Wild update!

[Tristanyyz]

Just to show how three of the wilds are doing that I picked up from Oliver 2 weeks ago.

[Tristanyyz]

And here are their tank-mates...(with any luck)

[fishfarm]

Nice looking fish, I'm getting 8 boxes from Oliver in a few weeks, can't wait to see them. I hope this starts another of those great discusion you got going last time. :) Ken

Tristan: The curiperas are picking up color fast. The male has a very nice pattern and a solid red female. This tell me the fish like your TLC. I can see the 2 Madeira Heckels are growing. The pigeons are a little bit peppery. They're not happy with the water and a bit cloudy. Stick a small powerhead into the sponge filter and the water will clear up very fast. Good work. A question for you. How can you tell a Curipera from the Brown discus? Some self proclaimed wild expert say it's a simple brown discus with a high price tag. Do you agree?
Jimmy.

[Tristanyyz]

Fishfarm:

Way to go! You will be very happy. What did you order? I think Oliver has a bunch of Royal Blue on the way.

Jimmy:

Thank you. I always enjoy hearing your opinion.

All the fish are growing like crazy as i am feeding them night and day. Did you notice the Curipera's dorsal fins? Why do they grow so long and so quickly? Yes as you can tell, i have a bit of a bioload problem, much better than it has been however, so its fixing itself, heading in the right direction. It will just take a little more time, one more week, i have excellent filtration. But big canisters, so it will take time. I was just a bit too eager to get my big tank going. I have adjusted my water changes to 50% per day, right now 40% RO and 60% tap, aged. So the water should be pretty good. Nitrate is 0, Nitrite 0, Amonia 0, Total hardness 100, Total Alkalinity 80, and the Ph is 7.2.

Now, I dont mind my PB's peppery, i have no problem with it. Infact I call my Red PB, ketchup, because he looks like a ketchup potato chip. I was under the impressing the peppering was genetic, and not a sign of poor water conditions. They have always had spots on them, infact my tangerine, is developing beautiful red at the base of anal and dorsal fins...i think they are thriving and not "unhappy with the water". Then again, i am a beginner and learning.

They are all thriving to me, all gaining size, all eat like little vultures...they all get nice big tummies after eating, and have a nice varied diet, all Hakari multi-vitamin incapsulated, Mysis, Brine, Blood Worms and then some live black worms, they all eat atleast 4-6 times a day. I work from home sometimes, so when i pass the tank, i usually throw something in...

I also have my 20 gallon with my runt blue diamond that i rescued from a bad bout of Hex, growing with some 2 month olds, a blue snakeskin, 4 high fins, and 2 marlboro crosses...they are all in the same water, (from the same 110 gallon reservoir). They are doing great, and getting nice and wide :o

I quote from you:

"How can you tell a Curipera from the Brown discus? Some self proclaimed wild expert say it's a simple brown discus with a high price tag. Do you agree?"

You said it quite directly...I picked up on the inference, but chose to ignore it. And No, i dont agree obviously. Then again what do I know, i still like Dr. Axelrod, and his book "Atlas of Discus". A creative argument is always more interesting to me, than a boring "correct" argument. I am inbetween. I believe that there are likely just four categories. Brown, Green, Blue and Heckel. However, I like subcategories. And am intrigued by Oliver's suggestion that 100kms designates a natural barrier...look at the Don Valley Parkway in Toronto, its a stretch of about 15km's of highway, and its a definite artificial barrier..., just joking. It seems plausible to me that 100kms seems far in terms of geography, and swimming, and walking. So, to say " how can you tell a curipera from the brown discus"...i think a curipera is a sub category of the brown discus, of which, is predisposed to more reddish colouration uncharacteristic of a brown, which is why there is a need for subcategorization. Of course, my thoughts, are just thoughts based upon nothing more than categorization based upon what its "not", opposed to what it is....and a curipera is certainly not a regular brown. So whether its region, or in honour of a biologists name...either is fine for me. What is your opinion Jimmy?
Regards,
Michael

[fishfarm]

Hi, I believe the Curipera is a blue discus. Brown's have a much more eastern range.
I'm getting Brown's, blue's, Brown Alenquer, Red Alenquer, and Red Tucurui and a bunch of plecos all direct from his Brazilian collection station. :) Fun, Fun! Ken

[Tristanyyz]

Ken, awesome!

I hope you have a good quality digital camera...I want to see some pictures when you get them.

I am thinking a couple of royal blues myself...will i ever stop???

The Jetapu is the mody stunning Royal Blue I've ever seen. Huge massive body like a wrestler.
Jimmy.

[Tristanyyz]

Jimmy,

I know you recognized the Madiera with the "broken" 5th bar line...but do you recognize this one?

My girlfriend calls this one "SpHekel"

[Tristanyyz]

Oh by the way, that white spot just below the dorsal fin is either Ich, or a spot on the outside of my aquarium... ;D...better get out the windex.

[Willie]

I don't think bioload is your biggest problem. Its quarantine.

Willie

[Francisco_Borrero]

Michael (Tristan), your fish look wonderful !! Very nice animals.
However, I must agree with Willie : It appears as if you skipped quarentene, a very dangerous move. Hopefully we are wrong and Hopefully things will continue well. They might, and then they might not.

I also agree with Ken (FishFarm): Curipera in my mind are a blue discus, not a brown discus.

The broken bar heckel is actually a very nice fish, although the broken bar is unfortunate. I have a fish with a similar messed up bar, which I love regardless, I will try to post a picture here or later tonight.

The heckel that you posted after: He looks like a hybrid between blue discus and heckel, not like a pure heckel. Beautiful fish. The spot can not be ick, even if if was actually on the fish. It's too big !!

Great fish. Good luck and thanks for sharing.
Cheers, Francisco.

[Tristanyyz]

Thank you again for your imput.

Yes i skipped quarentine based on some very sound advice. I was apprehensive as i had set up a quarentine tank and was ready to go. Lets see what happens, i think everything will be fine, they show no signs, i mean no signs of ill health.

I was joking about the ich, its a spot on my aquarium glass.

You were able to see my broken bar discus from the group picture? The third picture i posted is another fish, its the broken bar's friend. He looks similar to yours. Now I was told that that fish is a Madeira. Irregardless i like the fish very much.

I am finding that the wilds have such pretty faces, compared with domestics, who are starting to look a little pointy to me, even excellent quality domestics dont seem to have that smoothe forehead, i know, i know, vast generalization.

I also have a Mari Mari with a squiggle at the top of his 5th bar. You know, i think this gives the fish character. I would be concerned if i were showing these fish, and trying to win awards with them, but i like these things...it adds character. I believe a tank with some ideosyncratic fish is always good, with a few really really fine fish. I have one more curipera that i have not shown who is supposed to colour up nicely, but to date, although very healthy, and my girlfriend says she has a nice personality, is kind of mulchy looking. We will see if she evens out a bit.

Thanks Willie and Francisco!