View Full Version : Spotted Project!
In over 20 years of keeping discus, I've never had a water related issue until now, and it doesn't seem to be going away. Although there isn't any more sludge or debris that I can see in the water, over the weekend I lost another 30 juvies after doing a 60% water change with a combination of 80% aged and 20% fresh tap water. I'm not sure on the math, but I'm thinking this translated to around 5% fresh tap water as it relates to the whole tank volume. And this is filtered water! After running many tests I found my ph is coming into the house at a level that is off any scale I can use to measure and I'm now having to age my water with a circulating pump for a solid 24-36 hours instead of the usual 3 or 4 hours. Over the years, I had become some what of a water expert and had 100% confidence in my supply, but now it seems I'm beginning from scratch and I am mystified! Of course, the water company denies anything out of the normal but 20 years of discus keeping tells me something is going on. I've warned all my friends to avoid drinking the toxic cocktail that is our tap water and to drink RO or bottled water.
That being said, I wanted to thank everyone once again for the contributions that are helping to rebuild my discus stock after the water issue I had in July. Especially Al and Pat who started their fundraiser even before my power was restored, lol... I never expected everyone's generosity, and to be honest I came pretty close to refunding everyone's donations because I wasn't sure I had the energy to rebuild after this heart breaking devastation, but in the end I decided not to give up.
I also want to thank Miranda at Chicago Discus and Robert Lim for hand selecting the first of my replacements, an absolutely stunning mated pair of Super Panthera's. They're still a bit timid and I don't blame them since their QT facility is my living room, lol... So far I haven't been able to take a photo that shows their true beauty or even comes close to doing them justice, but here are some pics I'd like to share. They look almost like BD's with thousands of little red spots and the body, eyes and fins are nearly perfect. Panthera's have become quite popular these days, and I've seen a lot of them, but these are hands down the nicest and most unique I've seen!! But Miranda knows how picky I am and she told Robert and they sure came through!
These are just the first of my replacements. More will hopefully follow soon...
I'll keep this thread going as they mature and hopefully become as good a pair as the Ruby x Meteor, as well as the others I hope to acquire soon and make this thread an all around spotted project!
136297
136298
brewmaster15
09-06-2023, 11:16 AM
Wow wow WOW!!!! Thats intense! Its like every scale is individually painted! Those are incredible looking fish Brian! Nicely done Miranda and Robert Lim!! :bounce::bounce::bounce:
al
CliffsDiscus
09-06-2023, 11:57 AM
The City change the water, the ph was off the chart. The City wanted to clean out the pipes by addition of chemical. After the water change my lost was around 13 tanks of fish. Good thing I didn't do a water change on the rest of the tanks. Check with the nearest pet store, they also had the same problem, they said to add some buffer. Other fish stores a mile away didn't have this problem only at my neighborhood.
AquaticNerd
09-06-2023, 12:48 PM
Don't mind me while I pick my jaw up off the floor. Holy smokes those are some amazing fish! Excited to see where this new chapter leads! :)
LizStreithorst
09-06-2023, 01:05 PM
Oh Brian. I need some of that stuff growing out in my tanks. Tell them to get busy. And please, please, please but me on the list for some fry.
Just because they're holding hands doesn't mean they're going to the dance, lol... Just trying not to get my hopes get too inflated... I've had too many pairs look good then fizzle, but of course you're on the list!!
I also have a new small batch of Ruby x Meteor that hatched yesterday. If I don't kill them, they'll be up for grabs as well...
holderman19
09-06-2023, 01:39 PM
Wow those look nice. Someday! Someday! I can dream :)
Question: What types will the hatch be from them?
Second Hand Pat
09-06-2023, 03:48 PM
I'm with Al and others...OH MY GOSH. What beauties Brian. Hope they do the dance and soon :D
Pat
4eye gold fish
09-06-2023, 04:54 PM
The City change the water, the ph was off the chart. The City wanted to clean out the pipes by addition of chemical. After the water change my lost was around 13 tanks of fish. Good thing I didn't do a water change on the rest of the tanks. Check with the nearest pet store, they also had the same problem, they said to add some buffer. Other fish stores a mile away didn't have this problem only at my neighborhood.
Is that chemical Chromium-6? The EWG has a recommended Health Guideline of 0.02 PPB for hexavalent chromium – and 0.0906 PPB of chromium-6 was detected in San Francisco tap water, exceeding this Guideline by 4.5x.
I wanted to get back into discus but this concerns me. Should it be a concern?
Wow those look nice. Someday! Someday! I can dream :)
Question: What types will the hatch be from them?
LSS's aren't a fixed strain and the Panthera version is very new so I'm thinking there may be a wide variety. My best guess is there will be a few that look like the parents, some really nice LSS's, some nice leopards, some well refined leopards and possibly some really nice Snakeskins.
Here is a Panthera Leopard. I'm hoping to get a few of these down the road...
136316
brewmaster15
09-06-2023, 07:21 PM
Brian,
I think you will get some variety in the fry.. but even if there are I think they will be stellar . Obviously after you fill Liz's tanks.. I would surely find an empty tank here for some. Lol.
Al
LizStreithorst
09-06-2023, 07:28 PM
Brian,
I think you will get some variety in the fry.. but even if there are I think they will be stellar . Obviously after you fill Liz's tanks.. I would surely find an empty tank here for some. Lol.
Al
:kiss::kiss::kiss:
fljones3
09-06-2023, 09:33 PM
Put me in the line! :)
Tshethar
09-06-2023, 10:29 PM
Those are awesome! I am planning for wilds but these are so nice. Someday I will need more tanks.... Meanwhile, hope your water stabilizes. Scary that your pre-filtration and aging didn't prevent serious problems. yikes. May it be all upwards from here!
CliffsDiscus
09-07-2023, 12:51 PM
Is that chemical Chromium-6? The EWG has a recommended Health Guideline of 0.02 PPB for hexavalent chromium – and 0.0906 PPB of chromium-6 was detected in San Francisco tap water, exceeding this Guideline by 4.5x.
I wanted to get back into discus but this concerns me. Should it be a concern?
Don't know if it was Chromium 6 but it sure clean out my clear siphon hose.
MichiganDiscusEnthusiast
09-07-2023, 01:17 PM
Absolutely gorgeous fish! Keep on keeping on !
jwcarlson
09-07-2023, 09:04 PM
Beautiful fish, Brian! :)
holderman19
09-08-2023, 02:17 PM
Wow, I want
This isn't a bad photo of them. Still having a hard time eliminating all the reflections. They've been nosing up to the cone recently but no real action going on yet...
136365
They do have an interest in their cone but this is the first time they've both been cleaning it at the same time. Fingers crossed!!
136896
Second Hand Pat
10-19-2023, 06:57 AM
Fingers crossed Brian :D
Pat
LizStreithorst
10-19-2023, 12:05 PM
I don't know if I have ever seen such a beautiful pair. I have about 250 wigglers from my number 1 pair. It would work out perfectly for me if we both had kids of near the same age. My goal is to cross my line with yours. My fingers are crossed for both of us.
I have a new batch of about 30 from my Ruby x Meteor that I need to move into a larger tank. I may go direct to a 75g as soon as I can pick a lid for it. At first I wasn't too impressed by what they were producing, but as they're aging they're taking on some really nice patterns. Time will tell how they age into adults. And for some reason, they're also producing some Ring Leopards with very distinct rings. They spawned last night in tap water and laid at least 200 eggs but I doubt they'll be any good.
I can't wait to see what the Super Pantheras produce.
My water issues continued through the summer and I think up until a few weeks ago. I've seen some really nice growth in all my fish since then...
AquaticNerd
10-19-2023, 02:33 PM
Time to turn on some "mood setting" music and get these fish reproducing!
brewmaster15
10-22-2023, 05:31 AM
Time to turn on some "mood setting" music and get these fish reproducing!
Either that or feed them more blackworms :)
They're still in QT in my living room. Last night I thought I heard some weird noise outside but I found nothing when I investigated. The noise continued for about an hour before I discovered it was the pair. They were so intent on cleaning the cone that it was banging around the tank, lol...
I hope this is another good sign and I also hope that as long as their interest in the cone keeps intensifying that they will be a good pair and not just more sushi lovers...
LizStreithorst
10-27-2023, 10:04 AM
What a relief. I thought this was going to read that you discovered what the sound was when you found one of the pair on the floor. You gave me a scare, Brian.
Wow, I don't even want to think about that...
On the bright side, QT is about over. I'm going to place a young one in with them today and if all goes well they'll have their own tank that faces the other pair. Maybe they'll give them some pointers!!
These guys are about 5-6 weeks old and growing nicely. They will be the first true test to see if my water has settled down. If they continue doing nicely, I'll probably be offering them in a couple of months...
136994
Discus Fever
10-27-2023, 12:42 PM
It looks like they are doing really well, hopefully the water parameters stay stable for you. Good luck on the new pair they look awesome, it will be great to see all the updates on them.
AquaticNerd
10-27-2023, 12:42 PM
They're still in QT in my living room. Last night I thought I heard some weird noise outside but I found nothing when I investigated. The noise continued for about an hour before I discovered it was the pair. They were so intent on cleaning the cone that it was banging around the tank, lol...
I hope this is another good sign and I also hope that as long as their interest in the cone keeps intensifying that they will be a good pair and not just more sushi lovers...
I'm with Liz on this one, my immediate thought would have been there was one lying on the floor. I had a pit in my stomach reading this... Until you mentioned cone action. Looking forward to hearing some good news soon!
Rest assured, they're doing good!! As a matter of fact, I added a couple of hero's 2 days ago so I can end QT and put them in a more suitable place and so far so good, although the hero's have distracted them from their cone cleaning, lol...
137027
I think my water issues are definitely improving. My water has always been 380 TDS and ph 8.9 from tap. For 6 months this year my TDS was over 500 and ph well over 14. How far over 14 I don't know because my test kit and meter won't go higher. As most of you know, this resulted in the death of nearly 300 adults and fry this summer, as well as stunting the growth of many other survivors including discus and rams.
Now TDS and ph are back to normal and so is growth...
I had an interesting conversation with someone last night. I had told her about the losses and she told me that her mother lives about 3 blocks from me. Her mother drinks tap water and had been complaining about the taste of the water being bad as well as her feeling tired and worn out this summer. She was eventually hospitalized and placed on a series of antibiotics and hormone therapy for some "unknown illness". We are all wondering if the tap water had anything to do with her illness. But of course the water company says our drinking water is among the best in the country and nothing ever changed this summer, lol... But what can they say? Our water is a toxic sludge reminiscent of Chernobyl?
Here is a small batch of Meteor x Ruby Spider that hatched out on September 17. At 7 weeks they're close to 2" and growing strong and some are even showing some color! Sorry but I only have a crappy phone camera and no aquarium lights, so reflections are bad. I'll be moving them into another tank this weekend and I'll get some better photos then...
137287
brewmaster15
11-10-2023, 12:25 PM
Brian Im glad to hear the water issues are resolving. Thats got to be so frustrating!
Al
Unbelievable... The water company dug up the same area for the 3rd time today. Even thought they can't seem to fix this leak, my water seems to still be stable. I will continue to monitor daily!!!
brewmaster15
11-12-2023, 08:30 AM
Brian every time they open that Pipe and work on it they will flush the pipe with god knows what . Hopefully they fix the pipes this time and are done with in!
LizStreithorst
11-12-2023, 12:18 PM
fill up as many water storage containers you can find, just in case they mess up again.
brewmaster15
11-15-2023, 10:57 AM
Brian, How are the new fish doing and how is the water?
al
jwcarlson
11-15-2023, 02:54 PM
pH of 14 is insane! That's more basic than bleach. :(
I moved them into a tank with excellent lighting and everything seems to be going great!
Here's a quick video I shot last night. I'll update with some new pics a bit later.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rKB_a2VyoJQ
brewmaster15
11-15-2023, 03:42 PM
Awesome Brian.. nice to see the vid too. Glad they are well!
brewmaster15
11-16-2023, 10:21 AM
Brian any action from the new pair?
al
Nope. They just sit there and stare at me, lol...
brewmaster15
11-16-2023, 12:50 PM
Nope. They just sit there and stare at me, lol...
Yeah.... I got a bunch of those here.:)
LizStreithorst
11-16-2023, 02:16 PM
Frustrating, isn't it?
jwcarlson
11-16-2023, 02:40 PM
Nope. They just sit there and stare at me, lol...
You're supposed to be feeding them, you monster!
Well, these guys are too busy eating to stare, lol...
There are actually about 3 of them that are maybe 4 months old or so that re the same size as the 7 week olds. That says something about the water quality over the summer...
137533
Here are two video's of fry that are 7 weeks old. The 2nd one is from 5 months ago. Huge difference in size although I didn't realize there was an issue at the time...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rKB_a2VyoJQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z5_EEVHlyE0
These guys are doing so much better than previous spawns as far as actual growth goes. Here they are at 8 weeks. Not all are from the September 26th spawn. The three larger ones are about 2 months older, and although they are looking good, they are much smaller than normal.
Even though the leak up the street is STILL leaking and is now a sheet of ice, I'm pretty confident that my water issues are over!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u-np6Wg67EM
While my water conditions are much better, the water company still can't seem to manage to repair the water main. They've dug up 6 different spots within a block from my house and after 7 months it's still leaking...
138013
brewmaster15
12-20-2023, 11:31 AM
While my water conditions are much better, the water company still can't seem to manage to repair the water main. They've dug up 6 different spots within a block from my house and after 7 months it's still leaking...
138013
I think its time to complain to the Mayor's office.
Charlyc11
12-20-2023, 11:51 AM
Those are some beautiful spawns I am not having any luck with mine so might be looking for some young ones. I am still trying.
I think its time to complain to the Mayor's office.
I live in the panhandle of a pretty large metro city and we are treated like an unwanted stepchild. They only thing they like about us is our taxes but they give nothing in return, not even police patrols. Now maybe if I were a large developer wanting to build 10,000 unit apartment high rises or if I wanted to demolish all the older homes and build million dollar mansions in their place then I may get some action, lol...
Those are some beautiful spawns I am not having any luck with mine so might be looking for some young ones. I am still trying.
I'm actually going to offer up some 2 1/2" - 3" juvies after the Christmas shipping season. They hatched out on 9-24 doing really good and I'll be posting them on the forum first if you're interested. I would post a video but Youtube has accused me of all the sudden using an ad blocker and has blocked my account. Here's a couple of photo's...
Excuse my terrible photography skills!
138015
138016
danotaylor
12-20-2023, 01:10 PM
Brian I just read through this thread of yours. Firstly, words cannot express how truly awful your experience with the bad water was/is. I too lost tanks of fish when the Toledo council tried to make the drinking water “drinkable” after the blue green algae (microcystin) outbreak on Lake Erie in 2014. All of our lettuce, basil & microgreen crops at the indoor hydroponics farm were deemed inedible and had to be thrown away. No responsibility accepted by the council. No apologies. Our business insurance covered the crop losses, but there was no compensation for the fishy friends that were lost in private homes. I feel your pain and frustration mate.
On a happier note, the new pair are stunning and your fry look amazing. I wish you all the best as you rebuild. Talk soon mate :)
Thanks Danny, a part of me is still in shock over this.
I moved the possible Panthera pair out of the living room and they're acting like little drama queens, lol... But as of this morning they seem to be settling in...
138024
mleibowi
12-21-2023, 09:03 PM
Brian- I’d love to know when your spawn be available!
Mike, I'll have some ready after the first of the year after the holiday shipping rush. Jus to be clear, they are Ruby Spider x Meteor fry. They're producing some interesting fry!
Second Hand Pat
12-22-2023, 07:40 AM
Gorgeous pair Brian :D
Pat
mleibowi
12-22-2023, 11:49 AM
Sounds great Brian!
danotaylor
12-22-2023, 12:18 PM
Thanks Danny, a part of me is still in shock over this.
No doubt mate. That’s a devastating loss. Glad you have some nice pairs to work with and keep your focus on!
I'm happy to say that all my fish are doing great, although not spawning, and even the few survivors of last summers water issues have fully recovered. But I'm still very cautious!
The water main leaks that appeared in July have been repaired, sprung new leaks, been repaired again, and have sprung even more leaks. An area spanning 3 intersections just can't seem to be repaired and since no one has seen a water crew in 2 months maybe they've given up. What was a wet street turned into a dangerously icy slick spot on the hill and now into a mini glacier about 200 feet long and spanning the entire street, with potholes and ice as much as 6 inches thick in some areas. And yes, it's on a steep hill!! I almost slid off the road a few minutes ago...
I'll be filing a complaint with the county this week!
138433
138434
Finally making a start on my long awaited kitchen/fish room expansion!
138869
seanyuki
02-15-2024, 08:44 PM
Wow gonna be a big project Brian, completion date when?
Finally making a start on my long awaited kitchen/fish room expansion!
138869
Well, it's 20 years in the planning. Let's hope it doesn't take that long to complete, lol...
I ordered new appliances in November and they're being delivered this Saturday, so I better get moving!!
brewmaster15
02-16-2024, 08:19 AM
Well, it's 20 years in the planning. Let's hope it doesn't take that long to complete, lol...
I ordered new appliances in November and they're being delivered this Saturday, so I better get moving!!
ordered in November? Brian how are they getting here, slow boat from China?:) or did you order something very custom? I give you alot of credit for your patience but I guess 3 months is nothing compared to 20 years! Lol
al
Willie
02-16-2024, 09:02 AM
Watch for changes in water quality, Brian. A while back, the main pipe running in front of my house was replaced by the city. I started losing fish, including breeding pairs and entire spawns, afterwards. Never found out exactly what they were doing, but heard that things were being added to seal the new pipes. Went to 100% R/O for 4 - 5 years until water quality returned to normal. Good luck on a big job.
ordered in November? Brian how are they getting here, slow boat from China? or did you order something very custom? I give you alot of credit for your patience but I guess 3 months is nothing compared to 20 years! Lol
al
They may have been. My original delivery date was November 30th, lol... No worries, as you can tell I'm not quite ready for them...
Watch for changes in water quality, Brian. A while back, the main pipe running in front of my house was replaced by the city. I started losing fish, including breeding pairs and entire spawns, afterwards. Never found out exactly what they were doing, but heard that things were being added to seal the new pipes. Went to 100% R/O for 4 - 5 years until water quality returned to normal. Good luck on a big job.
Willie, This has been goin on since July of last year and I can't help but believe this was the direct cause of the discus die off I experienced. I use a calibrated Hanna combo meter and my ph is normally 8.3. The highest reading possible is 13.99. This past Fall it would rapid flash 13.99, which means the actual ph was very much higher. I can normally aerate my water in about 4 - 5 hours. During this time it took a full 2 days. The water company denies any changes...
Fortunately, things have returned to normal but trust me, I'm very cautious now and probably always will be...
LizStreithorst
02-16-2024, 10:37 AM
I hope that's not asbestos tile you're ripping out. It looks like it might be.
I didn't think about that. I'll start using my respirator just in case...
brewmaster15
02-19-2024, 09:23 AM
Boat arrive? :)
Yes. And it's being stored in my living room just like everything else, lol...
138922
So after spawning every 5-7 days for 9 months, my Ruby Red x Meteor pair went on strike in October. The Super Panthera pair has never shown any real spawning activity, so I put them all together in a 55g with the hopes that competition may trigger some interest. After about a month, today may be the day. The breeding tubes on the SP's are down and they are staking out a small section of the tank and the male SP and Meteor are fighting fiercely. I may have to put in a divider today or tomorrow. I'd post a video but Youtube took down my account because they accused me of using an ad blocker. After several strongly worded emails to them, they reinstated my account but all my previous videos are gone.
Fingers crossed!!
danotaylor
03-25-2024, 01:47 AM
Hoping & prayin for the best outcome mate!! Let’s go!!
Second Hand Pat
03-25-2024, 05:51 AM
Same here Brian, hoping you get a little action :D
Pat
LizStreithorst
03-25-2024, 08:02 AM
sneak another pic of them for us, Brian.
Here's the SP's. Please excuse the water spots...
139288
Both pairs
139289
Here's a juvie from the Meteor x Ruby Spider. These are the slowest growing discus I've ever raised but they are nice. The dad is over 7" and the mom 6.5 so I have hopes the offspring will reach full potential. Just taking their sweet time doing it...
139290
Charlyc11
03-25-2024, 11:01 AM
Nice Brian good looking juvie
mleibowi
03-25-2024, 01:11 PM
Very nice Brian! Let me know if you will be shipping any juvies, I love the full faced small spotted LSS!
brewmaster15
03-26-2024, 08:25 AM
Here's the SP's. Please excuse the water spots...
139288
Both pairs
139289
Here's a juvie from the Meteor x Ruby Spider. These are the slowest growing discus I've ever raised but they are nice. The dad is over 7" and the mom 6.5 so I have hopes the offspring will reach full potential. Just taking their sweet time doing it...
139290
Brian, They are beautiful fish , and I agree on the slow growth rate.I have seen that in my group as well.
al
Powered by vBulletin® Version 4.2.2 Copyright © 2024 vBulletin Solutions, Inc. All rights reserved.