Leaving to get my first set of Discus!!

[srusso]

I am going to get my 6 new discus in like one hour!!! Cant wait!!! Played with my tank getting things just right. Changed the tank water flow to travel in one direction, thanks Eddie for the inspirational video you posted... added an ~8" tube connecting a power head to a sponge filter. I figure it does three things for me, clean the water, prevent plants from getting sucked onto the power head intake and would act as a great "pre-cycled medi-pod" to drop into my 10Gal if I need a QT/hospital tank in a pinch...

Tanks Specs
Temp 86 f
pH - 6.8 - 6.6
Ammo - 0
Nitrite - 0
Nirate - 0

Going to bring water to the store to have the GH and KH tested... Also bringing two five gallon buckets with lids... so much better to transport them I think.

Wish me luck I leave in 30 mins!!

Here are some pics of the tank right now
http://forum.simplydiscus.com/picture.php?albumid=207&pictureid=1616

http://forum.simplydiscus.com/picture.php?albumid=207&pictureid=1617

http://forum.simplydiscus.com/picture.php?albumid=207&pictureid=1593

http://forum.simplydiscus.com/picture.php?albumid=207&pictureid=1618

[waters10]

I am going to get my 6 new discus in like one hour!!! Cant wait!!! Played with my tank getting things just right. Changed the tank water flow to travel in one direction, thanks Eddie for the inspirational video you posted... added an ~8" tube connecting a power head to a sponge filter. I figure it does three things for me, clean the water, prevent plants from getting sucked onto the power head intake and would act as a great "pre-cycled medi-pod" to drop into my 10Gal if I need a QT/hospital tank in a pinch...

Tanks Specs
Temp 86 f
pH - 6.8 - 6.6
Ammo - 0
Nitrite - 0
Nirate - 0

Going to bring water to the store to have the GH and KH tested... Also bringing two five gallon buckets with lids... so much better to transport them I think.

Wish me luck I leave in 30 mins!!

Here are some pics of the tank right now
Cool tank! Details?

Good luck and post pics! We like those. :)

[srusso]

Thanks! You guys will see loads of pics!! I am getting 3 - Red Pigeon and 3 - Red Turqs.... I cant wait to see them!!! Trying to kill time, I dont want to be the guy looking in the window before the place opens... lol (I hate that guy!!)

as for equipment:

corallife with 2 6500k PCF bulbs
single blue LED moon light
fluval 405
900 power head connected to sponge filter
Jager 200w and AC150w heaters

[Alok]

Cool! Where are you getting your discus from?

[srusso]

The store is Greenwich Aquaria, they get them from Hans. Thanks Hans!!!

[babers]

Nice looking set-up! Goodluck!

[rickztahone]

Thanks! You guys will see loads of pics!! I am getting 3 - Red Pigeon and 3 - Red Turqs.... I cant wait to see them!!! Trying to kill time, I dont want to be the guy looking in the window before the place opens... lol (I hate that guy!!)

as for equipment:

corallife with 2 6500k PCF bulbs
single blue LED moon light
fluval 405
900 power head connected to sponge filter
Jager 200w and AC150w heaters

no co2? i'm surprised at how great your plants look. i wish mine looked that way and got that big. i'm a brown thumb when it comes to plants though. do you do any dosing? root tabs at all? good luck with the discus.

[srusso]

WE ARE HOME!!!

http://forum.simplydiscus.com/picture.php?albumid=207&pictureid=1619

[srusso]

Getting ready...

http://forum.simplydiscus.com/picture.php?albumid=207&pictureid=1620

[srusso]

Just got in...

http://forum.simplydiscus.com/picture.php?albumid=207&pictureid=1621

http://forum.simplydiscus.com/picture.php?albumid=207&pictureid=1622
Brave little one!!

[srusso]

Red Turq maybe a show fish already!!!

http://forum.simplydiscus.com/picture.php?albumid=207&pictureid=1627

http://forum.simplydiscus.com/picture.php?albumid=207&pictureid=1626

http://forum.simplydiscus.com/picture.php?albumid=207&pictureid=1625

[srusso]

Already EATING!

http://forum.simplydiscus.com/picture.php?albumid=207&pictureid=1631

http://forum.simplydiscus.com/picture.php?albumid=207&pictureid=1630

[waters10]

Already EATING!
Ah, nothing like getting fish locally! Don't need a long time to adjust like after an overnight flight!

Are those pigeons? They look almost albinos.

[srusso]

Yes they are pigeons, not albinos, they did color up a lot now. The crappy cam on my phone doesn't take good pictures...

[srusso]

Much better color now!

http://forum.simplydiscus.com/picture.php?albumid=207&pictureid=1633

http://forum.simplydiscus.com/picture.php?albumid=207&pictureid=1634

[srusso]

no co2? i'm surprised at how great your plants look. i wish mine looked that way and got that big. i'm a brown thumb when it comes to plants though. do you do any dosing? root tabs at all? good luck with the discus.

Of course you know its about balance... I once read planted tanks are like a factory. The receiving line cant run as faster then the production line, which cant run faster then the boxing line, which cant run faster then the shipping line. An example is I used to have the lights on for 12 hours a day... one day my wife was yelling about the electric so I cut the lights down to 8 hours a day... I saw 4x more growth! I was putting more demand on nutrients and CO2 by keeping the light on so long... cutting back the light let the whole factory line run smoothly.

I used flurish tabs in the sand, but I don't think they are helping much. I just got the flurish liquid lets see how that goes... I am trying for more pearling on the plants that shows the factory is working perfect ATM....

[darkknight87]

The reds on those pidgeons looks fantastic! great set up and fish



Of course you know its about balance... I once read planted tanks are like a factory. The receiving line cant run as faster then the production line, which cant run faster then the boxing line, which cant run faster then the shipping line. An example is I used to have the lights on for 12 hours a day... one day my wife was yelling about the electric so I cut the lights down to 8 hours a day... I saw 4x more growth! I was putting more demand on nutrients and CO2 by keeping the light on so long... cutting back the light let the whole factory line run smoothly.

I used flurish tabs in the sand, but I don't think they are helping much. I just got the flurish liquid lets see how that goes... I am trying for more pearling on the plants that shows the factory is working perfect ATM....

[srusso]

The reds on those pidgeons looks fantastic! great set up and fish

Some better pictures, with a point and shoot

http://forum.simplydiscus.com/picture.php?albumid=207&pictureid=1636

http://forum.simplydiscus.com/picture.php?albumid=207&pictureid=1637

http://forum.simplydiscus.com/picture.php?albumid=207&pictureid=1638

Thanks :o

[srusso]

Some more...

http://forum.simplydiscus.com/picture.php?albumid=207&pictureid=1639

http://forum.simplydiscus.com/picture.php?albumid=207&pictureid=1640

He said you guys like loads of pictures...

http://forum.simplydiscus.com/picture.php?albumid=207&pictureid=1641

[srusso]

Hans if you read this, thanks for the great stock! These are pictures after their first night in the tank and they just finished a whole blood worm cube!! Slowly but they ate it all!

http://forum.simplydiscus.com/picture.php?albumid=207&pictureid=1647

http://forum.simplydiscus.com/picture.php?albumid=207&pictureid=1648

http://forum.simplydiscus.com/picture.php?albumid=207&pictureid=1649

http://forum.simplydiscus.com/picture.php?albumid=207&pictureid=1650

http://forum.simplydiscus.com/picture.php?albumid=207&pictureid=1651

http://forum.simplydiscus.com/picture.php?albumid=207&pictureid=1652

[ockyra215]

Ahh the first tank,Ofcourse you realize that this is not a hobby but a sickness and its only cure is a few more tanks full of discus..........Good Luck:D

[srusso]

Day 3 - Easter

Took some nice pics with my bros cam, hope you all like them.
They ate two cubes of FBW and one cude of vitamin enriched B Shrimp
One seems to getting less to eat then the others, because they school soo tightly if one fish hasn't eattin' and the others start on a trip back to the other side it will still flow... I hope it they start coming to the food rather "finding" it as they do now.

http://forum.simplydiscus.com/picture.php?albumid=207&pictureid=1655

http://forum.simplydiscus.com/picture.php?albumid=207&pictureid=1653

http://forum.simplydiscus.com/picture.php?albumid=207&pictureid=1658

http://forum.simplydiscus.com/picture.php?albumid=207&pictureid=1662

http://forum.simplydiscus.com/picture.php?albumid=207&pictureid=1659

[srusso]

http://forum.simplydiscus.com/picture.php?albumid=207&pictureid=1660

http://forum.simplydiscus.com/picture.php?albumid=207&pictureid=1661

http://forum.simplydiscus.com/picture.php?albumid=207&pictureid=1665

[ceh23]

They look great!

[srusso]

http://forum.simplydiscus.com/picture.php?albumid=207&pictureid=1667

http://forum.simplydiscus.com/picture.php?albumid=207&pictureid=1668

http://forum.simplydiscus.com/picture.php?albumid=207&pictureid=1669

That is it for tonight

[gixeron1wheel]

sweet tank!

I have the same fish in my planted tank. The only thing that I regret is putting in the young pigeons. They get a good bit of peppering growing out in the planted tank. The turqs and brilliant look super in the tank and I may move pigeons to white sided bb tank until bigger.
I have an adult pigeon that has always been in a white sided bb and he has very, very little peppering. It only shows up at certain times and I would have to point it out.

[Darrell Ward]

Good luck with those little fellows. Be careful not to stunt them in that planted tank. :)

[srusso]

Good luck with those little fellows. Be careful not to stunt them in that planted tank. :)

How easy is it to stunt them? I currently do 30%-40% water changes every other day-ish. Is that enough?

[gixeron1wheel]

I haven't had a problem with my fish being stunted in the planted tank, but the peppering WILL happen. Since you have the pictures to document their coloring now, compare their peppering in a few weeks.

I do a 50% water change if I miss a day, but I do 30% to 40% daily. I do daily because I feed the younger discus up to six times a day and the adults twice a day. I like the tanks clean and daily water changes are best for growing out to a large healthy discus.

I feed them NLS 1mm dry, Tetra Color Bits, frozen mysis shrimp, frozen bloodworms, live and frozen brine shrimp, live blackworms, and most important...a fresh lean beef, fresh seafood, dry flake food mixture. This mix is close to what Hans feeds (I drove to Baltimore and met THE DISCUS MAN). I don't have any particular order in which I feed them the different foods but they get plenty of the Beef mix at least twice a day and the live blackworms, live brine shrimp, and frozen bloodworms are used as treats and are not daily staple.

[srusso]

I like the peppering.... dont see what all the fuss is about, they look cool with it! It almost makes them look a little disney-ish :D

I know there are a lot of purists on this forum but come on, who couldnt love a fish like this?!

http://forum.simplydiscus.com/picture.php?albumid=207&pictureid=1653

really like this shot...

[srusso]

15 days, and everyone is happy healthy and eating like pigs...

http://forum.simplydiscus.com/picture.php?albumid=207&pictureid=1714

http://forum.simplydiscus.com/picture.php?albumid=207&pictureid=1712

http://forum.simplydiscus.com/picture.php?albumid=207&pictureid=1715

http://forum.simplydiscus.com/picture.php?albumid=207&pictureid=1713

[ceh23]

Good to hear! Nice looking fish!

[April]

they look happy. they look like they are colouring up and filling out. congrats. all swimming up high and out and about right from the start so thats good. keep going..

[srusso]

One Month later.......... they all have grown about a half inch... some more then others

http://forum.simplydiscus.com/picture.php?albumid=229&pictureid=1780

http://forum.simplydiscus.com/picture.php?albumid=229&pictureid=1779

http://forum.simplydiscus.com/picture.php?albumid=229&pictureid=1778

http://forum.simplydiscus.com/picture.php?albumid=229&pictureid=1777

http://forum.simplydiscus.com/picture.php?albumid=229&pictureid=1776

[Eddie]

They are developing nicely, seem happy and healthy in your care. Great work!


Take care,

Eddie

[Dan]

They are developing nicely, seem happy and healthy in your care. Great work!


Take care,

Eddie

+1, good job so far :D

[srusso]

Just figured I'd post an update, these guys are doing well. Almost four months in my care.

[srusso]

My first pair!

[srusso]

This PB is my biggest almost 5", I'm eyeing it though...

[srusso]

Hoping these two pair up

[srusso]

Whole tank shot

I am giving the two (not seen in new pics) that are bad stock away to a good home in CT. If anyone is interested... Free fish!

[Jennie]

post them on craigslist.


Whole tank shot

I am giving the two (not seen in new pics) that are bad stock away to a good home in CT. If anyone is interested... Free fish!

[birdog]

This PB is my biggest almost 5", I'm eyeing it though...

He looks nice and fat now.

[srusso]

post them on craigslist.

I'd rather give the fish to people that can take care of the fish! People in this forum!

[Jennie]

I mentioned clist as an option because if you consider them bad stock, it would be hard to find a home with someone on the forum


I'd rather give the fish to people that can take care of the fish! People in this forum!