Am I doing it wrong?

[mobot]

I've been running a 90g planted tank with 30g refugium and Current USA Led plus lights for more than a year now. A little more than 2 months ago I ordered 7 Stendecker Discus from Discus Hans and had a great experience. Every one was kicking and eating in less than 12 hours. And I mean eating anything. Cobalt flakes, frozen beef heart, blood worms, krill. The only thing they refused was mysid shrimp, much to the enjoyment of the Cories and Panda Garas.

Since than the whole group has gotten really picky. The only thing they really go for is the Bloodworms and Beefheart but, when feeding beef heart I feel like more than half of it ends up on the bottom of the tank. No one is dying or looking malnourished (everyone is about 3"-3 1/2" but there are a couple of runts that are about 2 1/2") but I want to keep their diet varied.

Today I picked up some of the Cobalt Granules but they seem to sink to the bottom faster than anyone can figure out if it's food or not. I'd love any and all feeding suggestions. I watched a youtube video featuring a guy using a worm feeder with the bottom drilled out to feed beef heart and tried the same but my discus can't seem to get the food out. Are they dumb? Am I doing it wrong?

Any help will be greatly appreciated.

Tank temp is 83.
Light period is 12 hours using the cloudy sky setting which varies from bright to dim.
Running C02 on timer with lights.
Water change at 50% once a week.

[John_Nicholson]

If your fish are less then 6 inches you need to be changing a lot more water. Your fish are showing you that they were healthy when they got there but are starting to fade now.

-john

[mobot]

Really? Suggestions on a water change regimen? And thanks for the info.

[aalbina]

Really. Try at least 50% a day. Also - at the risk of being screamed down - your trying to grow out discus in a planted tank and that's going to be a hard road. I assume you have substrate - and beef heart and substrate are a tough mixture. The food that gets caught in the substrate and not eaten by the cories will eventually foul your water and provide less than optimum conditions for growth. Daily water changes are going to help with that.

Adam

[John_Nicholson]

Well I change at least 50% ( and in my crowded tanks 85% ) 7 days a week, 365 days a year...except in leap year of course....

My tanks are bare bottom.

-john

[Quintin]

Hi matt.Ive bben here.im new too keeping fish never mind. discus small discus need lots of tlc.lots of fresh water.i also had a planted tank and ahv foud bare bottom to be much more rewarding.less sick fish and happy fish.u can still use decor like drift wood and pot plants in shooter glasses work well.if ur fish get picky starve them for a day and they will eat.or in my case have a 30 cm pleco eating all the food so when my discus see any food they run for it.u can take jhons advice.and ask him for his beef heart recipy.hes grown pleanty good fish on it.

Regards

[mobot]

Thanks for the suggestions guys. I reworked some stuff in my fish room and am now doing a 50% water change twice a week. Already everyone is eating better and their colors are brighter but, still a little picky with the flakes. I'm only feeding beef heart the day before a water change so as to clean up the remnants. Any one have any suggestions on a good way to feed the beef heart without it falling apart all over the tank? Also, should I look into Mysis Srhimp. They didn't seem to dig them at all.