Want to Win Free Food? or a Premium Membership here? Read on! Contest time

[brewmaster15]

Hi all,
Got this idea from a non-discus forum I'm part of(thanks Pentax) , but I think It would be great for members here . I'm going to put up some prizes here for a contest open to everyone. Its real simple to enter. Alls you need to do is share a tip that you've learned related to Keeping Discus or fish in general. Thats its. You post the tip and after a month we'll draw winners from the submissions. I'll add more as I can. These are donated by SimplyDiscus,Aquaticsuppliers.com (http://forum.simplydiscus.com/forumdisplay.php?59-AquaticSuppliers-Freeze-Dried-Black-Worms-%28Al-Sabetta%29-Northford-Connecticut), and me.:bandana:

UP for prizes right now are......

100 grams Freeze Dried Australian Blackworms with shipping (http://forum.simplydiscus.com/forumdisplay.php?59-AquaticSuppliers-Freeze-Dried-Black-Worms-%28Al-Sabetta%29-Northford-Connecticut)

1 year Platinum Premium Membership on Simply

1 year Gold or Homesteader Premium Membership on Simply

1 year Silver Premium Membership on Simply

1 well-used copy of Discus Health by Untergasser ( an oldie but goodie ) with shipping


Meant to be a fun contest, so lets not haggle over anyone's Tips. We are all on the same Discus Journey here but the paths we take vary.;)

You can post more than one tip but only one post will be used in the prize drawings. You can also repeat tips mentioned by others if they worked for you too. We don't own the tips, we just use them.



I'll start..

My Tip is to quarantine all fish no matter who they are from for a minimum 6 weeks and buy from reputable sources like our sponsors (hint hint)


Good luck everyone.

al


ps..info on the Premium Memberships is here (http://forum.simplydiscus.com/showthread.php?104050) http://forum.simplydiscus.com/showthread.php?104050

[modealings]

Tip: Leave yourself a reminder note to always add Prime/Safe when doing wc's! (Credit: Ricardo)

[Keith Perkins]

Become a member of Simply Discus, develop great relationships, and glean every morsel you can from it's forums.

[TexMoHoosier]

Everything starts with water changes...

[Second Hand Pat]

Your discus are talking to you....are you listening

[ericNH]

Hey Al it's generous of you to host this contest on your site. Thank you! And it has the added benefit of creating an interesting therad to check out as it progresses:)

Second Hand Pat, yours may be the coolest tip - I give you points for style on that one :)

My tip: Never leave your aging barrel unattended when refilling it. (Unless of course you have auto-shut-off, which I don't)

[Jason.M]

Always start with good healthy stock. That was the first golden rule I learned when researching for my first, (and recent) plunge into discus keeping.

[Kyla]

mount ALL the power bars in the room up off the floor so that when you do leave to answer the door while the water is running you wont electrocute yourself when you come screamig back downstairs to find a flood....

http://i296.photobucket.com/albums/mm182/kylasfish/Mobile%20Uploads/4777458F-FF7B-401F-8D1D-2141C845D0FE_zps2lzbbxaq.jpg (http://s296.photobucket.com/user/kylasfish/media/Mobile%20Uploads/4777458F-FF7B-401F-8D1D-2141C845D0FE_zps2lzbbxaq.jpg.html)

[RichT]

Take plenty of pictures. Great way to document your progress and also show the maturation of your discus.

[ericNH]

Kyla I still love that pic -still makes chuckle :)

[zimmjeff]

Vicodin and water changes do not mix. Jeff

[rickztahone]

Medication should never be the first resort. Observation and water changes are a far more powerful weapon.

[Phillydubs]

Check all power sources before and after a water change! Make sure everything you want off is off before you start to get the water out, this will avoid broken heaters, dry run pumps, etc. The same goes for post water change, check and check again that all power supplies are on and running properly... heaters, filters, air stones, etc. This will ensure that everything is running as it should...

The last thing you want to do is kill or harm your tank because a silly switch wasn't hit...

[we4wieners]

After a WC, sit down and eat a meal in front of ur discus...promoting friendship and trust. I've yet to do it, but now that I threw it out there I'll do it.

[DonMD]

Make it easy to do water changes. Use a pump to move the water from a storage barrel to your tank. Forget about carrying 5 gallon buckets of water! Bad for your back. Easy water changes means more water changes.

[nc0gnet0]

Facebook is evil!

[Second Hand Pat]

Facebook is evil!

:thumbsup:

[Mustanggtandgsxr]

Be patient, be patient, be patient!!!!!!

[timvriens]

How do i make good discus food, the best thing that I 've learned here ;)

[SNap0283]

When you start in the hobby don't reinvent the wheel! Seeking advise and following it closely is the path to successful discus keeping.

[sergiofly78]

Humility,patience and perseverance

[dinnese]

As a beginner, try to resist the temptation of raising discus "THE WAY THAT YOU WANT TO." Rather save yourself a lot of money, worry and heartache by listening to the advice of people who have been at it for a long time.

[Rapture]

I don't actually have any Discus yet, but through keeping many other species (non fish) -

Research first - preferably experiences of as many successful keepers/breeders as you can find, then purchase all supplies according to which successful methods you believe will be most compatible for your situation, then buy your animals from a reputable source. Watch your animals to confirm that chosen methods are agreeable to them. Observing your animals is more important than mimicking care sheets, etc.

[Cosmo]

If you turn your heaters off during a large WC, leave yourself a marker so you don't forget to turn them back on when the water is filled.

[brewmaster15]

If you turn your heaters off during a large WC, leave yourself a marker so you don't forget to turn them back on when the water is filled.


I'll add another tip here...

Don't drain your tanks below your Glass heaters if they are on!...I've had way too many snap crack and pops here!:)

al

[XAnhLe]

The answer to 99% of your discus problem is patience.

[richjaso]

My tip: Make your own food as the staple ...include beef heart, shrimp, some veggies but also include some vitamins....it makes for healthier and more colorful fish.

[Second Hand Pat]

Happy, healthy, hungry fish are the true measure of a successful discus keeper,...not what comes out of his mouth.

[Las Vegas]

My tip, avoid using tap water and chemicals for your discus. I believe that there are long term bad health effects to any fish. Use R/O water with good fatty protien foods.

[nc0gnet0]

Beefheart sucks, feed Al's worms! There, now I have 1st and 2nd place wrapped up!

-Rick

[Disgirl]

Keep remembering that discus need clean, warm water, high ph doesn't matter unless you are breeding them. I went without my discus hobby for many years until I learned this lesson. My tap is about ph 9 here, my discus thrive in it.
Barb

[Wes]

Before going to NADA check with John on what color dress so that we don't clash.




http://i1143.photobucket.com/albums/n622/xeriod/Mvc-005f_zps126a65a5.jpg (http://s1143.photobucket.com/user/xeriod/media/Mvc-005f_zps126a65a5.jpg.html)

[Tshethar]

Well, can't top that last tip, that's for sure. How about, "Consider carefully all the potential benefits of attending NADA!" :laugh:

But I still want my shot at some free stuff, and I haven't actually been to NADA, so how about this for all of us amateur engineers and former/current reef-type hobbyists, kind of a variation on the idea above about not reinventing the wheel:

Try to keep your designs: a) simple; b) easy to work with/take apart/access at maintenance time; and c) edited with Murphy's law in mind.

Given that things going wrong for us often means water on the floor, here's something more specific:

a) keep canisters/reactors in plastic tubs or bins to catch possible leaks; b) lubricate o-rings regularly; c) use hose clamps; d) on sump systems, make sure overflows can't get blocked or lose their siphon, return lines have siphon breaks, etc.

Maybe somebody else might have good tips for anticipating a power failure...

Still sorry I'm following that last one...

[Keith Perkins]

Before going to NADA check with John on what color dress so that we don't clash.

Now Wes, you know it's the ACA show that gets credit for that dress, not NADA. That's reason right there to go to the NADA show and NOT the ACA show. :)

[mee]

Never Clean an Acrylic tank with an Alcohol based product. (thankfully I read about this, and never had to learn the hard way).

BTW Brewmaster, is this a one Tip entry per person thing?

[MKD]

Tank clear water doesn't mean 100% clean.

[sro140]

Before you buy from anyone do your homework. research, research, research. Get yourself a battery operated air pump for power outages.

[Las Vegas]

Beefheart sucks, feed Al's worms! There, now I have 1st and 2nd place wrapped up!


-Rick

HA! This little pic cracks me up! I remember this cartoon character when I was a kid watching Saturday morning cartoons! Good one!

[Las Vegas]

Wes, now that was hilarious!

[Cpiman]

If feeding ALs FDBW (aka crack worms) be prepared for fish to spit on you if you try to feed something else.

[Filip]

One of many tips that i have learned thanks to SD forum :

Dirty water is not all about measuring nitrates .
Until we get to know what the other thousands of parameters are , just do the waterchange .

[Keith Perkins]

Digital gram scales are really cheap on ebay and invaluable to have if you have to medicate at some point. Buy one that will measure to 1/100 of a gram.

[Caseydiscus]

After returning to fish keeping and now owning some discus I am very proud of, could use about four more though, I have learned that keeping a level head when things aren't going right and changing water makes most "oh craps" disappear after a few days!

[Altum Nut]

Always treat your better half with the outmost respect if you ever plan on getting another tank or want to buy quality discus.
Roses and dinner was mentioned recently...(Keith)

...Ralph

[fishtanktenderfoot]

When you are new to discus, keep it simple and all about the discus. Keep a solid discus-only routine for 6 months or so and then you can add substrate, and plants, and tank mates, and whatever else your "ideal" tank includes. I think this falls under "patience" or "humility" that have been mentioned elsewhere, but GO SLOW! (Not like I did....!)

[Keith Perkins]

Always treat your better half with the outmost respect if you ever plan on getting another tank or want to buy quality discus.
Roses and dinner was mentioned recently...(Keith)

...Ralph

Well thanks for the shout out Ralph. In all fairness though, while I did mention dinner, I think it was Pat that added in the suggestion of roses. I opted for the old adage though of candy (roses) is dandy but liquor is quicker and got her a couple of raspberry margaritas.

[Akili]

To lower your energy consumption, Get the water aging barrel off the cement floor and put a thick sheet of Styrofoam under it. Wrap the barrel with thick insulation and insulate the lid as well. Insulate your tanks if possible.

[Jbell]

Buy from the Sponsors on here. Can't get better fish or food anywhere else.

Here a example I just got from Kenny
6+" Thickline Turk
94097

[warblad79]

Become a regular member, don't a ask a lot of question because most of them already been answered 100x. Go through all the important thread and utilize the search button for specific topic you're looking for. Be respectful to admin, moderator and fellow members. Always listen to the experts who dedicate themselves raising and breeding discus. Do your research before diving into this kind of hobby because it takes a lot of commitment, patient, time and money. WC is the key for keeping discus healthy and happy.

[alcastro]

Put the same Enthusiasm to your relationship that you do for your Discus and we can all be Happy.

AL

[SlimmSnake]

Caring for discus takes a commitment to a regular routine of maintenance - a lifestyle change to accommodate the daily upkeep!

[briztoon]

If/when people visit while doing water changes and refilling tanks or refilling water storage, turn all taps and pumps off immediately.

Because more than likely people are going to want to look at your fish and set up and possibly ask questions. And being an enthusiastic and proud fish keeper, you will quickly find yourself talking about all things imaginable. And then the conversation will come to an abrupt halt as a tank or storage unit overflows because you got distracted from keeping an eye on it.

[jeff12]

Keep discus in a BB tank, it will make your water changes easier and your discus will love it. Also, buy from sponsors so you can start off on the right foot.

[navarro1950]

Sounds like plenty of work but I use a soft toothbrush to remove the algae from the leaves of all the plants in my planted tank. I use a motion like i'm scrambling eggs and it works great.

[alcastro]

Don't be too concern with PH, unless you have a large PH swing, in that case just age your water for 24 hours, discus do just as well in high PH if they are not wild cought.

[dragon1974]

always cover your tanks, don't want to find your fish in a 5 gal bucket of RO water or in the fireplace

[dragon1974]

When vacation time comes, clean your tanks 24 hours in advance and don't feed till you get back. When you're back from having fun, do another big WC and feeding.

[nofearengineer]

Another water change tip here (don't ask me how I learned it).

When siphoning water out of a large tank, if you have a powerhead in the tank, slide the powerhead and outside magnet down to the desired water level (50%, whatever). When you invariably get distracted by the TV or other pets, the GURGLE, SPUTTER, GURGLE of the powerhead will get your attention.

[tonytheboss1]

:bandana: Tip not necessarily original but it is in my sig; "Knowledge gained & not shared is knowledge lost." 'T'

[Jack L]

Beefheart sucks, feed Al's worms! There, now I have 1st and 2nd place wrapped up!

-Rick

Lol

[Jack L]

Write the dosages you use on top of lids with careful attention between teaspoon and tablespoon

[Jack L]

Make you own dosage cups out of protein or lemonade powder scoops with a sharpie and the line after you measure once, will save time and be more consistent

[Jack L]

Basic tests kits are quite subjective. So take the results with a grain of salt.

[ericNH]

Facebook is evil!

+1

[Jack L]

+1

should be called fakebook

[Jack L]

before going to nada check with john on what color dress so that we don't clash.




http://i1143.photobucket.com/albums/n622/xeriod/mvc-005f_zps126a65a5.jpg (http://s1143.photobucket.com/user/xeriod/media/mvc-005f_zps126a65a5.jpg.html)

rotflmao

[Jack L]

you don't need as much light as you may think, EVEN if growing plants.

[Jack L]

all purpose sand for making concrete works just as good as PFS and has the added benefit of various gravels mixed in.
cost much less
it DOES need a LOT of rinsing though

[Keith Perkins]

There are a lot of experts here on Simply...the trick for newbies is figuring out whether users are discus experts or internet experts.

[brewmaster15]

There are a lot of experts here on Simply...the trick for newbies is figuring out whether users are discus experts or internet experts.


I Have a tip for dealing with Keith's very accurate assessment here...

-When in Doubt, ask a Moderator or Admin. They generally will put newbies on the right track.:bandana:

al

[Phillydubs]

This is a lot of great advice...

When do I get my free crack cubes?? lolol

[brewmaster15]

This is a lot of great advice...

When do I get my free crack cubes?? lolol

These are some great tips, How about we let it go to the end of the week to see what else is posted. ..Then we can draw winners. These are some great prizes so hopefully more will chime in.

Phil you are appointed my official reminderer.. Please remind me Sat the 26TH:bandana:

thanks!
al

[Phillydubs]

Oh boy... the pressure!! I will try!

Tip #4,567 section b, category IV... Don't let down the Forum Owner!!!

[Jack L]

Simple foam like poret foam works surprisingly well. You don't need to over complicate things

[Woodduck]

ALWAYS!!! Wash your hands ANYTIME!!! you have ANY95894 contact with your QT or other tanks besides your main tank. All it takes is ONE time to forget and you've undone all the good
that a long term QT does. I keep rubbing alcohol handy by my two water sources to remind me.

[SomeFin's Fishy]

When doing water changes on a large number of tanks, use an dry erase marker to put a small "P" on the front corner of your tank to remember which ones you already put Prime in. Not only will it help you remember which ones you put it in, you will also know which ones you haven't.......Much more important! The marker wipes right off when you wipe down the front of your tanks after filling.

[Phillydubs]

I am not sure if this was mentioned already... but it is a big one for those of us affected! Allergies!!!!

If you have any sort of allergy to a type of food, product, ingredient...Make sure you read labels and protect yourself before you cause a reaction and a problem! I myself am allergic to the black worms, but only if it comes in contact with my face, so I must immediately wash my hands after feeding them, I suppose I could or someone else may want to use a glove or tongs or some sort of tool to aid in feeding if this is the case. I choose to feed and wash right away and its not a problem. Thankfully my reactions are mild, but if I forget, you better believe my eyes get so red, watery and itchy.

Those of you allergic to seafood or shellfish should always check labels and watch the way you handle food!

[Dhavalsp]

if you use tap water directly using a pipe/python, always ensure that the water from the tap is at a right temperature - not freezing or boiling....

[kyaw06]

Even the heater light is on, put your finger in the water to make sure the heater is working or not.[lost over 100 discus babies]

[ompaathao]

Remember that discus isn't for everyone...

[ompaathao]

Last tip... I use car tint one some of my tanks so my lights don't freak out my breeding pairs.

[brewmaster15]

Thanks everyone! I have to close this out now as I have been reminded by Phil (several days ago actually). We will draw the winners from this contest and post them by tomorrow. The way it will happen is thru a random number generator.

Thanks everyone, some great ideas were offered.

al

[ssevasta]

I always buy all of my fish at one time. By doing that I keep a constant state of quarantine in my house in all of my tanks. In addition to that I always buy my fish from a reputable supplier and a Sponsor on this site. My personal favorite is Discus Hans. You can't go wrong with Discus Hans and I've never had a fish I bought from him get sick.

-Sorry Al I just read your last post after I posted this. Feel free to leave my post in case it helps someone or take it down. No hard feelings either way.

[brewmaster15]

Hi everyone,
Thanks again for all your great tips! The winners have been drawn and here are the lucky winners!!



Discus Health Book.... ericNH

1 year silver membership.... Sergiofly78


1 Year Gold or Homestead membership .... nc0gnet0


1 Year Platinum membership...... Kyla


and

100 grams Freeze Dried Australian Blackworms.... alcastro


Congratulations everyone! :)


al

[Phillydubs]

Awesome! Congrats to all the winners!! Great advice given here and a cool thread!

[djdirte]

It's okay to look like a nutbag changing so much water all the time. People will judge you and question you for it- especially non-discus aquarists.

i know its late, but wanted to throw mine in :) congrats to those who won. shame on me for not seeing this sooner.

[brewmaster15]

It's okay to look like a nutbag changing so much water all the time. People will judge you and question you for it- especially non-discus aquarists.

i know its late, but wanted to throw mine in :) congrats to those who won. shame on me for not seeing this sooner.
:) There will be other contests:bandana:

[Akili]

Congrats to all the winners!

[Second Hand Pat]

Congrats to all the winners. There are some very nice tips in this thread. :)
Pat

[alcastro]

Wow I feel like Dancing, feeling good today, Big Thank you AL

[ericNH]

OMG

I WON!

THANK YOU AL for sponsoring this CONTEST! Yeeehaaaw! It'll be great to have a reference book on my discus in my bookshelf :) I can't believe it! Soo coool

Actually I think I'm gonna keep it on my coffee table so it's always right there for me to check out. :bandana:

[rickztahone]

Wow I feel like Dancing, feeling good today, Big Thank you AL

Nice Al, way to go!

[Kyla]

yay!!!! super exciting :D and what lovely timing. i was actually just thinking about purchasing a membership to help show my appreciation of the forum lol

ill gladly take this as a sign from the universe and ill match my prize value in a donation back to this excellent resource so others can continue to benefit from it as i have.

i cannot express how grateful i was to receive advice very recently which helped not only myself but many others in my city to troubleshoot an upcoming water issue (thank you again!!)

ive lost track of how many hours ive spent enjoying journals, following threads, and reading group conversations late into the night. so many pages and pages of care and support archived and shared with hobbyists all over the world... it is something quite beautiful :)

[rickztahone]

and way to go to all the other winners as well.

[brewmaster15]

yay!!!! super exciting :D and what lovely timing. i was actually just thinking about purchasing a membership to help show my appreciation of the forum lol

ill gladly take this as a sign from the universe and ill match my prize value in a donation back to this excellent resource so others can continue to benefit from it as i have.

i cannot express how grateful i was to receive advice very recently which helped not only myself but many others in my city to troubleshoot an upcoming water issue (thank you again!!)

ive lost track of how many hours ive spent enjoying journals, following threads, and reading group conversations late into the night. so many pages and pages of care and support archived and shared with hobbyists all over the world... it is something quite beautiful :)

Kyla, Thank you very much! :) for both your generosity and your kind words. Many people come together here to make this forum what it is. Its really great when its recognized for the tremendous resource it is to the hobby.

Thank you again!

[Keith Perkins]

yay!!!! super exciting :D and what lovely timing. i was actually just thinking about purchasing a membership to help show my appreciation of the forum lol

ill gladly take this as a sign from the universe and ill match my prize value in a donation back to this excellent resource so others can continue to benefit from it as i have.

i cannot express how grateful i was to receive advice very recently which helped not only myself but many others in my city to troubleshoot an upcoming water issue (thank you again!!)

ive lost track of how many hours ive spent enjoying journals, following threads, and reading group conversations late into the night. so many pages and pages of care and support archived and shared with hobbyists all over the world... it is something quite beautiful :)

Reading this is the best start to one of my days in a long time, thanks Kyla.

[ericNH]

The book arrived 2 days ago, just wanted to let you know it arrived safely. I;ve been skimming through it and reading random passages - great info! I love having this book around. Thanks again :)