New Wilds

[Polar_Bear]

I purchased 7 wilds last Saturday (12/09/06) form Bill Eagan. I've been waiting to post them for two reasons, I was waiting for them to fully settle into their new surroundings, and I just can't seem to find the correct settings on my camera to take a decent photo of them. What I bought are:

1- RSG
3- Heckels
2- Blures
1- Green

What I think I actually have are
1-*RSG (The largest of them at about 5" SL
3- Heckels
1- Blue
2- Green

Anyway, here's the pic.

[billeagan]

Larry,

Even your QT tanks have excellent plants, I"m jealous!

They look good, a bit distant in the pic to really see the markings.

I miss the heckels =(

[Polar_Bear]

Bill,
I agree about the photo, but as I said I am having camera problems :-/
I can see why you miss the Heckels, in person they are gorgeous. btw the RSG has colored up quite nicely and has spots all along his lower body. The others are aloso doing well and have also colored up extremely nicely. I couldn't be happier with them :-)

As I've told you many times, growing plants is really easy once you get the hang of it, far easier than keeping heathy discus :-)

[Apistomaster]

I agree with you, Polarbear, the plants are not at all difficult to maintain like you are. It is my way too. They will look really nice after a couple more months of R&R. It takes awhile to restore them. I use blackworms and pelleted foods if they take them. The sooner they accept the pelleted foodd the sooner you can get them pumped full of the deworming meds. I use almost no pelleted foods during this period that are not premedicated. It pays dividends to do this upfront. More of what they eat sticks to their bones as they become dewormed and their appetites increase at the same time. A win win scenario.

[Polar_Bear]

AM,
Actually they have already been through deworming and a variety of other prophylatic treatments. But I do know where you're coming from. Right now they will only eat CBW and FBW, but I've started to force them to eat Frozen Mysis Shrimp too. I also totally agree with you about fattening them up. I am in the process of doing just that, it's pretty easy because they eat like pigs, and in the week I've had them the smaller ones are already showing good improvement.

[AmberC]

They are looking really great now Larry. Much more settled in! Good job!

[billeagan]

Bill,
I agree about the photo, but as I said I am having camera problems :-/
I can see why you miss the Heckels, in person they are gorgeous. btw the RSG has colored up quite nicely and has spots all along his lower body. The others are aloso doing well and have also colored up extremely nicely. I couldn't be happier with them :-)

As I've told you many times, growing plants is really easy once you get the hang of it, far easier than keeping heathy discus :-)

So, the RSG is showing even more spots ==> EXCELLENT!

I'm trying to find a new supplier - the other guy jacked up the price $30/tail... RRRRRR

[pcsb23]

I love RSG's. Hard to find though ime. Very nice wilds Larry, one day I'll get some heckels too.

[Polar_Bear]

Bill,
Yep! The RSG is showing spots all along his entire lower body, and of course, on his anal fin. They continue to deepen in color and he is really beginning to look like an RSG :-)

Paul,
Thanks! I really don't understand it, Heckels used to be the highest priced wilds, now (at least from Bill) they are the lowest priced. Odd but true. They were the most timid at first, now they get in on the pecking order wars along with everyone else. I really couldn't be happier with them.

[Apistomaster]

I have also noticed how the price of Heckels have dropped considerably in recent years. I don't know what it is that has allowed it to happen but it's a welcome change. I have kept Heckels with other discus but in the long run they seem to do better with just their own kind. It also depends on your goal. I want to breed them so they are always kept with their own kind. I temporarily kept a recuperating Blue with them but it was a young male and it began to assert to much dominance over the ten Heckels it was place with so it had to go to a tank of fancy domestics where it appears to have selected a prospective mate, a leopard spot female. They could make some interesting babies.
I'm glad to learn you have already gone through the deworming process. In the old days before those meds were available it made wild discus harder to maintain but when they have been dewormed and their appetites restored they reall do well. Looking back in the 70's I sometimes wonder how I ever was able to breed wild caught discus. Even then once a female spawned and was somewhat weakened it was not that rare for her to go down hill soon afterwards.

[Polar_Bear]

Larry,
Yep! I used to breed wilds in the 70's too, so I know exactly what you mean. As to the Heckels I absolutely agree with you, they do seem to be more timid than aequifasiciatus. These are the first Heckels I have owned so I'm not yet too familiar with them, but they are doing well, even in a small tank (55 gallons) with 4 aequifasiatus (3 S discus). After QT the 7 of them will most likely go into a 75 or 100, or, if I can talk the wife into it, into two tanks so the Heckels can have their own (of course I'll need to get more of each if they go into two tanks <grin>)

Larry

[jim_shedden]

Very nice Larry..........thanks

Jim

[Apistomaster]

So Larry,
You are also one of "the old ones". We have seen many changes since those days have we not?

[Darren's Discus]

Larry they look great will be interested in watching there progress and those plants look awesome.

cheers

[Timbo]

Even then once a female spawned and was somewhat weakened it was not that rare for her to go down hill soon afterwards.

same thing happened to my ex... she blew up faster than a toyota in baghdad

[Polar_Bear]

So Larry,
You are also one of "the old ones". We have seen many changes since those days have we not?

Larry,
Yes and yes <grin>

[Polar_Bear]

Larry they look great will be interested in watching there progress and those plants look awesome.

cheers

Darren,
I'll try to remember to post them again in about a month, I think by then they will have fattened up. As to the plants, two "secrets" light needs to be at least around 1 wpg of CF long term, or if much higher light also CO2 injected to mitigate algae. If in pots like the one pictured simply use a balanced fertilizer in the substrate (get whatever your local garden center has that can be buried), it truly is that simple.

[Polar_Bear]

Here are some better photos, too big to post here http://www.discusrebels.com/Photos2.htm

[Apistomaster]

Polarbear,
Your Heckels are eating well. Very good sign holding their own with your eclectic mix of wilds. I have found blues to be the most domineering with greens directing much of their aggression against each other. They all have their own dispositions. The fat stomachs on the Heckels indicates they are taking no guff off the others at feeding time.
I don't understand why so many have troublegrowing plants, especialy potted Echinodorus sp., in their discus tanks. I have used the plant gro time release fertilizer sticks with good success. The closest I have gone with other fertilizers is diluting orchid fertilizer as an water additive fertilizer with good results and it is so cheap I don't mind flushing it down the drain along with large routine water changes like I do with the aquarium brands that are so expensive. By and large though I prefer the fertilizer to be targeted in the pot substrates. You can grow beautiful show quality Swords this way and I do think they contribute to improved water quality and of course a sense of security for the discus. Better yet, they spawn on those nice broad leaves.

[Polar_Bear]

Larry,
I agree with you about the plants. In addition to being a discus guy I am also a planted tank guy and have some high tech tanks. In the BB discus tanks I use Job's plant spikes only, also cheap. A very good place to get aquatic fertilizers online is http://www.gregwatson.com/ A great place to deal with and cheap prices.
The Heckels are doing very well, there are three in that tank but I am getting 5 more soon and so all of the Heckels will be going into their own tank following QT, most likely a 75 gallon. The others I will keep together although I will be adding two RSGs and one more Green. I don't mind if the S. aequifasciatus inter-breed, even though I know some frown on that. I'm hoping against hope to be able to breed the Heckels, and so contribute to your Heckels breeding plan idea.

[Darren's Discus]

Larry, thanks for posting those extra pics of the fish look to be doing real well just like the plants <i must admit been keeping discus on and off for 25 years and never really got into the plant thing,but yours look great.

cheers

[Polar_Bear]

Thanks Darren! :-)

[Apistomaster]

Breeding wild Heckels is just one of those dirty jobs that someones' got to do it. I actually would like to see all the wild types bred and maintained true to type. I don't object to crosses as long as we maintain and pass along the pedigrees to the best of our ability. Clearly we are making many artificial distinctions out of convention that have little biological validity.
Larry W.

[kirkp]

Hope I don't sound ignorant but who's Bill Eagan?

Kirk

[Polar_Bear]

Kirk,
Bill Eagan is a sponsor on this site. Just go to the sponsor section and you'll find him listed there. If you have problems feel free to PM me, also I'm pretty sure Bill is monitoring this thread so if you need to ask him a question feel free to do it here.

[billeagan]

Hope I don't sound ignorant but who's Bill Eagan?

Kirk

Bill Eagan is a legend in his own mind =)

Kirk,

I'm just a hobbyist that has ruined his wife's dreams of making a nice finished basement.... Although, 1,000 gallons of fish tanks is a finished basement to me=)

As Larry mentioned if you need anything don't hesitate to ask. I would venture to guess that all of your needs would be covered by one of the sponsors here.

Bill