the pots around in the current

[du3ce]

theyre prob still getting used to the new changes

[Quintin]

This is what the my tank used to look like.

[Quintin]

This is it now.But im getting bigger tank soon with some nice plants.they really not happy

[Tazalanche]

Quintin, you REALLY need to read through the stickies in the Discus Basics for Beginners (http://forum.simplydiscus.com/forumdisplay.php?48-Discus-Basics-for-Beginners) subforum, especially How do I set up my first discus tank? (http://forum.simplydiscus.com/showthread.php?28937-How-do-I-set-up-my-first-discus-tank).

Part of why they're not happy may be because you have no filtration. A powerhead just moves the water around in the tank.

[Quintin]

The pics were shrinked.if you look behind the pots left cnr there i was using a cnr filter with wool and charcoaol.if i used that in conjunction with powerhead would it be better as i took the cnr filter out cause was told carbon bad for discus if u disturb the filter while cleaning it can let nitrates back into tank?

[Crazydiscus25]

:D

[Quintin]

I did read the stickys recently and have found much info.but seeing that i live in south africa a lot of the product names arnt the same here.but i do cross check equivelant products on the net and am starting to come rite now.thanx for everyones imput good and bad.i have really lernt a lot from simply discus.

One can never have to much research and personal experience from people also helps a lot

[musicmarn1]

Also if you fish miss plants Strwberryblonde taught me a great method, pantyhose or stockings filled with substrate and root tabs, amazon swords or hardy plant into that, rubber band neck, roll down stocking and band or tie bottom :D
Squishy pots of plants that don't get filthy like pots with pebbles in do

[Quintin]

Just added my newest additions to my tank.2 checkerboard discus.ill post pics tommorow.my smallest red turq quickly informed the other discus whos in charge had each 1 of them hiding in a seperate cnr after 10min.but it seems they warming up to each other now all swimming together.funny how the smallest 1 is the most dominant in the tank.

[mastermamo]

Quintin, you REALLY need to read through the stickies in the Discus Basics for Beginners (http://forum.simplydiscus.com/forumdisplay.php?48-Discus-Basics-for-Beginners) subforum, especially How do I set up my first discus tank? (http://forum.simplydiscus.com/showthread.php?28937-How-do-I-set-up-my-first-discus-tank).

Part of why they're not happy may be because you have no filtration. A powerhead just moves the water around in the tank.

Agreed totally

[mastermamo]

I did read the stickys recently and have found much info.but seeing that i live in south africa a lot of the product names arnt the same here.but i do cross check equivelant products on the net and am starting to come rite now.thanx for everyones imput good and bad.i have really lernt a lot from simply discus.

One can never have to much research and personal experience from people also helps a lot

I'm in SA too. Drop me a pm if u need to know anything

[Quintin]

Hi everyone.I have just got my first water test kit.Please tell me what is the optimal PH level in a discus tank.and i would also like to know, i remove chlorine from water and was told i should also add stuff to remove the amonia in the water but in another thread saw that amonia kills the nitrates in the water and how do i check for nitrate levels.
Please advise.

[Quintin]

My babies are happy again since i added 2 friends for them.i just love wtching them play with each other.there is nothing prettier than a happy discus.

[PP_GBR]

Very nice fish Q. Well done.

[strawberryblonde]

Good job! The tank looks much better now Quintin, and your fish will be able much happier now that there are more of them.

For your test kit, you just want to measure your pH, not change it.

To test the pH, fill up a small bucket with tap water. Test the pH and write it down. Now add a heater and an air stone to the bucket and let it sit for 24 hours. Test the pH again. Did it go down a lot? Did it go up a lot?

If it goes up or down a lot, your discus will be happier if you start aging your water before each water change. To do that, just get a big barrel or bucket and fill it just like the test bucket. Let the bucket sit with the heater and air stone in it for 24 hours, then use that water during your water change.

For the other tests. You want ammonia to be 0, nitrites should be 0, and nitrates should be between 5ppm - 10ppm. So long as your test number look like that, your water is in good shape and you are doing enough water changes to keep your discus healthy.

If any of the numbers are higher than that, please post them here and we'll help you fix the water, ok?

[Quintin]

Ill do the other tests.but have done a ph test and the ph is sitting at 8.2.ill see tommorow morning if it has changed.is 8.2 not to high or is it just that it musent fluctuate.but have also added nitrate remover to the water.

[strawberryblonde]

8.2 is a high pH, but it's fine for your discus so long as it doesn't change a whole lot when the water sits overnight. It's better to keep it nice and steady.

For your nitrates, if they go higher than 5ppm - 10ppm, then you need to do a water change. It's always better to change the water than to add a nitrate remover. Changing water also removes other nasty things like pathogens and bad bacteria that can make your discus sick.

[Quintin]

Thanx.i do 50% water changes every day.but i have been so bombarded by PH and Nitrates and Amonia i went and got nitrate remover for safety, but the compound also replaces trace nutrients required for discus.Does that sound correct?then i would also like some clarity on something.one of our local breeders (the guy i got my checkerboard disus from) said he had a problem more than once where he just threw the frozen food cubes (beef heart, blood worms) in the tank and the juvies got hold of it while still frozen which in turn damaged their intestines and they died slowly over a few months no cure found.have you ever heard of this problem.similar to the problem where the discus burn their reproductive organs on the heater and die during spawning.ur imput would be much appreciated

[seashell_midwest]

discus burn their reproductive organs on the heater and die during spawning.ur imput would be much appreciated
this really funny....

[Quintin]

What so funny?

[mastermamo]

I haven't heard of frozen food killing discus unless it was infested with bacteria. What I do is run some water over the cube until its not as frozen, then cut into 4 pieces and feed them. This allows me to spread the cubes among many discus and thus leads to less aggression.

As for heaters killing fish lol...this is a first. Not likely unless u put your family heater in the tank lol

[mastermamo]

The pics were shrinked.if you look behind the pots left cnr there i was using a cnr filter with wool and charcoaol.if i used that in conjunction with powerhead would it be better as i took the cnr filter out cause was told carbon bad for discus if u disturb the filter while cleaning it can let nitrates back into tank?

Quintin I recommend u remove the activated carbon (charcoal) and wool as u call it. Get some ceramic noodles, peat granules and lots of foam/sponge. This will be the best media u can use for your fish when it's seeded or cycled as its known in the US. I hope u understand what cycling/seeding is and how important this is for your fishes health. Also a powerhead IMHO is a no no for discus as they don't really like strong streams of water. Rather put in 2 airstones and a sponge filter or 2. Much more useful to your fish and tank.

Also plz put a background in the tank and at the bottom if u can. These fish hate string light and reflections. And take that ornament u have in the tank out. U can leave it plain or put in a little Mopani wood or dragon rock if u can get some. Remember this wood needs to soak in water a week or 2 and rinsed thoroughly a few dozen times before u put into your tank or you just going to release a wholeot of tannins into the water. Check your LFS for some pre-soaked wood.

[yim11]

one of our local breeders (the guy i got my checkerboard disus from) said he had a problem more than once where he just threw the frozen food cubes (beef heart, blood worms) in the tank and the juvies got hold of it while still frozen which in turn damaged their intestines and they died slowly over a few months no cure found.have you ever heard of this problem.similar to the problem where the discus burn their reproductive organs on the heater and die during spawning.ur imput would be much appreciated

Your breeder has a LOT to learn, and is full of some really bad info. Maybe point him here so he can learn what is really killing his fish (hint - its not frozen food and heaters) lol.

[Quintin]

Ill do that.i just feel no question to stupid to ask.at least i gt some clarity so it fine.I checked my PH this morning it is High but stable at 8.2.So i guess thats fine.ill check for amonia and nitrate levels soon.Ill point him this way but the incedent happened years ago when he got hes first discus.he lost all of them but i dnt think he had all sorted and ready before he added them to hes first tank.thanx for the imput guys.

[Quintin]

Here is the tank now i just added two large pots that i can move around and two rock and tree formations.the tank still looks nice, fish are happy and easy to clean.thanx again for all the constructive critisism.simply discus is the best.(sometimes harsh but strait and to the point)

[Quintin]

Ok just finished testing for amonia and nitrates.Here are my water results
PH - 8.2
Amonia - 0.0mg/L
Nitrates - 0.1mg/L

0.1 is the lowest reading available on the test for nitrates.So if im understanding this correctly my water is fine.

Let me know.Thanx

[mastermamo]

Ok just finished testing for amonia and nitrates.Here are my water results
PH - 8.2
Amonia - 0.0mg/L
Nitrates - 0.1mg/L

0.1 is the lowest reading available on the test for nitrates.So if im understanding this correctly my water is fine.

Let me know.Thanx

Ammonia and nitrates are good. pH is a little high for discus. Should be in the region of 6.8-7.2. Try to bring it down. An ideal pH would be 5.0-6.0. At this acidity pathogenic bacteria don't do well and discus thrive. I'm not saying that you as a beginner should aim so low just yet though. My pH sometimes goes to 4.5 and the fish love it. I do however try to keep my main tanks at roughly 6.0-7.0

[strawberryblonde]

That's a fine pH, it's better to leave it alone than to mess around with it and risk problems.

And just to head off any protests, my pH ranges from 7.8 at its lowest during the summers to 8.4 in the winter. My discus grow, thrive and breed in the 8.4 pH.

[mastermamo]

That's a fine pH, it's better to leave it alone than to mess around with it and risk problems.

And just to head off any protests, my pH ranges from 7.8 at its lowest during the summers to 8.4 in the winter. My discus grow, thrive and breed in the 8.4 pH.

It's amazing how different things are in South Africa compared to the US

[Quintin]

My test kit recomends testing water for nitrates and amonia weekly.is that sufficient?i have 70 tests left on each so i can do more but if i keep to my water changes weekly should be fine.

[seashell_midwest]

mastermamo: I am a beginner too. My pH is around 7.4-7.6 (highest 7.6 on the regular ph measurement and 7.4 on the high ph measurement). I see that there is lot of advice on the forum not to change the ph and a stable pH is the best ph etc... My pH right from the tap is 8.2 and when I age the water it decrease to 7.4-7.6 don't know the reason for it though. Changing pH seems to be very trick. Do you have any simple solution for it?

Quintin maybe you should age the water and see what your pH is.

[Tazalanche]

it's better to leave it alone than to mess around with it and risk problems.+1
Note that the above information was also coming from the Vice President of NADA.

Read through the disease/medication threads here & the majority of the threads related to ph are because the OP was throwing all kinds of chemicals in their domestic tanks to try to alter the PH to X amount (because someone said so) instead of ensuring it remains stable.

[Quintin]

I have tested my PH levels from the tap and then the tank PH after water change 24hours later.(just before water change) and it stayd at 8.2. So from what ive been told Disus thrive under these PH levels and it is advised not to tamper with it.You just have to look after your tank much better as more PH alows for less nitrates(in high ph water the levels of nitrate allowed are less than low ph water where higher level of nitrate is more acceptable).and a higher level of amonia can contribute to nitrate levels in tank (sommed up stable water levels are better than eddited water at more desireble levels)i think but mabey im wrong.(ps My higher levels of PH give me less room for error compared to people with lower PH levels)hope the experts dont bite my head off for this post.but this is how i understand it

[strawberryblonde]

Hi again Quintin,

In some cases that might be true...that higher pH leaves less room for errors, but when it comes to discus, they require such good water parameters that a high or a low pH doesn't really matter. The guys with lower pH have to change their water to control nitrates just as often as you and I do with our high pH.

So long as your water is nice and stable, and it looks like it's quite stable, then your discus will be fine. Now it's a matter of controlling nitrates. For now, test for nitrates every day, and if the number is above 5ppm, do a large water change. Test again the next day. If it has gone even higher, then adjust the amount of your daily water change....to maybe 60%. Test again on the third day and do the same thing. A bigger water change if nitrates are still rising higher each day.

Eventually you will get to the point that nitrates will remain steady at about 5-10ppm between water changes. From that point you just keep doing the same amount of water change in order to maintain it.

[Quintin]

Thank you strawberry blond.Are you a guy or lady.Your name confuses me?How do i work out ppm.my test gives me a reading of 0.1L/mg of water what ppm is that.Sorry im a bit slow sometimes.Ill check my levels daily for a week and let you know.ps (how do discus get it right to get people to run around like this)But they so luvable arnt they?I heard they can live up to 15cyears is this true

[strawberryblonde]

Hi Quintin,

.10L/mg of nitrate is the same as saying .10ppm. If that's the reading you have for nitrates you are in VERY good shape right now! Just follow along and monitor it for a week as you do daily water changes and you'll have a good idea of where you stand.

Yup, discus are quite good at making us run around for them. Then again, they don't have legs so they can't run around for themselves... guess they need us, huh? LOL

I have no idea how long a discus will live in a tank. I know that I raised one many years ago who was 6 years old when I moved away from my home town. He went to live with another hobbyist.

[mastermamo]

mastermamo: I am a beginner too. My pH is around 7.4-7.6 (highest 7.6 on the regular ph measurement and 7.4 on the high ph measurement). I see that there is lot of advice on the forum not to change the ph and a stable pH is the best ph etc... My pH right from the tap is 8.2 and when I age the water it decrease to 7.4-7.6 don't know the reason for it though. Changing pH seems to be very trick. Do you have any simple solution for it?

Quintin maybe you should age the water and see what your pH is.

pH changes are affected by many different things including things u didn't think could affect the water eg:
1 The number of discus you have
2. The number of other fish u have
3. The types and frequency of feed
4. Chemicals you add eg discus buffer
5. The amount of bacteria in your filter media
6. The type of substrate or lack of it
Etc

The best way IMO to take stable pH readings is just before and just after a WC (approx 30 mins each way). Try to have your aged water at roughly the same pH as the tanks ie if your tanks pH is at an acceptable level. Changing pH midstream ie between WC days can be achieved by using something like Neutral Regulator, pH Buffer, pH up or pH down but honestly I don't believe chemicals should be your first choice in the tank itself. Look at WHY your pH is changing in the tank, isolate the reason and deal with that or u r going to find yourself in a position of constantly having to monitor your water.

[Quintin]

Well at least my PH is Stable but ill keep an eye on it

[Quintin]

We getting a shipment from germany next week (SV2000 beefheart mix and royal discus mix)cant wait

[Quintin]

My slightly larger red turk has recently started picking on the smaller turk.i was a little worried but i see the biggest checkerboard is protecting the smaller turk now.and it mainly happens at feeding time.at least its not a 3 on 1 situation the 2 checkerboards are keeping the turk from getting to the small one during feeding times so at least they all getting food.I also spread the food a few places so they get preoccupied a little

[Quintin]

Hi guys.Since my discus are much happier lately ive had to up my water changes 50%morning and 50% in the evening.They can really dirty a tank when they active and eat healthy dust from sinking granuels all over the place.i have to vacuum the bottom with every water change.they really are great.should go better in larger tank that is being deliverd with proper filter system tommorow.will still do the water changes but i see why bigger tanks are needed for them.they a messy bunch when they in good shape

[Quintin]

Can you guys tell me how long does one cycle a brand new tank before its safe to put discus in it

[strawberryblonde]

Hi Quintin,

As long as you move your filters over to the new tank when you move the discus, you won't have to worry about cycling any new filters. Just put the new filter into the tank, then add the one from your current discus tank, then add the discus.

The old filter will keep the cycle going while the new filter seeds itself with beneficial bacteria. Be sure to test your water once a day, same as you have been doing. And don't slack off on water changes, ok? Continue with a small morning water change and a slightly larger one at night...and keep feeding them...then sit back and watch them grow! =)

I'm SO happy that they have turned around for you and are thriving now. Aren't they fun to watch when they feel healthy and happy?

[Quintin]

Thanx strawberryblond.But my supplier has let me down with my tank for the 4th week running.so ive kept my existing filter and added the hang on back to the 2foot tank for now.1 filter on each side of the tank.and dnt worry if theres one thing ive lernt is how important water changes are.They really like the new filter setup

[mastermamo]

Quintin post pics of how the tank looks now

[Quintin]

Ill post a pic a bit later just catching up on work quick

[Quintin]

Here is a pic of my tank at the moment.its very sloppy as the lid doesnt even close properly.and excuse the mess as it was feeding time when i took the pic.also put pic of the new filter i got.Ill beautyfi the new tank.im more concerned about the well being of my discus than the look of the tank right now

[mastermamo]

Thanks for the pics.

[Quintin]

Im just worried about my smallest turk as the larger one pics on him a lot.it just the one that worries him.but then after a while he gets upset and chases all three of them for a while.is there any way of dealing with a spiteful discus.or musent i worry about it too much

[strawberryblonde]

Hi Quintin,

The picking on each other is the natural order of things. You can't stop it. You can help them out though by adding 2 more discus once you have your new tank. The more you have, the more the picking will be spread out among them so that just one little guy doesn't get pecked to death.

[mastermamo]

Hi Quintin,

The picking on each other is the natural order of things. You can't stop it. You can help them out though by adding 2 more discus once you have your new tank. The more you have, the more the picking will be spread out among them so that just one little guy doesn't get pecked to death.

+1 agreed

[Quintin]

At leats the orange checkerboards dont pick on him, its only his "friend"the other red turq that i bought together.but every now and again the smaller turq gets fed up and chases them all to differant corners of the tank.And you wont believe how dirty the sponge in the new filter is getting.shows me what adifferance the right filter makes.I just kept the old airfilter as it supplys good air to the tank and the material in there gets dirty to so it must be doing its job too.i think ill use both in the 4foot too.

[troysdiiscus]

Quintin, just a suggestion but I would remove as much in the tank as you could to give them alittle more room to move around until you get your bigger tank. Just a suggestion. Glad to see everything looking better....

[mastermamo]

Quintin, just a suggestion but I would remove as much in the tank as you could to give them alittle more room to move around until you get your bigger tank. Just a suggestion. Glad to see everything looking better....

+1 like I suggested at the outset remove all those plastic ornaments in the tank. Once they get to adult size u can add wood etc but if you intend using this as a growout tank I would recommend no ornaments

In your pics I see a lot of uneaten food on the left of the tank. U must try to remove this ASAP to avoid ammonia spikes and pH increases

[Quintin]

Yeh that was just as i dropped the food in.I have rmoved the fake rock but have left the 2 pieces of driftwood with plants growing on them

[discusning]

hi,just coming here meet everyone

[Quintin]

hi and welcome to simply discus

[Quintin]

Help, Help!My 2 red turks are sticking eggs to the glass.firstly arnt they to young at 9cm size.the eggs are quite high up on the glass so how do i do water changes without destroying the eggs.and i suppose the male will eat the first eggs anyway.any advise please.should i put them seprate in tank and see if they will breed properly

[Quintin]

Need imput urgently please.im recieving 2 Blue diamonds today and need to know how long does one quarintine new discus before adding them to my tank.So Excited

[mastermamo]

3 weeks at least.

[Quintin]

Whoohoo! I finaly got my new 4foot tank.Had to fill up 240L of water with a bucket.Im still working on propper lighting and lid.But at least the discus can swim gracefully now.Getting some friends for them tommorow.Im so stoked at the moment.Here are some pics.will try take better pics when better lite and camera.Keeping the old 2foot as a quarintine tank.

[mastermamo]

That lights no good for discus. Change ASAP. Discus don't like concentrated light and even though u think blue looks cool, a neutral white is better for them. Submersible lights are too bright. What "friends" are u getting them?
I noticed u also like plastic ornaments. U need to try to recreate their natural environment as much as possible ie rock, stone, wood. But for a growout tank less is more. Like I had mentioned before a nice piece of wood does wonders.

Here's a pic of a new tank I just did for my lounge

Before lighting etc
http://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/11/07/a9a8atyt.jpg

Now
http://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/11/07/eqe6epe3.jpg

http://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/11/07/upupa2a4.jpg

[Quintin]

Yes have to get better light.I dnt like fake stuff at all.Only got driftwood with plants on,small java fern and one pot.Nice tank you got

[mastermamo]

Yes have to get better light.I dnt like fake stuff at all.Only got driftwood with plants on,small java fern and one pot.Nice tank you got

Thanks I have 6 tanks now.

[Quintin]

That must be a lot of work.Im getting 2 pure red Discus and following month Yellow pigeons.Can i add 70mm discus to a tank with 100mm discus?Oh and the sponge filters you got in your tank, what do you call them and what pump do you need to run them with?nobody seems to know what im talking about when i ask the suppliers.

[mastermamo]

It's actually not a lot of work. My fish are healthy and growing because I've learnt how to manage my tanks with a minimum amount of fuss.
Go to a pet shop and ask for the BOYU sponge filters (large). Get a Dophin 8500 or 8700 twin outlet pump. It's the best value for money but a little loud. You could get a Eheim pump but they are rare and very expensive. Remember to rinse the sponge thoroughly under tap water before putting into the tank.
You can mix fish sizes as long as there's not too much of a difference. 70 and 100's are fine together

[Quintin]

I have a small aqaurium fish shop.so daro is one of my suppliers.Ill see if they have it.Thanx for the info.PS i have changed the light.And dnt know if you heard of campcon before, they are my fish suppliers.I get a lot of my customers discus from them.Let me know if you ever looking for discus i can have them ship directly to you.just waiting for baby to arrive then going to start importing discus that are rare here.yellow, green wild, pure white.they even have purple,never seen that before.not sure on the strains yet.Also bringing in rare bettas for my wife she breeds them.when we changed the light last nite we removed the lid the red turk shot out the water and hit my father in law full in the face.i saw them cleaning glass so think they getting tetorial.they dnt mind the waterchanges at all the follow the siphon hose around,then just goes and sits in other side of tank while adding the fresh water.They got much happier since im using seachem prime.

[mastermamo]

I know Campcon aka Daro pretty well and I will NEVER buy discus from them. They always supply sick fish that have not been quarantined. The worst fish countrywide is from Daro. Sorry to hear about your father in law. Pretty hilarious actually lol.

[Quintin]

Jes we had a problem with them too.Went off at them and havent had any bat fish since.Thats why i want to import my own.to bad kenny doesnt ship to sa, or even hans for that matter

[Discusdude7]

Jes we had a problem with them too.Went off at them and havent had any bat fish since.Thats why i want to import my own.to bad kenny doesnt ship to sa, or even hans for that matter

Kenny doesn't but forrest (his supplier) might.

[Quintin]

Hey.Thanx a lot.how would i get hold of him.Can i contact kenny for his details?

[Quintin]

My discus have had and recovered from thier first illness, The Flukes.Thanx to good advice from the simply community in one week my fish are back to normal.havent even had a chance to work the meds out and they allready sticking eggs to the glass again.What Ehiem model pump can i use with sponge filters.Need name and moddel if possible.Please assist

[Discusdude7]

Hey.Thanx a lot.how would i get hold of him.Can i contact kenny for his details?

Check under his sponsor section for contact information. If you don't find it then yes I think you can ask Kenny.

[vikki]

That's a beautiful fish

[Quintin]

Very sad day today.lost my first discus today.little Dante is gone.he was fine last nite and died this morning.burried him in the garden.sniff sniff

[Quintin]

RIP Dante.we will miss you:angel:

[Quintin]

Just a quick question.I have read here that 82 degrees is fine for discus adults.Do juvies of say 2.5" need warmer water or is that not true?

[Second Hand Pat]

82 is fine for your juvies also.

[Quintin]

Thanks pat im just trying to get my ducks in order.As i have the 4foot tank with adult discus and another tank with 6 juvies and im trying my best to do a better job this time round.The people here believe in hot water too much and just wanted to get the true story.Im really enjoying keeping discus its been a year and im so addicted.I did however lose one juvie royal.he was worse for wear when he arrived then after a month in quarintine he somehow burned himself on heater gt infected and died.I did notice that when heater is set to 82 they generally dnt burn so easily.What dnt they understand about dnt fiddle with the heater?

[Second Hand Pat]

Quintin, the discus do not understand it is a heater. They only know it is a heat source. Is the temp uniform across the tank?

[Quintin]

yes it is same allround.I know they dnt know its a heater but its not that complicated it burns you dnt go back there.Its not a common problem only happend once.Its BB with no hiding place mabey he tried hiding behind it and it didnt go so well.i hate losing fish but as john has stated many times fish recieved in bad state give more trouble.Start with good stock but i did not have much controll over it 5 were fine to excelent in my oppinion and one Horrid kind of.

[Quintin]

here you go pat, heres the pics

[Second Hand Pat]

Quintin, hard to tell really but sort of think these are domestics vs wilds.

[rickztahone]

Quintin, hard to tell really but sort of think these are domestics vs wilds.

I would agree. They look like Kenny's/Forrest's Domestic Brown (intermediates). I had one a few years back and looked almost exactly like that. Those look really nice though, and I wouldn't mind having any one of them.

[Quintin]

Look no one said they were wilds.I just thought if they were you wild keepers would enjoy a look.Ill check with the owner of the discus.They all in one tank together.They look real neat though i think

[Second Hand Pat]

Look no one said they were wilds.I just thought if they were you wild keepers would enjoy a look.Ill check with the owner of the discus.They all in one tank together.They look real neat though i think

Quintin, they are lovely fish and please do check with the owner. :)

[Quintin]

I sent owner a message.Heres pic of the cone.They laying eggs on a roll

[rickztahone]

Look no one said they were wilds.I just thought if they were you wild keepers would enjoy a look.Ill check with the owner of the discus.They all in one tank together.They look real neat though i think

my apologies, I thought these were your discus. I wasn't aware that you were showing us someone else's fish.

[pHish_man]

Hi guys, thought I would just step in here as these fish belong to me and I would be more than happy to answer any questions about these fish so that there are no misunderstandings about them.

Just for the record, they are offspring of alencers that I obtained from Dirk Bellstedt in somerset west, south Africa.

Kind regards

Andrew

[Second Hand Pat]

Hi Andrew, I have been in contact with Dirk in the past and you might have wild F1s. I know Dirk kept wild discus. Either way they are nice fish.

Pat

[Quintin]

Hi guys.See yoy beat me to it.Marco told me that Pat has dealt with dirk belsted in the past.Phish man is the owner of the fish.I saw them on TASA and they looked wild to me so i just wanted to share with pat as i know she has wilds .I did not know phish man was also here so please direcet all questions to him regarding the fish.Keep up the hard work phish man your discus are truely amazing wich is why i wanted to share them

Quintin

[Quintin]

Im a bit confused at something rite now.I did ask what the rite temp for keeping discus was more than once and was told numerous times that 28 is fine for adults and juvies alike.Ive kept my temp at this and have nt had issues compared to when i had my tanks at 30 degrees.Im attaching a post from a local forum here by marco who by what i can tell has been quite successful in breeding and keeping good discus for a long time.Reason for this post is nt to discredit anyone but for me to get Clued up properly in keeping good discus.I have read AL Sabettas guide to keeping discus too and kind of do it like he suggests.All comments and imput would be appreciated

Here is the post:

Removed at OP's request

[Second Hand Pat]

Quintin, you have been around this forum long enough to know we recommend WCs way more often then once a week. Not only does the WC work to keep the water clean it also reduces the parasitic load. In nature it should also be noted that when the temperature become too warm for wild discus in the dry season they migrate to cooler water.

Also if 28 is working for you why change it?

[Quintin]

Thanx pat.My regime is as follows.Temp is 28, i do 50% to 80% water changes per day.and i understock my tank.I really value the information here.The thing is this guy actually had a bully issue.hes tank is at 29 so i told the guy thats fine wile others are telling him discus need 30.i told him if anything the higher the temp the more aggressive cichlids get so uping the temps are not the answer.And i keep getting griev for telling people that 28 is fine.Im sure i read that a discus imune system weakens in higher temps.Im perfectly happy with the way things are in my tank i was just giving some advice.I told him leave temp just spread food evenly across tank as the bully cant be every where at the same time.I dnt know what hes stressing bout though as hes had the fish together for less than a month.Told him it will come rite.I mean my discus are peacful the one moment and then for no good reason whacks the nearest discus just cause he feels like it ive made peace with it.Its quite amusing to see them sort themselves out sometimes.I have 2 tanks at the moment and there is a bad boy/girl in each.the largest in the one tank and the smallest in the other.So size doesnt really seem to matter when establishing pecking order.

[Second Hand Pat]

Quintin, invite him to join Simply Discus. There is some pretty good reasons why it is one of the largest discus forums. Also you can lead a horse to water but can not make it drink ;)

[Quintin]

Very true pat.

[Quintin]

Im glad to to announce my first discus i ever got seems to be trying to pair with my lateset adult discus.The one some of you may know as delta the turk/royal dnt really know what she is and my turk just gt recently.they were cleaning the pipe in the tank so decided to put cone and see what happens.cone was clean eggs laid male followed, female fanning eggs then turned white and male ate eggs.ive left them in tank alone with cone and will see what happens.

[Quintin]

Kere are pics of delta and the male that are laying eggs.hope they dnt eat them again otherwise will put net around cone

[Quintin]

At what age do discus start spawning.and then for how long are they at prime breeding age.ie when do thier fry become less and less.so basicaly when do they start and end breeding well in general?

[ericNH]

I just read this entire thread Quintin. Your foray into discus keeping is taking you on quite a journey! You've really made some great progress :) Inspiring, keep it up!

[Quintin]

Thanks.I do make other threads but end up putting it all in here as its doesnt take up threads all over the place.My fish have eaten eggs a few times but lay eggs again every 4-5 days.i think my male mite be bit young though or perhaps 2 females.ill let them keep at it for some time and see what happens.its really shocking what little i knew when i started, im not saying im an expert but am managing too keep them healthy , alive and not stunting them anny more but ill confirm once ive grown another batch of juvies out.its really hard work but fun and rewarding at the same time.people said discus were addictive i had my doubts now look at me any excuse will do for more discus and tanks.

[musicmarn1]

eggs!! thats an awesome development, well done

[Quintin]

They still laying every 4-5days but after about 2 days turn white and then fish eat them.dnt think they getting fertilised.ill keep an eye and see what developes.

[Quintin]

Looks like im getting a 6ft tank today.guy is moving and asked me if i want it.Comes with stand.cant wait to set it up.Gonna need more discus hmmm.

[Quintin]

I had the pleaseure of being present today while my two turks were laying eggs and doing thier thing.first time seeing the whole process.its really cool to watch.I think i mite get wrigglers this time as the two were following up the cone together.

[musicmarn1]

its very cool to watch!! grats :D

[Quintin]

Yea it is but checked again today.half the eggs turned white.doesnt matter though it was great to see for the first time.

[Quintin]

Here are some pics of my breeding pair.They laying eggs as we speak.Still no wrigglers.
Think ill take my male to mens clinic if this continues.LOL

[Quintin]

some better pics.these are my finest 2 discus i own.

[Quintin]

Some pics of my juvies and some new arrivals just out of quarintine.Think theres mite be some potential here.let me know what you guys think.what type are the reds?I bought them this size frome some one who was giving up the hobby.the Leopard juvie (i think) is real cool too.he seems to like the Royal juvie.gonaa move the blue cobolt and golden pigeon to another tank for now they not doing to good.

Please feel free to give all oppinions.

Thanx
Quintin

[Quintin]

Its been a while since i posted as its been hectic.thought id post some pics of my discus.ill start with my first discus ever where ig her 1 and a half years ago at about 8cm.this is a 6 ft tank i gt second hand and coulnd resist putting them in there.

[Quintin]

She is still my favorite discus.Can any one confirm strain as im devided between turq or checkerboard.the following pics are of my other discus with her in tank at present.my 6 year old told me she likes the 2 reds and the 2 that lay eggs every monday, i had a good laugh.(the turqs)

[Quintin]

There are two sub adults at 10cm each.1x Leopard 1x Royal.2x What i presume are Red Melons.And the 1x Turq 1x Turk / Chekkerboard.Get another 2 Molboro Discus in Quarintine at 10cm eagerly waiting to move in

[Quintin]

NOTE THE HEADACHE TABLET BOX ON THE COUNTER IN TANK SHOTS LOL.Please bear with me as i post pics i just love my discus.

[Quintin]

Almost done.I dnt consider myself a seasond discus keeper but rather that it has become quite ease to keep discus happy when following the basics.big thank you to every body who has helped me here on simply.without you guys it would not have been possible for me to keep these great fish

[Quintin]

Any imput on my questions guys about the strains.And what fry could i expect from The turq and checkerboard

[Quintin]

Can some experienced breeders tell me what strains you see.as im asuming

[Quintin]

Im posting an update of my discus.This thread started out as an introduction and is now more of a timeline thread of my journy with discus.i do still have some stunted discus some of my neglect and some from a bad buy.I still have my first discus ever,and most of my fish have been bought at sizes 3-5cm.and are now getting to 12 -15cm.most of my first discus were lost except one due to my own wrong doing in the beggining.please feel free to comment good and bad during the next few posts.im probably gonna get a thrashing from mr john nicolson (wink wink).please enjoy and give feedback.its been a very rewarding journey thus far and am still loving it all the way

[Quintin]

Yes you see corectly there are 2 angles in there they have been there for a couple of months without any issues but i am moving them to a breeding tank as they laying eggs on the sponge filter and they wont return to the discus tank.i like the discus only look

[Quintin]

Just a few more

[Quintin]

last for now

[rickztahone]

I think you have followed the natural progression of discus keeping. You started as a beginner and adjusted your husbandry skills according to the advice given. Now, in retrospect you realized why the advice was given, and finally, your discus are starting to look so much better than your previously raised ones. Does that sound about right?

[Lighthouse]

Where did you get that royal? Looks great

[Quintin]

I think you have followed the natural progression of discus keeping. You started as a beginner and adjusted your husbandry skills according to the advice given. Now, in retrospect you realized why the advice was given, and finally, your discus are starting to look so much better than your previously raised ones. Does that sound about right?

Quite correct rick.i did not have a clue when I started.came to simply ignored advice and tried it my way lost almost the whole tank then started listening and asking more questions things have been much easier from then on.and I want to thank everybody who has helped me and given harsh words sum times.its all been worth it.and I've made quite a few friends here along the way

[Quintin]

Where did you get that royal? Looks great

He is nice funny enough gt him imported with 5 other babies they all died only he made it he's never been ill though

[Quintin]

Hope I dnt gt flack for this.bump bump

[stalefish83]

Just finished reading your thread. I'm new to discus and so far I've found that one of the best ways to learn is to read threads like this from others who have began the same journey. It's great to have resources for specific questions, and I've been given more than my fair share of advise and instruction from the great people in this community. But I greatly value threads like this where I can gain a wider knowledge from questions and occurrences I have yet to experience (but no doubt will, eventually)

This is a great community and I hope to be in a similar place as you when I'm 2 years in. These fish are addicting! I don't think I'll ever not have discus.

Do you plan on keeping your large tank BB, or since you've got mature fish are you going to add substrate (not the clown puke, though, haha!) and decor to give it a natural look? Seems like at the beginning you were into having decorations. I think these guys would look great with some sand, bogwood and plants... but that's just me ;)

Thanks for the great read!

[Quintin]

Thanx.Im waiting to move from my teprory flat to farm again and am then planing to build a 2meter x 60cm x60cm tank and stand for adults and get more discus of course.wanna put very thin layer of sand with a mean piece of spider wood.and wanna hang spot type lights so there will be shady parts in the tank.Cant wait to find a place and move

[Quintin]

I'm sad and down.my life got very hectic very quick.have not been able to move yet neglected my fish and have lost 4 discus from hex and gill flukes.trying to gather myself get things under control and basically start again.on the up side I have some discus laying eggs but no wriglers yet.sadest part is I've lost some of my best discus.will update as I recuperate

[Quintin]

So ive moved from a flat into house and built a 1.6m tank.my discus and angels are together now and have been doing well for 5 months.my tony tan discus inhabit their 4ft now.please enjoy following photo bomb.lol

[Quintin]

some more