Oh God...what have I done...

[Dying for Discus]

I just walked into my friend's back part of his fish store....he breeds his own local discus. A small selection of pretty good discus. Some pandas, blue diamonds...marlboros.

and the next thing I know...I'm walking out of the store...

AND I BOUGHT TWO NEW DISCUS-ES!!!!!!!!!!!

:D

I'm gonna post pics once they chill a bit. teehee

[Chrisb]

Melissa
Can't wait to see the pics. My wife hates it when I tell her I'm going the fish store.:D
Good luck with them.
Chris

[Dying for Discus]

Heya thanks!!!!!

I have been thinking bout gettng more...since the melon went kaput. And with my probs with the pg and aggression in my 55 gal...oh well.

They are TINY. Like...maybe 2" to 2.5". They're probably not going to be "show" quality but I don't care!! They already have great personalities. They already ate beefheart and I got them 4 hrs ago!!!

I can't stop buying discus!! ahhhhh.....!!!!

[Elaine_Bryant]

I know what you mean. LOL I went to the LFS with a friend to buy some discus and talked all the way there about how I wasn't going to get any but I would go with her anyway. The next thing I knew I was in the car holding a sack.....dazed..........when I looked in the sack there were 2 new little leopard discus in it. I don't know what happened!!!! and thats my story, and I'm stickin to it. (we have to explain things to husbands sometimes) elaine

[AmberC]

Congrats on your new fish :D

Amb

[Kindredspirit]

.....and I know I just know you QT'd right, Melissa?:) Congrats on your new fishies!


Marie~ http://smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/4/4_1_200.gif

[Dying for Discus]

hahaha YES!! As a matter of fact...my QT was indeed already set up before I even got home. I put my poor pustular PG back in the discus tank (he's all better except his appetite is still low), did the water change thing for about an hour and let these two little ones into the tank.

I can't believe they are eating already. It's awesome. I look my adult discus and wish they were little again too. :(

I just can't wait till they grow out an inch or so and I can finally have a fully stocked 55 of discus!!!!! :D

[Squiggy]

ok....I'll bite...

Is this a test? :inquisitive:

[Kindredspirit]

Is this a test? :inquisitive:


Yes Joe ~ for us ...it is:)



Melissa I am glad you QT'd!! Good luck with your new wet pets!


Marie ~ :coffee:

[Dying for Discus]

wait I'm confused...lol

what did you mean by "is this a test"???? lol

They're soo cute when they're sooo small!! :D

[Dying for Discus]

Thanks everyone for your comments!! I'll post pics as they get older...

How's the planted thing going for you kindred?

[Kindredspirit]

ok....I'll bite...

Is this a test? :inquisitive:


aww...don't worry about the 'test thing' Melissa ~ I am still trying to figure out Joe...they only let him out on weekends;) ( even tho it is Tuesday! )


Lots of wc and good food!


Marie ~ :coffee:

[Kindredspirit]

How's the planted thing going for you kindred?

It is going:o I have no clue on what I am doing ~ I noticed the heat was 91 yesterday! The Cardinals are still with me tho! I turned it down!

Thanks for asking Melissa!


Marie ~ :coffee:

[AADiscus]

Even though they were sold to you as 2.5" they are older than that. IMO The eye size is way big for the body and takes up most of the face area. (both fish) The red one is way colored up for that age. You might think of putting a lighter background on your tank so the pepper is not as visible on the pigeon.

No disrespect though. All that matters is you like them. ;)

[Dying for Discus]

HEY I completely understand!! Thanks so much for the advice. Speckling is purely aesthtic right?? I love the speckling personally though (I know, I know...I'm never going to make a good breeder/show-discus keeper...lol).

The 2.5" was my guess of their size. lol. I've never been a numbers girl.

I agree with the eye size- what causes this?? It's so weird because this private dealer has all sorts of eye sizes! I am 99% sure he doesn't use hormones. His breeding is just a private thing, he only sells to people he knows and he doesn't advertise the discus he has. The marlboro I picked out was the MOST intensely colored one. The rest of them were various shades of pale orange. I think the MB has some of the PG markings on the face too.

Do you think I got the oldest MB but it's a runt??

Oh well, that's okay! I certainly didn't buy these with the intention to breed OR show, and I'm very happy with their robust personalities. So no worries for the most part for me!

One day when I'm not a poor student I will buy all Stedker and Wattley leopard discus and live in Colorado with a 300 gallon tank, 6 55 gallons and 10 20 gallon breeding tanks. :D

[Kindredspirit]

Well you took that well, Melissa! Good for you girl:) If you are happy we are happy!!


Marie ~ :coffee:

[Dying for Discus]

Update Week ONE!!

The marlboro (now called "Ciggy") is lightening up ALOT. The orange sheen is looking much more yellow now and his dorsal and anal fins have gotten much bigger.

The weirdo looking Panda (whom I've nicknamed Spot) anal fin has actually spread out much more. I think when I got him maybe he had some injury or some fin rot that caused the front part of his anal fin to be set back far. I see now that some is growing in (really cool to watch!!) further up and he's even got some of the Pigeon blue coming into his outer dorsal fun!!!

I'm doing two 50% water changes a day minimum, usually 3 if I am off work and school. PH 6.4, temp about 88, 0 nitrite, 0 niitrate. I'm doing a TON of water changes and keeping the pH a little lower because I am using a 20 gal. tank with a bio wheel filter that wasn't cycled as much as I'd hoped! :mad: But with the water changes the ammonia is nearly zero and I'm keeping the pH down a bit to help assuade any ammonia spikes and keep the NH as free ammonium.

I don't plan on cycling my QT anyway since I'm changing 100% of the water daily. I grew out my last two babies in an uncycled tank doing these same water change cycles and they were fine. That's how they do it in Asia so I figure it will be okay.

Do you guys cycle your QT tanks?? I never had. I just do massive water changes all the time. Fun times.. :D

[Squiggy]

Pretty risky, Mel...Even with the massive water changes you will spike ammonia and nitrites sooner or later. The PH will help alleviate things but if a circumstance arises that interupts your water change regime at the wrong time.....:(