I'm tired....

[pgrhodes1]

Been pulling my hair out worried about my two young Discus. They appeared to have bald spots over their heads. Couldn't figure out if it was a fungus, ich, or some other disease that was going to kill all my fish. Was doing 80% water change AM and PM. Totally going NUTS; however, one good thing is I did not medicate. Thanks to Youtube I now know I have 2 white butterfly Discus. God the price I pay for being ignorant is sometimes WAY to high.

You know, if I had this to do over again I would NOT do Discus. It is much easier to lose an $8 fish than a $60. And these fish don't seem to have a very strong survival instinct. The slightest thing and it's okay, i think I'll die now. Can you tell I'm REALLY tired and kind of fed up.....:(

[Allwin]

how about their diet and how often they are fed?

Fill the disease questionnaire to proper diagnosing.http://forum.simplydiscus.com/showthread.php?38545-Disease-Questionnaire-please-complete

[pgrhodes1]

Hi Allwin,

There in nothing wrong with them. On Youtube a lot of the white butterflies look exactly like my 2 young ones. Just got myself all in pucker for nothing.

Thanks for trying to help.

[Allwin]

aah, that's OK. I misunderstood possibly.. :)


Hi Allwin,

There in nothing wrong with them. On Youtube a lot of the white butterflies look exactly like my 2 young ones. Just got myself all in pucker for nothing.

Thanks for trying to help.

[FluffyWolf2]

Pgrhodes1 just think how much the discus appreciate your concern!! They're probably thinking, "The scary Hooman from the land of dry seems to be very worried about us. He's taking quite good care of us. I like him. We have a good Hooman."
:)


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[wolfel]

Discus is a kind of fish very hard to please, lol

So trying to please them and seeing them to have been pleased is the major fun of this hobby.

[pgrhodes1]

LOL...what they're really saying is "let's lay on our sides a while and watch the Hooman turn white." Those little suckers LOVE drama....:)

[FluffyWolf2]

LOL...what they're really saying is "let's lay on our sides a while and watch the Hooman turn white." Those little suckers LOVE drama....:)

LOL!!!!!! That's great :D... and probably true, haha.

[DonMD]

You know, if I had this to do over again I would NOT do Discus. It is much easier to lose an $8 fish than a $60. And these fish don't seem to have a very strong survival instinct. The slightest thing and it's okay, i think I'll die now. Can you tell I'm REALLY tired and kind of fed up.....:(

Well, it may be easier to lose an $8 fish than a $60 fish, but I for one think it's so much more gratifying to keep a discus than a gourami. And I disagree with you completely about their survival instinct. Discus want to live as much as any fish, any human for that matter. I've lost a lot of discus, and have decided that when they go, it's really not their fault. They don't give up, it's just that something in their environment has conspired against them. It's our challenge to figure out what that is, and to create a healthy nourishing environment. It's not easy, and certainly it's not for all aquarists. But it's for me. I don't keep gouramis.

OK, I confess, I did keep gouramis once! LOL. Hah! But I'm learning how to keep discus alive. Sort of. It's challenging, and expensive. But, still fun.

[ronald sherman]

learning? don is being much too modest not only does he do a very good job at he has manage too get them too breed many times and sell same flawless juv

[pgrhodes1]

Well my gouramis are great fish. They are beautiful, absolutely no trouble, and are hardy little suckers. Don't get me wrong, I really like the Discus but they are a LOT of work. People keep telling me the hobby is supposed to be relaxing. I should be enjoying my fish. Not so much anymore....like I said, I'm getting very tried. I have to get up at 5 am in order to do my water changes prior to work and be home right after work to do my water changes. It's getting old and knowing what I know now I would think twice before buying these fish. I will raise the ones I have and keep them till they decide something is not right and kick the bucket. After that, no more Discus.

[kkdiscus]

If twice water change is too much of a burden for you, why not cut it down to once every few days?

[DonMD]

Well, I certainly understand you situation. Take a break for awhile, and when you're at a point where you have more disposable time, you can start up again.

[Codemonkey]

Keep in there I love these little round fish!! :-) there can be issues when their young but after you take care of anything wrong with them they are much hartier than most think. The first discus I bought had gill flukes from LFS it was a mess :P but I love these guys and fighting for them makes me appreciate them even more! They may not be for everyone but they are for me!

[pgrhodes1]

You know I've thought a lot about the survival instinct issue. I had 4 3.5" Discus. Everything was going great until three decided they didn't like the 4th and started picking on it. It decided life was too stressful so it stayed in the corner, wouldn't eat, and eventually died. Now I have two 4" Discus who have decided they don't like the third. Guess what the third is doing?? Now try that with one of my gouramis, or the Angle fish, or Parrot fish I've owned in the past and you will have a different outcome. They are fighters and I have never had one starve to death because another fish didn't like them. Just doesn't make since to me.

[Tazalanche]

This is why everyone recommends a school of at least 5, preferably 6+ to even out any aggression/bullying while the discus sort out the pecking order of their school. The more discus in the school, the less opportunity for a single fish to be picked on by the bully in the tank.

Whatever you decide, good luck!

[YSS]

Just remember that discus are not any harder to keep than other fish if you:

1. Start with healthy stock which only seem available through the sponsors. All other discus are deemed not suitable for purchase.
2. Diligently maintain pristine water quality. Recommended water change amount and frequency is everyday 90% and you should enjoy doing water changes. It doesn't matter how many fish you have and the size of the tank you have your discus.
3. Feed your discus premium food. Only homemade food and very expensive food sold on the forum by the sponsors should be fed to ensure you have healthy discus
4. Do not mix your discus or they will die due to unknown pathogen cross contamination. But if you QT your fish for six weeks , then it's ok to mix the discus.
5. Keep your fish in a BB tank with sponge filters. All other setups make it difficult to clean and your discus may get sick if you can't pick up every bit of uneaten food and poop in the tank.

This is why discus is not the right fish for me. Too much work and gest me tired. Try to cut too many corners... :)

[pgrhodes1]

I've been told "school of at least 5" for every kind of fish I have purchased. Angle was told need at least 5, Parrot same, Clown Loach same and on and on. Simply not true. My Clown was by himself forever and did just fine. In fact I've never seen a fish grow that fast. He has a buddy now who has grown just as fast. Had 2 Angles, did great. Had 1 Parrot, did great. I have 5 Discus who are smaller than the 3 big ones in a separate tank. They are picking on the smallest. When the smallest dies they will start on the next too smallest and it goes on and on.

[pgrhodes1]

Yun, I have a feeling you're SO going to get it for that response......

[DonMD]

I think Yun is expressing a strong sarcasm . . . All I will say is that discus are really not for all fish keepers. Yun is right in a way, you really do have to commit to lots of water changes, buying quality fish to begin, and etc., although maybe not to the degree he suggests. For you, I think it's time to let it go and relax with less demanding fish. And feel free to start again in the future if you get the bug. Good luck, whatever you do.

[aquadon2222]

Just remember that discus are not any harder to keep than other fish if you:

1. Start with healthy stock which only seem available through the sponsors. All other discus are deemed not suitable for purchase.
2. Diligently maintain pristine water quality. Recommended water change amount and frequency is everyday 90% and you should enjoy doing water changes. It doesn't matter how many fish you have and the size of the tank you have your discus.
3. Feed your discus premium food. Only homemade food and very expensive food sold on the forum by the sponsors should be fed to ensure you have healthy discus
4. Do not mix your discus or they will die due to unknown pathogen cross contamination. But if you QT your fish for six weeks , then it's ok to mix the discus.
5. Keep your fish in a BB tank with sponge filters. All other setups make it difficult to clean and your discus may get sick if you can't pick up every bit of uneaten food and poop in the tank.

This is why discus is not the right fish for me. Too much work and gest me tired. Try to cut too many corners... :)

You don't need to change all the water every day!

[donnacona]

I'm no expert like some of the people here, I had breeding discus back in the old days mid 70's all I can say is what I do now.
Last October got back into it I bought 4 (2.5") discus from an importer in the area and I kept them in a 40 gal grow out BB tank for 5 months which I vacuumed out well every day and on the second day the amount I took out resulted in a 30 % aged water change. My fish are now over 4" and are 5 months old in a 77 gal. they are beautiful and healthy. I feed them Tetra Color in morning brine shrimp at lunch and (home made) beef heart full of vitamins and greens for supper and as a treat frozen blood worms. In MHO I did well and I didn't waste all my time working. This might give you some time to spend enjoying them.
As for the bullying most of the time it is the stronger or strongest fish that is the problem, I read a post here ( I can't remember who wrote it ) but it was to put a mirror outside the tank and the strong one will spend a lot of time chasing itself I did it and it worked for me. Don't hurt to try. Hang in there and good luck hope all works out.
Like I said that's my story might not be for everyone, probably will get a lot of dung about this.
Stuart

[PP_GBR]

Mirror, mirror what do you see???? Mirror trick works every time for me.

[JaydubAiC21]

I would agree that two WCs a day isnt necessary especially when you are doing 80%. Once a day or every two days would be fine as long as you dont feed TOO liberally. As for the bullying, its tough, sometimes i take a bullied fish out for a little while and put them in a quarantine tank. They can kind of eat and develop a little more aggression. Not a tried and true method but has worked for me in the past when i could sense a discus isnt doing well. Also, i dont entirely agree with the will to live. It can be tough sometimes bc of the price, but I have had many discus (because of my own folly) become sick and fully recover. Stress is rough unless you can provide more space or hiding places. If the tank is big enough you could always have a divider. Stress is really the only thing that affects discus' eating habits more than any other fish in my experience. Sorry for the frustration, few people who have discus dont empathize with you. Good luck with the issues you are having.

Jay

[dirtyplants]

Just remember that discus are not any harder to keep than other fish if you:

1. Start with healthy stock which only seem available through the sponsors. All other discus are deemed not suitable for purchase.
2. Diligently maintain pristine water quality. Recommended water change amount and frequency is everyday 90% and you should enjoy doing water changes. It doesn't matter how many fish you have and the size of the tank you have your discus.
3. Feed your discus premium food. Only homemade food and very expensive food sold on the forum by the sponsors should be fed to ensure you have healthy discus
4. Do not mix your discus or they will die due to unknown pathogen cross contamination. But if you QT your fish for six weeks , then it's ok to mix the discus.
5. Keep your fish in a BB tank with sponge filters. All other setups make it difficult to clean and your discus may get sick if you can't pick up every bit of uneaten food and poop in the tank.

This is why discus is not the right fish for me. Too much work and gest me tired. Try to cut too many corners...

My friend has kept discus since the 70s, he has a 55 gallon, three discus and hand carries his buckets of rain water to his planted tank when he does a water change of once every two weeks. I keep telling him it is all wrong, he needs more fish, more water changes, he needs to get rid of his big sucker. He just smiles at me and says they are doing fine and have been doing fine for a long time. I placed a rule for myself, one and a half hour of discus work per day, and allow for exceptions for all the rules. I get tired too!

[kkdiscus]

I didn't follow the rule...I have 27 discus in my 4 feet tank...

[dirtyplants]

I didn't follow the rule...I have 27 discus in my 4 feet tank...
Seriously???

[gundala]

Been pulling my hair out worried about my two young Discus. They appeared to have bald spots over their heads. Couldn't figure out if it was a fungus, ich, or some other disease that was going to kill all my fish. Was doing 80% water change AM and PM. Totally going NUTS; however, one good thing is I did not medicate. Thanks to Youtube I now know I have 2 white butterfly Discus. God the price I pay for being ignorant is sometimes WAY to high.

You know, if I had this to do over again I would NOT do Discus. It is much easier to lose an $8 fish than a $60. And these fish don't seem to have a very strong survival instinct. The slightest thing and it's okay, i think I'll die now. Can you tell I'm REALLY tired and kind of fed up.....:(

I've just started discus a few months ago, and I am beginning to feel your pain... You have my total sympathy.

[pgrhodes1]

My 5 Discus in the 47 gal have decided they no longer want to eat. I have continued my water changes and have no idea what is wrong, and frankly I'm beginning NOT to care. They hide all the time and I've had them for 6 weeks. Maybe it's all the water changes, maybe they don't like me, maybe the lights are to bright, maybe the water is to warm, maybe the water is to cold, maybe I have them in the wrong spot, maybe they don't like the high priced freeze dried black worms I feed them, or the high priced Discus flakes I give them, or the blood worms, maybe they want a bigger tank, maybe they want a smaller tank.............................................. ..........................

[musicmarn1]

Mirror ?! fantastic ! new tip for me i love it !! i dont have a bully right now but phew good to have tips for next time :) ty

[JaydubAiC21]

I find it so odd that they ALL wont eat. Ive NEVER had that problem. Is there anything outside of the tank that could be stressing them? It just doesn't make sense if you are good on ammonia/nitrites/nitrates, temp is 82-86, and you are doing WCs yet they wont even eat. I would take test of your tap, your tap with conditioner, and your tank water and see if there are any discrepancies that might make more sense. Try not feeding them for a bit and then feed them what would be their favorite food normally. Other than some vita-chem to stimulate appetite I am at a loss without some pics or more details about your tank readings.

But yeah, if nothing else this thread taught me about the mirror method, I will have to try that sometime.

Jay

[pgrhodes1]

Thanks Jay, I monitor my water constantly...all are 0 expect nitrates which are 10. My temp is 84. My Ph is 7.8 in tank and out of tap. We have well water but I use Prime just to be safe. Really expensive with all the water changes but don't like to take chances. Anyway thanks for your input...:)

[Mikemeets]

Just to keep them for the fun of it do 50% water changes every 3 days and keep an eye on amonia and nitrites to make sure your filters are doing their job, water change when nitrates go op to bout 15ppm, the site is called simply discus so there is keeping discus fish simply lol

[pgrhodes1]

Hi Michael,

This is an old thread. I no longer have Discus. Just couldn't handle the stress. I now have Koi and Black Angle fish in my show tank and couldn't be happier. They are beautiful, absolutely no trouble, and my family really enjoys them. Change water once a week and good to go. Good luck with your Discus.....:)

[Mikemeets]

Ugh yes discus are headaches but let me c how things go with my few haha if things go south ill set up an angel fish tank then lol i gotta say my angels are aswell les full of **** than my discus are

[Quintin]

Discus arnt for everyone.its perfectly normal to stop keeping them,its not a crime.ive been threw many trials myself and have gotton very down.im married have 2 children leave home at 5am get home at 7pm,and am on 24 hour clallout as locksmith and now have 3 discus tanks that i do daily water changes on. (ps 3month old baby is one of children).yes im stuffed at end of day but manage to keep discus on a fairly steady basis.And then still come on simply to discuss them.discus keeping is not a hobby but a lifestyle as stated by fellow discus freak LOL