your thing

[*Polka dots roc*]

Hi everyone,

I was wondering when you get your discus do you add salt, turn out the lights, medicate etc. What is your thing/s?
Thank you

Nicole

[-gb-]

quarantine and observe. no meds unless a problem is observed & identified. if you're getting your fish from a reputable source and you have no preexisting problems with you're setup this should be all you have to do. IMO

[Graham]

I agree 100% with gb.....

[Ed13]

Hi everyone,

I was wondering when you get your discus do you add salt, turn out the lights, medicate etc. What is your thing/s?
Thank you

Nicole
Nope, I just giggle like a little boy after his first kiss!:D

I just quarantine, watch carefully. After they have settle(1-2 weeks or more, at least wait untill they are eating) I might do a preventive treatment for flukes(formalin), after that I wait some time ( couple of weeks) and deworm(praziquantel). And wait some more. All of this if necessary.

[Slackey]

Quarantine for 6 weeks monitoe intensely, then introduce a sacrificial lamb for two weeks. If all is good then transfer to stock tanks!

[gotfish?]

"then introduce a sacrificial lamb for two weeks"
whahaha---funniest thing ive heard all day!

[steve.ryall]

Nothing to laugh at........makes perfect sence to me......and many others too

[AADiscus]

We use that method too Steve. It actually works very well.

[steve.ryall]

Angela,
Most keepers I know do this too. Maybe it sounds a bit 'wrong' but it is a good way to test whether one will infect the other, without risking your whole stock.
I dont think that GOTfish?.......GOT it :D

[Slackey]

"then introduce a sacrificial lamb for two weeks"
whahaha---funniest thing ive heard all day!

Hmmm .... must not have a lot to laugh about then;):D

A 'sacrificial lamb' is a must if you do not want to introduce an unknown pathogen/disease to your main stock. By separating your fish before introducing to the main stock you can reduce the risk to just one main stock fish (the sacrificial lamb) and one or two of the new fish. This way if either your stock fish or the new fish are carrying anything that they are immune too it will cross contaminate when in the separated tank so you are then only risking a few fish instead of what could amount to tens, hundreds or thousands of fish in some cases.

I think you will find most of the more experienced Discus keepers use this method.

[*Polka dots roc*]

wow that is a good idea at first i thought you meant an actual lamb but... now I get!!!

[Slackey]

wow that is a good idea at first i thought you meant an actual lamb but... now I get!!!

:shocked2:

[Graham]

Some good reading

http://www.koizyme.com/pathogen.html


now where's the mint sauce:D

[gotfish?]

oh, i didnt mean to offend anyone. i do the same thing too you know:D

its just the way he said it.."sacrificial lamb" i got i kick out of it:D he made it sound so biblical, which again, i find funny...not wrong...JUST funny:)

[ShinShin]

Simply observing a fish in a QT tank tells most people very little about the possible pathogens it may carry. While using no chemicals is a noble gesture on the owner's part, but may not be helping the discus much.

Domestic discus carry flukes more commonly than wilds. Wilds carry tapeworms more commonly than domestics. Asian domestics carry tapeworms more commonly than European, Canadian, or USA bred and raised discus. All can carry various nematodes and protozoans. All are susceptable to any and all oppurtunistic bacteria and protozoans present in most waters. The stress alone from shipping is reason enough to treat newly arrived discus. How many have received discus that looked well the night they arrived only to be found dark and clamped the next evening when returning home from work?

I always use a formalin/maalchite green product on incoming fish. This will take care of any oppurtunistic protozoans, flukes and some bacteria. After a week, I treat for tapeworms. I have a microscope and check for intestinal parasite like nematodes and flagellate protozoa. If not seen, I treat no further, usually. Sometimes I will use levamisole anyway for nematodes.

I ask all those who do not check fresh fecal samples with a microscope for nematodes, how do you know your discus don't have capilllaria worms in the gut? Do you wait until the begin to get that razor edge forhead and emaciated body? Then, it is too late. Or, are you dropping your pH to 4.5 and mixing freshly mashed garlic at about a 1::1 ratio? I doubt the latter happens often.

Treating prophylactically upon arrival, assuring to a high degree of having clean fish, helps to keep a chemical free fishroom later on. It is not as taxing as many here are always claiming, and in the long run, most of the time, actually ends up being less chemicals used in the big picture. Just look at the Disease section here.

Mat

[Slackey]

oh, i didnt mean to offend anyone.

None taken my good man!:)

[DiscusDude85]

:shocked2:

lol

[jimmyjoe]

IMO after all is said and done this happens to alot of discus keepers, being fooled by clean discus being offered on the web. I'd really like to find out what overseas breeders are the worst for selling discus with all the parasites being discussed. In my personal QT peroid I also use a guinea pig and the same procedures as so many of you all. My advice is always use reputable sellers of discus many you can find on this forum, BUT WOULDN'T IT BE NICE TO NOT HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE HASSEL. IMO ONLY Jim

[steve.ryall]

I'd really like to find out what overseas breeders are the worst for selling discus with all the parasites being discussed.

I would probably say that you are more likely to get badly diseased fish from your LFS than from an overseas breeder. A breeder can't afford disease, whereas a LFS will try to sell you any rubbish, infected and diseased. :mad:

[Discus-n00b]

What size tanks do yall use for QT?

[Harriett]

I like a 40g breeder for QT. I then use it as the grow out until I need to upgrade--then they go into a 75g.
Harriett

[jimmyjoe]

I use either a 50 gal./55 gal. depends on how many are in the shipment/size of fish.

[Bobears]

Quarantine for 6 weeks monitoe intensely, then introduce a sacrificial lamb for two weeks. If all is good then transfer to stock tanks!


I try to use my monitoe also, especially intensely:D:D. Sorry couldn't resist.

[Ed13]

Simply observing a fish in a QT tank tells most people very little about the possible pathogens it may carry. While using no chemicals is a noble gesture on the owner's part, but may not be helping the discus much.

Domestic discus carry flukes more commonly than wilds. Wilds carry tapeworms more commonly than domestics. Asian domestics carry tapeworms more commonly than European, Canadian, or USA bred and raised discus. All can carry various nematodes and protozoans. All are susceptable to any and all oppurtunistic bacteria and protozoans present in most waters. The stress alone from shipping is reason enough to treat newly arrived discus. How many have received discus that looked well the night they arrived only to be found dark and clamped the next evening when returning home from work?

I always use a formalin/maalchite green product on incoming fish. This will take care of any oppurtunistic protozoans, flukes and some bacteria. After a week, I treat for tapeworms. I have a microscope and check for intestinal parasite like nematodes and flagellate protozoa. If not seen, I treat no further, usually. Sometimes I will use levamisole anyway for nematodes.

I ask all those who do not check fresh fecal samples with a microscope for nematodes, how do you know your discus don't have capilllaria worms in the gut? Do you wait until the begin to get that razor edge forhead and emaciated body? Then, it is too late. Or, are you dropping your pH to 4.5 and mixing freshly mashed garlic at about a 1::1 ratio? I doubt the latter happens often.

Treating prophylactically upon arrival, assuring to a high degree of having clean fish, helps to keep a chemical free fishroom later on. It is not as taxing as many here are always claiming, and in the long run, most of the time, actually ends up being less chemicals used in the big picture. Just look at the Disease section here.

MatThats's a really wel written Mat, good info too. Worthy of being a sticky and repeated to new comers.

One question though, do you mean a 1 garlic per gallon ratio?

[ShinShin]

Ed,

Thanks. The one to one ratio referred to garlic to Bh mix, or whatever you feed. Jack Wattley gave that ratio at a talk he gave that I attended.

Mat