Leaving town with Juvie Discus?

[Zoom]

So I recently got 5 3" Discus to grow out.. and now somethings come up(family matter) and I might have to be gone for 2 weeks.. I can't find anyone to come over and do the water changes/feed them for me... Can someone give me some advice on what to do? Will they survive 2 weeks with no food?! T___T Please help.

[ericatdallas]

Three inch discus, that would not be recommended :(

If they were adults, 2 weeks would be no problem, but at that size, Discus grow fast and need lots of food.

Maybe you can see if you can contact one of the Houston members and see if they'll house it in one of their tanks. Maybe pay them a sitting fee or something.

you may take a small loss on this, but you could sell them..

[mmorris]

I wouldn't want to leave 3" discus without food and water changes for two weeks. I've hired a neighborhood teenager to take care of my fish and she did a great job. She loved the fish. In fact, I was concerned I'd come home and find all my fish living at HER house.

[ericatdallas]

What's the going rate for a teenager to take care of fish?

I'm not sure i would trust them to change water every day but the auto-feeders would certainly be able to handle food.

[Zoom]

Well I am a teenager myself.. and I have friends that raise Oscars and tetras/mollys but I do not think they'll be able to handle the work that goes with juvi Discus..

How about this.. Whats the longest I can leave my Discus without food/water changes?

[mmorris]

I numbered each tank, and set out an example on a saucer of how much food to give each tank. I wrote up a list detailing how to do wc's, paid her $10 to read through the list and do the wc while I was present, (which told me where, in the instructions, I needed to clarify) and we were good to go. I honestly don't remember what I paid her. I had fewer tanks and only a couple discus tanks. Times have changed. :) I wouldn't feed unless the wc's were being done, but I wouldn't want juvies to go that long without food. Get the parents on board. Kids can be incredibly diligent with a job that involves animals.

[Darrell Ward]

Hard to say exactly "how long". No more than a few days without doing harm. Little ones are very sensitive, and stunt very easily. Not a good situation to be in.

[Zoom]

I numbered each tank, and set out an example on a saucer of how much food to give each tank. I wrote up a list detailing how to do wc's, paid her $10 to read through the list and do the wc while I was present, (which told me where, in the instructions, I needed to clarify) and we were good to go. I honestly don't remember what I paid her. I had fewer tanks and only a couple discus tanks. Times have changed. :) I wouldn't feed unless the wc's were being done, but I wouldn't want juvies to go that long without food. Get the parents on board. Kids can be incredibly diligent with a job that involves animals.

This sounds great.. I guess I should try asking one of my good friends.. The thing is.. The only person I know that would be willing is a girl.. and I doubt she can do huge water changes.. Question.. She can only come over once a day.. Would feeding once a day for 2 weeks be okay?


Hard to say exactly "how long". No more than a few days without doing harm. Little ones are very sensitive, and stunt very easily. Not a good situation to be in.

I know.. This was all very sudden..

[ericatdallas]

Once a day is better than nothing. Buy an autofeeder?

Do you still change water with the bucket method? A few buckets is better than nothing. Buy a $20 pump (Maxi-Jet 1200) and some hoses, that might help her with the WCs. Just leave the equipment dangling for her, MJ-1200 to toilet, hose from sink to aquarium or storage container.

Maybe enlist in several friends. Have her go every day to do small WCs and have SEVERAL of your other friends lined up to do WCs every several days. You just need 3 friends that are willing to come once a week for bare minimum or 7 friends once a week for optimal :)

If she can keep up with the small WCs every day you might be okay. How big is your tank?

[Zoom]

Once a day is better than nothing. Buy an autofeeder?

Do you still change water with the bucket method? A few buckets is better than nothing. Buy a $20 pump (Maxi-Jet 1200) and some hoses, that might help her with the WCs. Just leave the equipment dangling for her, MJ-1200 to toilet, hose from sink to aquarium or storage container.

Maybe enlist in several friends. Have her go every day to do small WCs and have SEVERAL of your other friends lined up to do WCs every several days. You just need 3 friends that are willing to come once a week for bare minimum or 7 friends once a week for optimal :)

If she can keep up with the small WCs every day you might be okay. How big is your tank?

Yeah I was just talking to her about an autofeeder. I trust this person, its just she might not be able to lift the water out with the buckets I'm using(10 gallon buckets). Don't trust any other people messing with my tank since they have a hard time keeping Goldfish alive. >_>

Its a 50 Gallon tank. I was thinking about making her take out 10 gallons a day.. and on saturday.. 30 gallons.. This is just a lot of work for her. She says she can do the water changes but shes a little scared of the fact that shes in charge of over 200 bucks worth of fish lol and I'm a little strapped on cash since I'm currently unemployed so my friend has to manage the water changes by the bucket method.

[ericatdallas]

She doesn't need to fill the buckets full :)

Also, is there a window near the tank? She can always siphon water out the window which will help with removing water.

[mmorris]

I think they would be fine for a couple of weeks if she did 50% every three or even four days. A python would be nice but they aren't cheap. Do you have a long syphon hose to drain, like Eric suggested? A plain ole hose isn't cheap either, I'm afraid. A garden hose needs to be potable. You might be able to find an inexpensive automatic feeder on ebay. If you have a local fish club you might want to contact them and see if one of their members has one they can sell cheaply. Fish clubs are an amazing resource.

[Zoom]

She doesn't need to fill the buckets full :)

Also, is there a window near the tank? She can always siphon water out the window which will help with removing water.

Unfortunately, the tank is in the middle of my house, far away from any window and I don't have a long siphoning tube.


I think they would be fine for a couple of weeks if she did 50% every three or even four days. A python would be nice but they aren't cheap. Do you have a long syphon hose to drain, like Eric suggested? A plain ole hose isn't cheap either, I'm afraid. A garden hose needs to be potable. You might be able to find an inexpensive automatic feeder on ebay. If you have a local fish club you might want to contact them and see if one of their members has one they can sell cheaply. Fish clubs are an amazing resource.

I thought juvies needed daily or every other day water changes... What you're describing seems to be a regimen for adult discus, correct me if I'm wrong.

[Cambik]

I think they would be fine for a couple of weeks if she did 50% every three or even four days. A python would be nice but they aren't cheap. Do you have a long syphon hose to drain, like Eric suggested? A plain ole hose isn't cheap either, I'm afraid. A garden hose needs to be potable. You might be able to find an inexpensive automatic feeder on ebay. If you have a local fish club you might want to contact them and see if one of their members has one they can sell cheaply. Fish clubs are an amazing resource.

I believe what she is saying that temporarily you can go to 50% every 3 or 4 days while you are out of town. You are correct that juvies should get more water changes to promote better growth and health. Once you are back in town you can then resume the water changes Daily along with a few extra feedings to try and get them back on track.

[Disgirl]

How about putting your discus into something like a large rubbermaid plastic container, that holds lots of water. Set it up with your filter, heater, and near a window or door where she can siphon water outside easily, as long as the water container of fish is a few feet above ground level so the siphon will work.
Barb

[ericatdallas]

How about putting your discus into something like a large rubbermaid plastic container, that holds lots of water. Set it up with your filter, heater, and near a window or door where she can siphon water outside easily, as long as the water container of fish is a few feet above ground level so the siphon will work.
Barb

That's a great idea... or a large water cooler (which you'll have to wash vigorously after this to use again). Your friend can use the spigot at the bottom to empty the cooler too without using a siphon. Put it right over the kitchen sink, drain, and viola. Then return water via tap (or aged water, or however you do it).

[Melissa]

Make sure no matter what you chose to do, warn whoever you have to take care of them while you're gone not to overfeed them... That can greatly impact water quality very quickly...

Is there any way to just move the tank itself next to a window temporarily? It is soooo much easier draining a hose out a window :)

[Gillmann]

How about adding some extra filtration as well? Perhaps an extra sponge filter or a smaller power filter?