stunted? pic...

[shoveltrash]

this forum is making me *bonkers*
ha ha ha ha ha

are my fish stunted? <obsessively worrying>
(approx 4")
http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d83/shoveltrash/Bonnie%20and%20Clyde/000_0033-1.jpg
at least they are healthy, seemingly happy, and eat voraciously. I bought them from a LFS.......now I know better, ah well. but they have the COOLEST personalities, and eat from my hand every feeding!

but, I want to avoid future stunting! their diet is spirulina flakes, ON Prime Reef flakes, frozen BH (their favorite), Tetra color flakes. I got some freeze dried blackworms, they do NOT like them :(. feeding 4x a day, 50% WCs every other day w/gravel vac.

sorry, I don't mean to burden this wonderful forum with my worries!
I REALLY wish I had read more here prior to purchase, but I love my fishies nonetheless :)))

[Skip]

don't know..

do you know what day they were born?

[shoveltrash]

no earthly idea! :(
thank you so much for replying!!!

[Skip]

no earthly idea! :(
thank you so much for replying!!!

that is really how you know stunted or not.. you don't know if that fish as been approx 4" for 1 year.. ps.. after 4" they grow much more slower then first 4 months. .where they should get 1" per month for 4 months

[shoveltrash]

hat is really how you know stunted or not.. you don't know if that fish as been approx 4" for 1 yearah! makes sense. I suppose I should call the LFS (they have a manger who cares for their Discus stock), and ask him......'hope he'll remember me.
so, slow growth shouldn't be worrisome then?

[Skip]

unless LFS breed them. .they may not have good answer.. just feed them and wc.. and see what they look like in 6months.

[shoveltrash]

thanks.....cross fingers! :D
but like I said, I love them nonetheless.

[Dennis The Mennis]

I love the colors and patterns. What did they call them in the store?

[shoveltrash]

thanks - they called them "Pigeon Blood Discus," no age given.

[YSS]

My first discus was severely stunted. Didn't know much about caring and fed the fish twice a day in my 55G community tank. Then, I learned that a 1 year old discus should be pushing 6". Mine was less than 4". I started taking better care and the fish grew at least one more inch in the next 4 months. He became a much improved fish. So, with good care, even a stunted fish can do more growing.

As for the freeze dried blackworms, some of my fish took over a month to eat them, but all fish eventually did and they love the worms. They are supposed to be good for the fish, so I would continue to try to get your fish to eat the worms. Good luck with your fish! I think they look pretty good.

[fishcrazed]

the body shape makes it looks like they are but im not 100% certain it could simple the pic. like others said see if they will grow in the next couple of months

[shoveltrash]

I agree, the body shape has me wondering, which is why I originally asked.


I started taking better care and the fish grew at least one more inch in the next 4 months. He became a much improved fish. So, with good care, even a stunted fish can do more growing.thank you so much for sharing this :). so I can HOPE that things will turn out ok. but you know, even if they stay rather small I'll still be happy with them.
and YIPPEE I got my fish to eat the FDBW today from my hand!!!! thank you Al ;) (prior to his BW, they wouldn't touch 'em)

[nc0gnet0]

They don't look severly stunted, perhaps just a wee bit.....hard to tell. They do look like they may be a bit on the thin side, but their coloration and pattern is making it hard for me to gauge thickness. Do you have any head on shots? You would be much better off it you got rid of the gravel and upped the water changes a bit. How long have you had them? They do show some potential, very clean for LFS pigeons.

Rick

[shoveltrash]

thank you Rick!
head on they are thinner in the forehead ('pinched' I think the term is?). I feed them small amounts typically 4-6x a day.

since the original post I've gotten rid of 85% of the gravel, and am considering removing it all, but to avoid peppering I really wanted a light colored bottom......the 2 fish have just a touch on the noses. so I should up the WCs from 50% every other day??? I REALLY need a better system for this - lugging buckets is tiresome sometimes, esp after I've done all my barn work! LOL (I have 4 horses)

even if they don't grow much, they're still pretty in my eyes! thanks for taking the time to post :D

[LizStreithorst]

They look remarkably good for LFS Discus. It could be that they look oval rather than round because they're not holding their fins up in the photo. The eye to body ratio woudl be good for anything other than PBs. PBs typically have the smallest eyes of all the strains. If they're behind I don't think it's by much. If you dump the gravel you will be able to feed more and siphon out the excess. I'd like to see them with full round tummies rather than concave in that area.

[TNT77]

http://www.jehmco.com/html/safety_siphon_aquarium_drain.html
You can try this for frequent water changes. Pretty cost efficient. And just use the return hose from the sink to refill.

[TNT77]

since the original post I've gotten rid of 85% of the gravel, and am considering removing it all, but to avoid peppering I really wanted a light colored bottom......the 2 fish have just a touch on the noses.
If you feel like you really want substrate you should try pool filter sand. It's very cheap @ $3-$4 per 50lb bag and its very light in color. I use it with my pigeons. I found that most of the food you put in the tank settles in between gravel, even the fine stuff. With sand food hits the top and they can eat it at any time.

[shoveltrash]

oh cool! thanks so much TNT77 for the link & info :D - help w/WC is HUGE. something I've been researching but been overwhelmed with info.
I think I'll remove the gravel tomorrow with my water change..... ;). and source some pool filter sand too, because I hadn't really thought about this:
I found that most of the food you put in the tank settles in between gravel, even the fine stuff. With sand food hits the top and they can eat it at any time.





If they're behind I don't think it's by much. If you dump the gravel you will be able to feed more and siphon out the excess. I'd like to see them with full round tummies rather than concave in that area.<nods head> more food, more siphoning, more WC......and actually, looking at them today they are 'thicker' thru the body than when I first got them.

I really appreciate this feedback folks!!!!

[chiligum]

I have to agree with a previous comment that if they are from a LFS, they are pretty good by a lot of LFS standards!...I would like to see another picture of them with the fins stretched so you can see the shape properly but as you say, if they are eating and are happy, then you should be too, nice Fish!

[shoveltrash]

newer pic, 'fins up' (sorry for the poor quality, photographing fish is hard!)
http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d83/shoveltrash/Bonnie%20and%20Clyde/100_2153.jpg
they aren't the wonderful ROUND shape I see on this forum of really *nice* Discus, but I guess they aren't too bad???

[gerrard00]

I wouldn't get too bummed. Keep up the waterchanges and feeding and you might be surprised at how well your fish turn out. You may not get show champions, but you may get beautiful fish that you'll enjoy. Here's a pic of one of the fish from my first batch, unfortunately not SD sponsor level stock:

70773

[chiligum]

Agreed, they aren't going to win any 1st prizes for the worlds roundest Fish but i'm still sticking with my 1st thought...They are still nice Fish and i would have them in my tank any day mate!

[Skip]

I wouldn't get too bummed. Keep up the waterchanges and feeding and you might be surprised at how well your fish turn out. You may not get show champions, but you may get beautiful fish that you'll enjoy. Here's a pic of one of the fish from my first batch, unfortunately not SD sponsor level stock:

70773

i was going to sell off some F1's that i was getting impatient with their growth..

BUT if you are showing the same fish.. i will wait on the development of mine for another 3 months! :)

thanks

[shoveltrash]

:D
gerard00 - that's "before & after"????? are you SERIOUS? WOW WOW WOW. huh.
so that begs the question, what did you FEED Jack? :p

thanks guy, I do love my fishies....and have *hope* they'll grow up some!

[gerrard00]

i was going to sell off some F1's that i was getting impatient with their growth..

BUT if you are showing the same fish.. i will wait on the development of mine for another 3 months! :)

thanks

Yep, same fish. We call her Jackie, but she was originally "Pepper Jack" as a wink to her peppering. Then she laid eggs ;).




:D
gerard00 - that's "before & after"????? are you SERIOUS? WOW WOW WOW. huh.
so that begs the question, what did you FEED Jack? :p

thanks guy, I do love my fishies....and have *hope* they'll grow up some!

I feed beefheart mix (before waterchanges), Ocean Nutrition Prime Reef flake, Tetra Colorbits, random flakes from Angel Plus and Hikari Frozen Bloodworm as an occasional treat. I originally did 30% wcs 3 times a week and fed them three times a day. After a few months, I switched to daily 50% changes and six feedings a day and they immediately took off in appetite and size. I'm back to 3x50% changes and two daily feedings now that they are a bit older.

[shoveltrash]

so our feeding regimens are similar, only I feed fdblack worms.....and no bloodworms. perhaps I should get some BW? seems WCs are crucial, time 4 me to 'up' them. typically I do 50-75% every other day. gotta make time for more 'dailys'.

really, the change in "Jackie" ;) is INCREDIBLE!!!!! you should post this in a separate thread, as it's own topic! it is VERY inspiring, and might serve to educate others who might otherwise 'give up' and cull.

[fishcrazed]

with the fins up it does appear to be more stunted but go ahead and step up the water change it surely cant hurt =] be hopeful it doesnt look as bad as some i have seem/owned.

[gerrard00]

so our feeding regimens are similar, only I feed fdblack worms.....and no bloodworms. perhaps I should get some BW? seems WCs are crucial, time 4 me to 'up' them. typically I do 50-75% every other day. gotta make time for more 'dailys'.

really, the change in "Jackie" ;) is INCREDIBLE!!!!! you should post this in a separate thread, as it's own topic! it is VERY inspiring, and might serve to educate others who might otherwise 'give up' and cull.

Oops! Mal's FDBW are actually my staple food now-a-days. It's my main source of protein on days when I don't do waterchanges. I can't believe I forgot that. FBW is a once a week or every other week treat for them.

I actually posted a thread about four months ago:

http://forum.simplydiscus.com/showthread.php?90538-My-first-year-of-discus-in-photos

[shoveltrash]

I read here a lot, how dismissive some people are of 'imperfect' Discus. just because a fish starts off a but stunted, well, I guess I'm a softy <sniff>. I would not cull my fish for aesthetic reasons, I just want to be better educated.
perhaps, just maybe, I'll be able to show a vid like yours in a year! :D

(and yes, I do want another tank eventually, of *fancy* kick-@ss Discus......from an SD sponsor of course)