Juvies

[srusso]

I have a group of 6 and they happily swim around non stop schooling back and forth. B/c I rarely see them just hanging out like I see adults do, in videos on YouTube or at LFS... they seem to have a slitly faster breathing pace, is this normal for a young group of "almost four inchers"? do you think the water flow might be to strong? water is clean, my tests and rummies tell me... All eat like pigs... They just seem to be a active bunch!

[joanr]

All this sounds like music to my ears, happily swimming, eating like pigs, schooling, playing....all normal juvie behaviour. They will slow down as they mature so enjoy their activity now at this stage. Juvies will breathe faster than adults but if you are worried you can count their breaths per minute, there is a thread on here that lists the normal breathing parameters for different ages. Just check their gills making sure none are clamped or breathing out of just one gill. Observe if they are rubbing against objects, and if all seems well enjoy them!

[srusso]

All this sounds like music to my ears, happily swimming, eating like pigs, schooling, playing....all normal juvie behaviour. They will slow down as they mature so enjoy their activity now at this stage. Juvies will breathe faster than adults but if you are worried you can count their breaths per minute, there is a thread on here that lists the normal breathing parameters for different ages. Just check their gills making sure none are clamped or breathing out of just one gill. Observe if they are rubbing against objects, and if all seems well enjoy them!

That is just what I wanted to hear, juvies do breath just a bit faster then the adults. Thanks!

[Skip]

WOW! you guys aren't kidding about 5-6 being the magic number for juvies.. i had 3 for one day, and they just coward in the corner (i am sure just stressed from new environment) so i picked up 2 more yesterday (they are all about 1.5 to 2 inch.) after a couple of hours, it really brought them out of the corner and they became alot more brave and started following each other, it was great! they seemed to be establish the pecking order... now i just hope they settle down, when the big bad shadow drops food in there for them! LOL its my first attempt at discus after doing lots of reading in here..

how soon after putting them in should i wait for a water change after introducing them into tank?

[Eddie]

WOW! you guys aren't kidding about 5-6 being the magic number for juvies.. i had 3 for one day, and they just coward in the corner (i am sure just stressed from new environment) so i picked up 2 more yesterday (they are all about 1.5 to 2 inch.) after a couple of hours, it really brought them out of the corner and they became alot more brave and started following each other, it was great! they seemed to be establish the pecking order... now i just hope they settle down, when the big bad shadow drops food in there for them! LOL its my first attempt at discus after doing lots of reading in here..

how soon after putting them in should i wait for a water change after introducing them into tank?

This depends, what type of schedule do you plan on having as far as water changing? Will you do it daily? If so, start the very next day IMO. The sooner they get used to your schedule, the better.

Eddie

[Skip]

Eddie.. so they get used to the water changes?! that's good to know.! i will do one today.. maybe like 25%.. i still need to get used to how i will be doing this myself! : ))

[Eddie]

Eddie.. so they get used to the water changes?! that's good to know.! i will do one today.. maybe like 25%.. i still need to get used to how i will be doing this myself! : ))


They sure do! Its always best to make the fish comfortable with what you do around/with the tank.

Eddie

[Keith Perkins]

Eddie.. so they get used to the water changes?! that's good to know.! i will do one today.. maybe like 25%.. i still need to get used to how i will be doing this myself! : ))

They also can get very use to their keeper holding pieces of frozen beefheart or bloodworms in their tank so they can eat off of it. I still enjoy being mobbed by my discus every time it happens.

[joanr]

Eddie.. so they get used to the water changes?! that's good to know.! i will do one today.. maybe like 25%.. i still need to get used to how i will be doing this myself! : ))

What method did you have in mind? There are ways to make the process so much easier than you would think.

[birdog]

They sure do! Its always best to make the fish comfortable with what you do around/with the tank.

Eddie

Yeah, that's right on, I've got mine so used to the 3-5 vaccums per day and the WCs that some times I have to give them a nudge so they get out of the way, the fact that I can interact with them at that level is very reassuring that they are OK with their environment.

David

[birdog]

They also can get very use to their keeper holding pieces of frozen beefheart or bloodworms in their tank so they can eat off of it. I still enjoy being mobbed by my discus every time it happens.

The first time I was able to hand feed them I almost jumped for joy, really great feeling, as if I had reached a milestone.

David

[Discus master]

I have a group of 6 and they happily swim around non stop schooling back and forth. B/c I rarely see them just hanging out like I see adults do, in videos on YouTube or at LFS... they seem to have a slitly faster breathing pace, is this normal for a young group of "almost four inchers"? do you think the water flow might be to strong? water is clean, my tests and rummies tell me... All eat like pigs... They just seem to be a active bunch!

No worries mine are doing the same thing, except my two larger slightly more older ones their brething rates seem to have slowed down some and they do not cruise around the tank like they use to. The even keep the youngsters in check when the get to over zealous. I read about Dicus alot even thouh only 4 months or so into it and I know that when they are adults the mellow out and movements slow down unless spooked that is and they even slow down eating the will take their time to savor every bite unlike out pigs with wings eating like hogs to be sure but its all apart of growing up. I know this may be a bad comparison but human babies heart beats or off the charts and in the womb its like a million beats a second now look at your own heart rate slowed down a lot huh. I guess its propbaly the same with most animals. Just listen to the other post if they are bretheing only from one gill or its clamped or they seem to be scrathing suspect gill flukes but it does not sound like thats whats going on here sounds good to go!:D

[Discus master]

The first time I was able to hand feed them I almost jumped for joy, really great feeling, as if I had reached a milestone.

David

Yeah I was prety excited when that first happen for me it shows they now trust you I almost feed mine exclusivley this way all the time, except for pelets or freez dried stuff but my discus get hand feed with all their frozen foods. It is to the point when I clean the tank or I am working in the tank the peck at my hand, when the see me vacum the tank they constantl are peeking at me! it is funny to see them act this way like they dont get feed 5 times a day duh!

[DerekFF]

Like people, fish do breath more rapidly when they are younger. Its just part of growing. And my fish shy away as soon as i put the vac in, but then come swimming around and sometimes try and eat piece of food that get sucked up it. My little female cobalt even lets me pet her and rub her fins and she loves it!

[Discus master]

Like people, fish do breath more rapidly when they are younger. Its just part of growing. And my fish shy away as soon as i put the vac in, but then come swimming around and sometimes try and eat piece of food that get sucked up it. My little female cobalt even lets me pet her and rub her fins and she loves it!

Thats cool I will have to try that with my blue cobalt as well neat I wonder if she let you take it for a walk to? ha ha:D

[birdog]

Thats cool I will have to try that with my blue cobalt as well neat I wonder if she let you take it for a walk to? ha ha:D

LOL:)