Discus Happiness!

[Elcid]

Hi Guyz:

I thought I would start this thread about "Discus Happiness".....Only two questions really! What is it? and How to achieve it?

Now I know what you are thinking! there are many answers and surely it depends on Who you are? and Where you are in the hobby? Your Budget? Your Time? Your Luck?

Okay okay! but I need your help! What is your idea of "Discus Happiness?" What is it for you? and what are you doing to achieve it?

Please, I want this thread to be a "Serious Thread" If you want to hack me! please PM ME :) I hope some of you will post!

thanks,
Sandeep

[Camden]

As a full time worker and college student. I can handle 3 discus tanks pretty well and am quite happy with them. I have actually have 9 tanks total just 3 of them discus. A 30 breeder with a pair in it. And two 55's with 6 growing juvies. I do wc's about every other day. I'm actually looking to get another 6 juvies being I lost a couple to hex not so long ago. I think they had hex when I got them but it was before I found this site so now I'll only order from a sponsor here.

[Tropical Haven]

Well for me Discus happiness is when my fish all eat well and swim about the tank with all their fins erect like they know that they are the prettiest fish around.

What I do to achieve this is definitely keep up with daily water changes and cleaning my sponges every 2 weeks. I try to keep my feedings to a variety of beefheart flakes, tetra bits and frozen blood worms. As soon as I can pick up a culture of white worms from somebody that will be added to the diet as well.

Nothing gives me more pleasure than watching my discus swimming around all happy with their fins nice and erect. To me that is discus happiness.

[mmorris]

I don’t know about happiness but I’ve seen ecstatic. I removed my female to another 29 gal. and left the male with the fry because he had become terribly aggressive towards her. She clearly wasn’t happy on her own. The male joined her about a week later. When I put him in, she hid behind the flowerpot, wrapping her body right around it as though to make herself invisible. Suddenly, I swear, she let out a scream when she realized that this new tank mate was her long lost love. She came flying around from behind that flowerpot faster than you can imagine and she was all over him. She hardly leaves his side now. I have a new appreciation for discus as social beings with lasting relationships and a new sense of responsibility for protecting those relationships as best I can. Martha

[jack396]

I don’t know about happiness but I’ve seen ecstatic. I removed my female to another 29 gal. and left the male with the fry because he had become terribly aggressive towards her. She clearly wasn’t happy on her own. The male joined her about a week later. When I put him in, she hid behind the flowerpot, wrapping her body right around it as though to make herself invisible. Suddenly, I swear, she let out a scream when she realized that this new tank mate was her long lost love. She came flying around from behind that flowerpot faster than you can imagine and she was all over him. She hardly leaves his side now. I have a new appreciation for discus as social beings with lasting relationships and a new sense of responsibility for protecting those relationships as best I can. Martha

Martha,

What an interesting and touching story! Makes one think about the difference between man and animal kingdom others...

Discus happiness to me is when the fbw cube is swarmed over unabashedly by the tank occupants. :D

Discus misery ( I can't help it) is when fish in a tank hide in fear until night when they feel safe to come out. :scared:

Big difference there.;)

[Elcid]

Thanks for your answers so far! They all sound wonderful! What brought on the question was that I was laying on my couch watching my 4 new discus not realizing that they were watching me too!

Funny, looked like they were taking turns to come to the edge of the glass and wondering the same sort of things I wonder like "Did he eat well today, his belly looks full" :), "His eyes look a bit Red, hope his allergies clear up soon!" :D, "He looks tired, hope he'll change our water tonight" ;)

It's strange, I was wondering if they are my pets or I am there's....I guess that's "Discus Happiness" I think we as humans definately develop a relationship with our pets and especially with discus and like any relationship we have to work at it - more importantly, it's definately a two way street!

Anyway, is it just me or are some of you developing "relationships" with ur discus? Okay, keep them coming! I want to hear more! ;)

take care,
Sandeep

[pinkertd]

Discus are definitely "different" fish. It's like they have personalities! I have cories and blue rams and tetras and plecos and others and none of them ever act happy to see me in the room like the discus! I liken it to your dog wagging it's tail to see you!!:D:D The moment I step into the room if there's any hint of light whatsoever, they rush to the front corner of the tank nearest to me and start "wagging"! There's such a sense of accomplishment to watch them first thing in the morning as they all group up with each other and glide as a cloud across the tank! Such a beautiful sight!

[Kindredspirit]

hmm....."Discus Happiness"...." a serious post ".....


Mine are all held hostage right now, San ~ they are not happy, healthy but not real happy ~ So I am not either:(

I am glad you are though!http://smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/29/29_2_4.gif

[Elcid]

It's wierd really! I know a lady that has 5 dogs and her daughter has 3 dogs and another daughter has 2 dogs, so they have 10 dogs between them. Somehow they manage to cultivate a relationship with all of them and it makes them happy! I could never understand it before, "Why 10 dogs!", it must be a lot of work; walking them, feeding them, bathing them. Where is there time for "happiness"? I'm just thinking now that the "happiness" must not be the work aspect of the hobby but perhaps the "quality time" we spend with our discus? :)

Only two more posts? Come on guyz? Marie, how about some ideas? This is a "happy" thread, no "unhappiness" please!

thanks,
Sandeep

[accessj]

Unwinding before bedtime on my couch --- being mesmerized by the beautiful colors gliding around the tank just before I go to bed. The only lights are the tank lights. I get lost in my BD's and my Emerald green sapphire's color. I am novice, and for me it's about the colors. The intense blue, green and soft lavenders are just what i need to put me in a good frame of mind for sleep. Most of the time I give them a snack of frozen blood worms and watch them eat.

[poconogal]

What makes me happy is seeing my Discus either glidng or chasing each other around the tank, fins fully spread, and healthy looking! The other thing that makes me happy is their excitement at feeding time, especially when I approach with the CBW worm holder box! Talk about a frenzy when they see that worm box... they are positively ecstatic and their antics make me laugh!

I do what most others do, WCs, keep the tank/filter clean and feed a good variety of foods.

[Organic Farmer]

Its almost as if becomes a lifestyle type thing

[brewmaster15]

Discus Happiness to me is ......

When a Pair gets its right and they raise fry the first time...more so if its the pair you REALLY wanted fry from.

Its when I stand in my fish room and see tank after tank of healthy fish...knowing I had a hand in it.

Its a cross that I bred.

Its a visit from fellow hobbyists and the long talks about the fish..Its the friends made along the way.

Its this forum...which is as intertwined in my hobby as the fish in the tanks here.

Its the bright eyes and erect fins at feeding and breeding time...

Its my children helping me in the fish room.

Its knowing that I have done as good a job keeping these fish as I could possible do and they are thriving.

This is what Discus Happiness is to me.

-al

[tpl*co]

Happiness is: Never having to say "Where's the fish?" since it has it's nose pressed against the glass right in front of you!:D

To achieve this, lots of water changes, and good food so they see me as the chow wagon and are more than happy to see me! :D

Tina

[Darren's Discus]

To me, Discus happiness is watching happy and healthy fish in my tanks,watching juvies grow into adults hopefully pairing off and succesfully breeding and raising those fry to adults,also speaking with other people that share this wonderful hobby,why does anyone have a hobby to enjoy it when it becomes a hassle it is not a hobby,I love my fish they love to see me (the feeder)

cheers

[Elcid]

Thanks for all your answers! There are so many dimensions to this hobby as Al has so clearly pointed out but in the end maybe the common thread is "healthy fish", "health and happiness" why didn't I think of it before :)

thanks,
Sandeep