New Blue Diamonds

[Vinni Smith]

Newbie here. Lots of questions, of course.

I have 6 discus total. 4 German Red and 2 new Blue Diamonds. (about 4 days new) All are about 3 1/2". The Diamonds are just a tad smaller than the others.

Do the Diamonds act different than other discus? They hold their upper and lower fins differently than the others. They eat like crazy. They come to the front of the tank when I walk up. They have no spots and very clear eyes. But they do like to hover in the upper right corner. I have read of clamped fins. Is this when they do not hold their upper and lower fins out? These Diamonds do that when they come out and eat but not all the day like the others do.They also stick together like glue.

I can observe no aggression at all in the tank. It is a 56 gallon. There are some rummy nose and some neons in with them. I use LED lights.

My wife is very worried because she put some co-op plant food in the tank and they seemed to start this up after that. It was only in the tank for a very few hours and when I found out, I changed about 75% of the water. I took the plants out of the aquarium. It now only has a huge piece of Mopani wood and they all seem to love that. Also, it is a bare bottom tank with 3 albino cory cats.

Again, all the others discus look to be in magnificent shape and condition. The four of them poke at each other occasionally, but they always have.

We put these Diamonds in the tank about 4 days ago. I watched them in the fish store for over a week before I purchased them. They did not seem to act like this in the store, however, there were many discus in that huge tank.

I should also ad, water temp is 87deg - PH is 6.5 and alkaline is 40

Please let me know what you think.

Vinni

[coralbandit]

Welcome Vinni !
What temperature are you keeping them at ?
I think temp is one of the most important water parameters ..
And good move doing the water change to get the plant food out IMO..

[Vinni Smith]

Welcome Vinni !
What temperature are you keeping them at ?
I think temp is one of the most important water parameters ..
And good move doing the water change to get the plant food out IMO..

Thank you for answering.

87 deg

[Vinni Smith]

Well, everything turned out very well with the new Blue Diamonds!

The next day after posting this, they came alive.
Actually, one is too much alive. He is the bully of the tank now.
But it is not out of control. He just tells all the others who is boss.

I found out that they are Hans' fish.
Since then I purchased a Red Pigeon Checkerboard.
Once again a wonderful fish.
Doing exactly the same as the shy, sad blue ones were but he is a voracious eater.

Sure is nice having somewhere online to go and learn about these creatures.

VincenZo

[peewee1]

Newbie here. Lots of questions, of course.

I have 6 discus total. 4 German Red and 2 new Blue Diamonds. (about 4 days new) All are about 3 1/2". The Diamonds are just a tad smaller than the others.

Do the Diamonds act different than other discus? They hold their upper and lower fins differently than the others. They eat like crazy. They come to the front of the tank when I walk up. They have no spots and very clear eyes. But they do like to hover in the upper right corner. I have read of clamped fins. Is this when they do not hold their upper and lower fins out? These Diamonds do that when they come out and eat but not all the day like the others do.They also stick together like glue.

I can observe no aggression at all in the tank. It is a 56 gallon. There are some rummy nose and some neons in with them. I use LED lights.

My wife is very worried because she put some co-op plant food in the tank and they seemed to start this up after that. It was only in the tank for a very few hours and when I found out, I changed about 75% of the water. I took the plants out of the aquarium. It now only has a huge piece of Mopani wood and they all seem to love that. Also, it is a bare bottom tank with 3 albino cory cats.

Again, all the others discus look to be in magnificent shape and condition. The four of them poke at each other occasionally, but they always have.

We put these Diamonds in the tank about 4 days ago. I watched them in the fish store for over a week before I purchased them. They did not seem to act like this in the store, however, there were many discus in that huge tank.

I should also ad, water temp is 87deg - PH is 6.5 and alkaline is 40

Please let me know what you think.

Vinni

Welcome, Vinni! Do you by chance have any cousins? Sounds like you are doing all that you can do to do it right. But, most important, you have the inquisitive mind and the enthusiastic attitude. Your fish will adapt to that which you provide them as long as what you provide them is within the not so narrow perimeters of that which they require to grow and remain healthy. About the poking. Discus are both pokers and peckers. They poke one another both often and always and they are always pecking around for food and for a place to reproduce more pokers and peckers.

[coralbandit]

I got two Diamond blues from Hans along with 4 other Hans discus as my newest and one of the diamond blues is definitely tough .
Hang in there he should mellow a little in time hopefully .

[Vinni Smith]

Thanks coralbandit.
They have settled down nicely.

Here is a picture from about 10 minutes ago

127784

[captainandy]

How big is the tank?

[Vinni Smith]

Hi captainandy

This current one is 56 gallons.
The new one coming is 140

[Vinni Smith]

Just wanted to drop a note to tell you all how great these Blue Diamonds are doing.
Colors are amazing. Voracious eaters. Quite spunky.
They are fish from Hans.
Very impressive fish.
Vinni

[peewee1]

Vinni, did you get the 140 gallon set up yet?

[Vinni Smith]

Vinni, did you get the 140 gallon set up yet?

Hey peewee1
Not yet. Went to pick it up on Friday. Not quite done.
That was ok with me because I had to drive to that side of Nashville anyway.

BTW, it is no longer a 140.
Nancy talked a bit of sense into me.
Instead of 30" tall I went with 24"
I am 5'3"
She had me stand on a stool that I use with the tank.
She told me to reach the bottom of the current tank. I could not.
She said "now ad 6" to that.
End of demonstration.
So, it is going to be 112 gallons.

[LizStreithorst]

Once she showed you did she just shake her head at you, Vinni?

[peewee1]

Hey peewee1
Not yet. Went to pick it up on Friday. Not quite done.
That was ok with me because I had to drive to that side of Nashville anyway.

BTW, it is no longer a 140.
Nancy talked a bit of sense into me.
Instead of 30" tall I went with 24"
I am 5'3"
She had me stand on a stool that I use with the tank.
She told me to reach the bottom of the current tank. I could not.
She said "now ad 6" to that.
End of demonstration.
So, it is going to be 112 gallons.

Vinni, the 112 gallons will be better because you will save on your water bill when you make your daily water changes.

[Vinni Smith]

Once she showed you did she just shake her head at you, Vinni?

Liz,

LOL.

She has been shaking her head at me like that since 1977!

[dornblaser]

Hey peewee1
Not yet. Went to pick it up on Friday. Not quite done.
That was ok with me because I had to drive to that side of Nashville anyway.

BTW, it is no longer a 140.
Nancy talked a bit of sense into me.
Instead of 30" tall I went with 24"
I am 5'3"
She had me stand on a stool that I use with the tank.
She told me to reach the bottom of the current tank. I could not.
She said "now ad 6" to that.
End of demonstration.
So, it is going to be 112 gallons.

Happy 4th Vinni! I take it that you are acquiring a custom made tank? I would be interested in learning more about the process and the finished product. Thanks.