Getting some new discus today.

[Iminit]

Figured I’d start a thread on this. I’m going to pick up 2 5” discus from Chicago discus. Will be adding them to a qt tank when I bring them home. Will put up some pics and follow this from qt to main tank. Will be posting as much as I can about the whole journey.

[brewmaster15]

Thats great Tom! Miranda and Josie are great people.. they have a really nice setup there. I visited them a few years back at the Chicago NADA show..

Look forward to the journey!
Al

[LizStreithorst]

Miranda has been bringing in some exceptional quality fish. You won't be disappointed in anything you get. I visited their place at the same show as Al did. You will fall in love with Miranda. Nobody can help but fall in love with a woman with such a lovely heart.

[Charlyc11]

Tom
Where are they hiding the 2.5"? I did not see any on their web page or in their May stock list.

[Iminit]

Lol like most they don’t carry 2.5” discus. I think the only one who does is Hans.

Yes Miranda was a pleasure to work with!

Ok so I got the fish135605

[Charlyc11]

Tom
Best of luck with the new kids, look forward to see them the following week when I come up.
I am in a dilemma with the new tank I have my German Marlboro pair and I would like to get some from one of the Simply vendors like Chicago. Should I venture mixing or leave the pair in a different tank? First of all down the line will need to grow them a bit mine are 7".
They is always Stendker Discus USA. Myrtle Beach Discus has 5 packs of 3 to 3.5" decent price but I don't know their quality.

[Iminit]

No frontier pro 4x. Traded in the STI for it :)135606.

Well if interested South River Aquarium just got in a shipment today. Looks like some nice looking fish. Check out their web site. They’re right on the east side of the Verrazano bridge in Brooklyn.
Ok so the fish are here :).135607135608135609 this is the wat I aclimate them. 2 buckets. One empty the other with some tank water. I spill them into the empty bucket. Then pick them out and add them to the tank water bucket. Let them sit for 5 min. Then pick them out and into tank.
First pics in tank.135610 that’s was about 2 hrs ago. I cleaned both the discus tanks since than.135611135612

[Iminit]

And this is them now. 135613135614

[Charlyc11]

Tom
They are gorgeous, are the eruption? Got to get my tank and build it. But I have plenty of QT tanks. Going back to why I went back to the hobby.
I still have my Tacoma love these mid size trucks.

[Iminit]

One’s a Penang Eruption the other is an Emerald Leopard. Kind of look the same :). Guess only the experts can tell them apart.

[bluelagoon]

I was thinking yesterday that they both looked like leopard to me also. I'm not an expert.

[LizStreithorst]

The Eruption is a SS type, the Leopard is a Turk type.

[Iminit]

Thank you Liz! But to tell the truth :). You’re still talking another language:). Possibly something from WWl Turks and the SS?

[LizStreithorst]

I admit, it can be hard to tell when the fish aren't showing their bars at all. Turks have 9 bars, SS's have 14. Also the SS's will have a finer pattern that the Turks. I know that you're not into breeding, but there's nothing wrong with crossing the 2 types. Even when breeding SS to SS there will be many of Turks in the spawn. It's very possible that these 2 fish are siblings. I that as clear as mud?

[Iminit]

Well ok I was way off!! I thought the ss had an ss pattern and the Turks were turquoise in color :).

So checked the tank this morn and a little cloudy.135616. Going to have some coffee and then do a 50% change and add a third cylinder to the filter filled with just floss. Discus had some ammonia burns on the back fins. But does look like it’s going away today135617135618

[Iminit]

Todays pics. Changed the water yesterday and was out for the whole day. Took some pics this morn and gone till tomorrow. Looked good this morn.135641135642

[LizStreithorst]

They're looking very good.

[brewmaster15]

Well ok I was way off!! I thought the ss had an ss pattern and the Turks were turquoise in color :).

So checked the tank this morn and a little cloudy.135616. Going to have some coffee and then do a 50% change and add a third cylinder to the filter filled with just floss. Discus had some ammonia burns on the back fins. But does look like it’s going away today135617135618

Congrats !! NIce looking Discus Tom! Those burns should be history in no time. :thumbsup:Josie and Miranda , Nice Fishes!

al

[LizStreithorst]

They're not all actually Turks, but they are all 9 bar fish. They all came from breeding the various wild types. I believe that the SS gene was even known to appear until a breeder noticed that one of his threw some and started working with them. The totally solid fish with no bars at all have an interesting story behind them. Once in a while, I guess because of recessive genes, a line shows up that produce some ugly grey Discus. IMO they look like something dead. But the thing about these fish is that they carry show no bars whatsoever They were used in the development of the first barless brown based red's. It is mind blowing to think that all these color morphs come from years of selective breeding.

I love this stuff. I'd take a class in this if one were offered. I learned what I know from other Discus people who I believed knew. I hope that whatever I get wrong will be corrected for someone who knows more.

[farebox]

Hey, I too just got two new fish from them last week, a 5" Fuji and a 4-5" Golden, man these are some great fish! Also, my purchase from them a couple of months ago was the same two fish you gotten. Will make a video in the future to show you guys the great fish from Chicago Discus.

[LizStreithorst]

Do doubt about it. Miranda has it going on with her imports.

[farebox]

Here's my Chicago Discus in my 125-gallon tank: https://youtu.be/rqr_sBLPOWg

[Iminit]

Great looking tank Roland! We’ve got the same taste in discus! Here’s them today. Hard to get good pics.135683135684.
How long did you qt yours? Did you treat for anything? Mine may be mateing. Lot of activity by the filter. Almost expect eggs.

[farebox]

No I didn’t QT. Since all came from Chicago Discus and probably in their tanks for awhile decided just drop into main tank. Time will tell if any problems happens down the line. After about 13 years keeping these fish and age 74 I’m getting maxed out of the strict rules on keeping discus. Just rolling the dice kinda now. Buying no more discus for me now.

[Iminit]

Well I don’t think you’ll have any problems. Believe they are one of the top tier discus sellers! I also bought 2yrs back from Dennis Discus and those people in the Chicago area take discus seriously! Well like I said last night! I awoke to eggs in the tank! Maybe the whole stress of moving makes them breed? No clue but this has happened with new discus before. 135685135686135687. Oh No!! Could I be a breeder now :). Well I’ll see how it goes but expect not. I’ll keep taking pics and updating. They layed the eggs on a filter. Don’t think that’s the best place. If they eat these I’ll put a flower pot in to see if that works better. I alway qt for about 2 months anyway so I can give this a shot :).

[brewmaster15]

Well I don’t think you’ll have any problems. Believe they are one of the top tier discus sellers! I also bought 2yrs back from Dennis Discus and those people in the Chicago area take discus seriously! Well like I said last night! I awoke to eggs in the tank! Maybe the whole stress of moving makes them breed? No clue but this has happened with new discus before. 135685135686135687. Oh No!! Could I be a breeder now :). Well I’ll see how it goes but expect not. I’ll keep taking pics and updating. They layed the eggs on a filter. Don’t think that’s the best place. If they eat these I’ll put a flower pot in to see if that works better. I alway qt for about 2 months anyway so I can give this a shot :).

Now that is a really Cool thing to wake up to..Not only are they settling in nicely, they are likely a pair.:) Congrats Tom! One suggestion..Put that pot in their now..The Discus often move the fry to a safer location, like the backside of the pot if these eggs hatch.

Should be some Interesting times for you. Is this your first pair and breeding attempt?

Al

[Iminit]

No Al I spent almost a summer with a pair of red tigers I got from Kenny. They laid eggs regularly and ate them. Then they let them get to wigglers and ate them. Even got to free swimmers and then they ate them :(. I even tried to do it myself. Removed eggs and got them all the way to swimmers but could never keep them healthy. Was doing it just for fun :).
Will see what happens here. Will clean up a flower pot and add it. Does seem like they are aggressive with each other. Both are protecting the eggs almost to a fault. Like they battle to protect. May have to remove one.

[Charlyc11]

If you have good results, I got dibs.

[brewmaster15]

No Al I spent almost a summer with a pair of red tigers I got from Kenny. They laid eggs regularly and ate them. Then they let them get to wigglers and ate them. Even got to free swimmers and then they ate them :(. I even tried to do it myself. Removed eggs and got them all the way to swimmers but could never keep them healthy. Was doing it just for fun :).
Will see what happens here. Will clean up a flower pot and add it. Does seem like they are aggressive with each other. Both are protecting the eggs almost to a fault. Like they battle to protect. May have to remove one.
Instead of removing one.. if you can.. screen separate them... they may have laid eggs but they sound like they arent a good pair yet.. when they fight over the eggs they arent really a pair.. more like a one night stand. Screen separate so they can see each other and that may change over time.

[Iminit]

Ok no screen but I do have some white egg crate I could use. I’ll keep an eye on them make sure neither is getting hurt. It’s nothing major just looks like they’re still mating.

[Chicago Discus]

Hi folks, sorry I am chiming in here late, just read the thread. If you look at the gill plates, the Penang is the one with spots and the Emerald is then with lines. Robert breeds lots of spotted discus and it gets hard to tell them apart sometimes. Especially if they are not showing their bars! Congrats on getting them to pair so quickly. You must be doing something right. They were in separate tanks here, but it looks like they were meant to be together.

[Chicago Discus]

Tom
Where are they hiding the 2.5"? I did not see any on their web page or in their May stock list.

We typically do not carry 2.5" or smaller. However, we're getting several hundred small discus in the June shipment but they will be 3.0-3.5". That's the smallest we carry.

[Chicago Discus]

They're not all actually Turks, but they are all 9 bar fish. They all came from breeding the various wild types. I believe that the SS gene was even known to appear until a breeder noticed that one of his threw some and started working with them. The totally solid fish with no bars at all have an interesting story behind them. Once in a while, I guess because of recessive genes, a line shows up that produce some ugly grey Discus. IMO they look like something dead. But the thing about these fish is that they carry show no bars whatsoever They were used in the development of the first barless brown based red's. It is mind blowing to think that all these color morphs come from years of selective breeding.

I love this stuff. I'd take a class in this if one were offered. I learned what I know from other Discus people who I believed knew. I hope that whatever I get wrong will be corrected for someone who knows more.

The most interesting thing, Liz, is that Leopards and Snakeskins can actually have the same parents. When breeding fine spotted Leopard Snakeskins, most of the offspring are 9-bar Leopards, and fewer are 14-bar Snakeskins. Maybe that's why Snakeskins are more expensive. The Emerald Leopard that Tom has is actually the sibling of one Robert Lim's finest eruption Leopard Snakeskins.

[Iminit]

Well the breeding I think is over. Looked good this morn135709 but it seems like they are eating them now 135710.

[LizStreithorst]

Young and stupid. they'll get over it.

[mleibowi]

Beautiful discus Tom. I just got 3 from Oscar Pompas. They are still acclimating to their QT tank. I will post once they are in the tank out of the shipping bags.

[CliffsDiscus]

Tom, some of the eggs look dark(fertile) or is this just the reflection?

Cliff

[Iminit]

Cliff unforunatly they ate the eggs. Cleaning the filter today I found about 10 red eggs. Plenty of white ones. Took the reds and put in a Tupperware. Will see if they become wigglers. Should be today or tomorrow. The eggs did look like most were fertile. Looks like they’re getting ready to go again. Got some better pics today! Also did a water change :).135716135717135718135719

Mleibowi great choice! I’ve bought from Pingco last year and am very happy with his discus (both get their fish from forrest).135720the row of 3 is them.

Yes Liz so true. A few years back I had a pair of Kenny’s red tigers that laid eggs on a regular basis. I removed eggs to try hatching them myself and they would lay another batch. Never could get them to keep the eggs to fry. Got them to fry but they ate them. Spent about 6 months trying. Finally just put them back in the main tank. They continued with the same results :(.

[Charlyc11]

Tom
Looking forward seeing your new adds to your collection and the rest of them. Hopefully we don't hit to much Friday traffic
Now you got me looking at Chicago discus web site but not ready yet. When I get the 125 delivered and all setup I will visit their site again to tempting to keep looking. I do have plenty of tanks to use as QT.;)

[Iminit]

Had Chuck over yesterday. We’re exchanging some fish. So he dropped off some great looking Rams 6 golds and 2 blacks. He said the blacks already mated. Nice! So I dropped the blacks and a pair of golds into the new discus tank. The 4 other rams went into a 5g I had waiting. There going into my community tank. Woke up this morn all looked good.135735. Fed so worms and went up for coffee. Came down about a half hour latter and both discus are swimming sideways on top of the tank and the gold rams are hiding on top of the filter. WHAT UP!! Well the blacks laid eggs135736 black rams are mean! The male had both discus pinned to the top right the golds to the left and as I watched was chasing a cherry shrimp all over the tank. Eggs and blacks and then the golds all came out. Blacks went into another 5g I had laying around with their eggs. Golds went into the community tank. Discus are now breathing easy. These blacks are mean!!

[Iminit]

Oh and pics after the blacks left135737135738135739

[Iminit]

Well they haven’t attempted to bred again but coming along nicely.135745
So found a nice deal on a pair of acrylic tanks and went to pick them up in Brooklyn. Well there’s a good discus store right there. I’ll just have a look.No I’m not buying !! Ok I’ve got no will power :).135746135747135748. Good thing I got those tanks !!:)135749 a 30 and a 40.

[Charlyc11]

Great looking fish Tom

[Iminit]

All still good! Nothing laying eggs yet but all looking good and eating great. Those eggs got fungus on them the next day. I should have added a drop of methalene blue. So bought a rack system that I will set it up on Monday. 135755135756135757135758135759 really need to get the blacks into a bigger tank.

[LizStreithorst]

What size tank are your pair of Black Rams in now? I keep all my pairs in a 10 gallon.

[Iminit]

Liz they’re in a 5 gal now do to their aggressiveness to the discus in the 50. Once I build the rack tomorrow and set it up I’ll move them into a 15g. I’ve got the second pair of discus in the 15. But I’ve got a 40 to put them in. Lots of moving around in the near future:). Ps those rams are yours through Carlos and Tom. These guys are getting around! Got to say these are the best looking ones I’ve seen. No plan on breeding. But still amazed I’m never seeing them in any store by me.

[Charlyc11]

Tom
I am glad you are enjoying the PBR's.
My LFS that I bring ABN's said they can't sell them at the price that they are going for. I guess they are a specialty items and if every ifs had them we wouldn't be selling them. Just sold another pair that will be shipped in July. I will be moving some tanks around so I can fit my 120.

[LizStreithorst]

They are specialty fish for sure, Chuck, and I don't know why. I find them easy to breed and raise. Between you, Tom, and me the market should have been flooded years ago.

Pet stores are out for me, too. I depend on AB and word of mouth. Due to them, I'm slam sold out of semi adult and adults, and I breed a whole lot of Blacks. You sell yours through your facebook page and word of mouth.

The electric blues are good sellers, too, not as good, and not at a higher price than the blacks but worth the trouble of bagging and shipping. The most beautiful one, is also the most common one...The German and Dutch Rams. To me they weren't worth the time involved in shipping them. The Pet store didn't have any luck with them either. But like yours will buy every ABN and Mystery snail I take to them.

[Iminit]

Well all are doing well. But the first pair are 2 females. One laid red eggs 2 ya’s ago and now the other is laying white eggs. So I guess I need a male. Not sure what to do.

[Iminit]

Next discus135908

[LizStreithorst]

Looks like a fine male to me.

[CliffsDiscus]

Well all are doing well. But the first pair are 2 females. One laid red eggs 2 ya’s ago and now the other is laying white eggs. So I guess I need a male. Not sure what to do.

Red eggs means good luck, it also means that the Discus was color fed red food.

[CliffsDiscus]

Well all are doing well. But the first pair are 2 females. One laid red eggs 2 ya’s ago and now the other is laying white eggs. So I guess I need a male. Not sure what to do.

Red eggs means good luck, it also means that the Discus was color fed red food.

[Iminit]

Thank you Liz! Getting that guy on Friday!!
Thanks Cliff!

[Iminit]

So with 2 females I picked up a male. Another great looking discus135922135921.

[LizStreithorst]

He's a very handsome fish, Tom.

[Iminit]

Ok some of these newguys have been added to the main tanks. The 2 store bought went into the 125136036136037pictures not the best but it’s not dark and doing well.136038. Very happy with these guys!!

[Iminit]

From Chicago the emerald leopard went into 180. Top center136039. Also doing well. I split it with the other female to see if I get any breeding from the other 2.136040

[Iminit]

Well the split looks like it worked! 136060136061and both are watching the eggs. Was away for a few days last week but came home Friday to bring the dogs out. While home I quickly fed the fish and thought these 2 were laying eggs. But when I got home on Saturday there was nothing there. So they may have ate them. If still here tomorrow I’ll steal about 10 and see if they become wigglers.

[Alexxxsv]

Wow the Chicago discus look great! Congrats on the new fish they look stunning. Beautiful tanks !

[Alexxxsv]

I have that same hygger heater lol