UK Discus Association

Fortnight Of Fun

Tue, 19 Aug 2008 13:45:57 -0500

The last Sunday in September signifies the start of the official fortnight of fun.

The celebrations kick of we a pre Germany Discus Meet at Chen's Discus, Followed on by Duisburg, the setting up of the UK Championships, the festival of fishkeeping, our AGM, Judging Sessions, Celebratory drinks and so much more.

If anyone would like to come and join in the fun - we kick off at Chens at midday Sunday the 28th September.

Newbie Looking To Startup

Tue, 19 Aug 2008 06:11:10 -0500

Hi,

I am a newbie to the forum and to discus fish.

I had an aquarium some years a go and just bought myself another one.
Although from reading the posts my previous aquarium was considerably less maintenance.

Anyway I would like to keep discus this time and would be greatful for some help.

Hi I've got a 36 X 15 X 12 tank, a fluval 4 internal filter, heater, lights, hood, air pump.

Tank- Is this big enough for 6-8 2.5-3" discus. If I can keep these successfully I would upgrade when their size became an issue.
Is a bare bottom tank the best idea in terms of cleanliness.

Fluval 4 internal filter - This produces quite a flow so I would combine it with a spray bar to keep water flow at a minimum.
Should I also use a sponge filter running off my air pump for extra filtration.
Is any of this an acceptable filtration solution for discus?

Plants/decor - keep to a minimum?

Water changes - 25% every week?

Other fish - Im looking to mature the tank before adding discus. What are acceptable companion fish I can start off with? How long should I wait before adding discus, Ive seen some people say 6-8 weeks to mature the tank and others upto 9 months!

I live in scotland so water hardness should not be a problem.

When and if I decide to put discus in has anyone any suggestions about where to source fish?

Thanks for listening.

7th International Discus Championships 2008

Tue, 19 Aug 2008 02:34:49 -0500

Hi Folks

During the first week of October I will be driving over to the 7th International Discus Championships 2008 in Duisburg Germany.

A few of use will be meeting up with Walter, Fons and the Guys from Discus Page Holland (One of the greatest discus forums and database on discus ever produced).

I know some of you are flying and some are driving but if anyone wants a lift please pm me. As I am judging I will be there for the whole week and I appreciate that this may be a problem for some.

Most that go will be staying at the Mercure Hotel Duisburg.

There should be nearly 350 tanks of terrific discus and there will def be some great bargains to pick up.

Walter has the official info up at: http://www.discusnews.com/duisburg08/

Ammonia!

Sun, 17 Aug 2008 04:31:56 -0500

I have just tested my water a week after getting my Discus. There is a slight amount of Ammonia present! I instantly changed 10% of the water and tested again. There is still a bit there.

I have only fed them beefheart a few times as they wouldn't eat for a week!?

The tank has been running for 3 months with 4 black mollies and 20 neon tetras. Its 240L

Ph is neutral

(p.s. filters are the internal Juwel one and external Tetra 1200)

New Discus

Sat, 16 Aug 2008 12:44:05 -0500

I only got my Discus a week ago, they will fight over Beef heart mix but totaly ignore the Tetra Prima?

Should i stick them out with the pellet or just try and get some food in them??

Its just good to finaly see them eat!!! lol

Many thanks, steve.

Help With Tank Size Please

Sat, 16 Aug 2008 09:13:45 -0500

Hiya

I need some help regarding my tank and its size, currently my 3 x 3" Discus are in my 3ft tank (36" L x 15" H x 12" W), I'm now looking to get a tank which is higher and deeper for them as they grow.

I can't go any longer than 36" as that the only room in the alcove, so I can only go higher and deeper. Have you any idea what size height and depth I should look for?

One problem I do have is that the unit I've got is only 12" depth, now I've been told to get MDF the same length and depth as the new tank and screw it to the unit top and have a piece at the same size screwed to the bottom of the unit too. What do you reckon, is this a good idea?

Also has anyone fairly local to Manchester got just a tank for sale that is higher and deeper than the one I have?

Thanks for any help I receive.

PS Dougall, nice article in the PFK mag, its great. *thumbs up*

Filter Media Especially Poly Wool

Sat, 16 Aug 2008 02:59:34 -0500

Hi can anyone help me with this query.

I�ve got a Trigon 190 with the following fish
5 Discus 3 ��
50 Neon Tetras
1 Male Siamese Fighter
1 Female Siamese Fighter
4 Corry�s
3 Bristle Nose

Up to now I�ve been using the filter which came with the tank, but I�ve just bought a new external filter with built in UV made by Aquael the Unimax 250 Plus UV.
The new filter comes with the following filter media
3 Layers of Filter Sponge
Basket of Carbon chips
Layer of Sponge
Basket of Zeolite
Layer of Sponge
Basket of Bio Balls

Then the water passes through the UV chamber and back to the tank.

There is no chamber for any filter wool.
My question is filter wool not needed in these new type of filters. I always thought that filter wool polished the water by removing the very fine particles.
I�m after the perfect crystal clear water, would it be advisable to make some room in one of the baskets and put some filter wool in.
Any suggestions thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

Regards Farin

Thanks To The Moderators

Fri, 15 Aug 2008 04:49:53 -0500

I would like to thank the moderators for the wonderful work they have done over thet last few years. We feel that we are now at a stage where all of us post within the guidleines and rules.

Those that were moderators now are involved in much more (and many more) important tasks than simply being post police.

We have the Club Ccommittee, the developers goup, and so on.

Of course I will keep an eye out for spam, flames and all the usual stuff, but this will be down to the admins of the site.

I would like to say a special thanks to Mick Minns for taking on the Discus health Section as Developer and also to Jeff Cannons for taking on the planted tank section.

We are happy to consider any other developers at this time - so if you have a section where you feel you would be able to help out, drive forward or you just have a keen interest please let me know.

I would also like to welcome Neale on the the Book Review Group

If I have missed anyone off please email me and I will correct it here for you.

Message For Mick Minns

Mon, 11 Aug 2008 11:30:36 -0500

I have been told to say a big hello to you from a nice young lady i met in taunton on friday, she said you should remember her Allie smith from guilford, all the best mike.

The Difference A Few Years Make

Sun, 10 Aug 2008 11:52:40 -0500

I first started keeping discus around 1998, I had a lot of enthusiasm and was typically, for me, ignorant of the complexities involved. Although I did have some success after a few fraught months, I had to stop due to other commitments a few years later.

However, coming back now, a further 6 or so years on (possibly a bit longer in fact) the amount of information available is truly staggering. There seems to be endless pages of information and experts on call everywhere, I remember I had to make do with a Guy on PFK who although was very good, didn�t really have time for me, I think at the time I was battling with hole in the head with one of my pigeons. The difference a few years make is immense!

Coupled to that, the amount, variance and quality of fish available nowadays is truly staggering. I bought my first fish from a supplier in the midlands and it was about the only decent place I could find, I think the place was in Leicester, but could have been Coventry? I remember their discus room was in the basement. Other than that there were random efforts in local suppliers, which incidentally were always sick and dying fish.

It'd be interesting to hear other's views on this.

Fish Tanks! Aaaaaaaaarghhh

Thu, 07 Aug 2008 16:41:17 -0500

After a WC, filling the tank, the sodding thing over flowed. I fill straight from my HMA filter to the tank with a ball cock float valve type thing. It didn't fail, it floated off. It's not done that before, it made my tank over flow. Don't know how much water escaped, but escape it did. If you don't know ther is a gap between the tank base and the stand, the sides of the tank support the weight - floating base I think it's called. Lotsof water got under here and dripped out slowly, only the slow dripping got faster and scared the living [email="s@!�e"]s@!�e[/email] out of me and the missus, so the fish where bucketed, tank drained, stripped down, removed to the garden, old silicone cut away, drying out so I can reseal when I get back from France on the 22nd. Now here is the thing, as the tank stand is melamine chipboard composite throw water at me and I'll go all weird on you stuff, thats what it looks like anyway, the stuff IKEA make wardrobes out of. It is blown in the front corner on the right. I don't trust it to hold 88 gallons (400ltr) of water and a bit of substrate. So, who has one? In black.

Using Hma Treated Water

Tue, 05 Aug 2008 03:12:47 -0500

Hiya

Well at last we've got the HMA connected to the mains and it up and running, and wow does it taste different.

What I wanted to know was would the fish notice much difference with it, I know it doesn't make it pure like RO and it doesn't change pH/GH/KH at all. I'm just concerned as the fish have been used to water with the heavy metals in, are they likely to react to the cleaner water?

Also how often should I be doing water changes with it?

Thanks a lot.

Discus And Tank Setup ? Carbon

Mon, 04 Aug 2008 05:54:48 -0500

Would you advise using carbon in an external filter for discus also is there a particular substrate for the filter
I run two external filters in my RIO 180 heavily planted
current stats
NH4 0
NO2 0
KH 6
GH 7
pH 7
using a mix of tap an Ro
the Eheim Pro 3e and the Eheim 2213
Would you also recommend a UV filter seem to have mixed views regarding this
My water RO is ph 6.5 KH0 GH0
my Tap water is PH 7.5 GH 16 KH 18
I can also use soft water that has been through salt but thought this was a bad idea
Sorry for all the questions

Hma Filter

Sun, 03 Aug 2008 14:38:38 -0500

Hi all

I currently use an RO unit for water changes but have been looking into getting a HMA filter system instead.
What i could do with advice on is the following.
Do you waste any water when using a HMA filter like you do when using an RO unit.
Also do you have to add anything to water that has gone through a HMA unit like you do with RO or can you just use it as it is.
I am thinking of getting a HMA unit that removes Chloramine any advice would be very gratefully recieved.

Regards
Andy

New Site Updates

Thu, 31 Jul 2008 19:27:30 -0500

Hi Folks

Its 1.25 here and cant sleep so after sorting out many technical hitches I am now deleting the old UK Discus Site and installing the new.

This should be open tomorrow for perusal.

Same Old Question

Wed, 30 Jul 2008 13:03:51 -0500

I am considering discus as a fish I'd like to keep. I have a 8 planted tanks, apistogramma's cory's, plec's, laetacara's etc, all soft water species, I have very soft low pH water

I have got a spare Juwel Rio 180(with some stocking), now my questions;

1. Is that big enough? I am upgrading to a Rio 400 next year on one of my other tanks, just not yet.
2. What extra filtration would be required as well as the juwel internal. I have a fluval 405 i can stick on
3. My stocking in the tank consists of, Galaxy Rasbora, Corys, Kribs, Lemon Tetra, Oto's, would these be ok with Discus?
4. What is the best discus size to buy?
5. Anyone recommend somewhere in Derbyshire to buy them?
6. I will be using declorinated tap water pH 6.6 and kH 1, gH 6 OK?

Any other advice gratefully recieved

Cheers,
JOHNNY

Help And Advice Needed Please...

Wed, 30 Jul 2008 12:30:03 -0500

Hi all

I'm a new member,I put an introduction on the forum but did'nt get much response....

I'm looking for a lot of help and advice....

At the minute I'm keeping a reef tank,but with the every increasing energy costs,I'm looking to changing to the stunning discus....

My set up is a 4x2x2 with a 4ft sump,I'm looking for advice on filtration in the sump,can anyone give me some ideas on this please?...

Do you run rowaphos reactors in your set ups to keep your phosphates down or is this done threw doing regular water changes?...

When preparing water changes how do you get the PH correct on the new water to match the tank water?...

Can you keep plants without using CO2,if so can anyone advise,as I would love to have a planted tank full of quality discus?...

Can anyone give me an pointers to buying quality stock,also where to buy quality stock ?...

How many Discus could I keep in a 135 gallon tank?...

Many many thanks Jamie....

Happy Birthday Mick Minns

Sun, 27 Jul 2008 03:21:31 -0500

Just like too wish my old mucker Mick Minns a very Happy Birthday today 49 mmmmmmmmmmmmm
Can I see your birth certificate please Mr !!!!!!!!!
Hope she who must be obeyed is tending too your every need mate !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

we both have a landmark birthday next year then !!!!!
Me 21(40) you 50 partys all round then !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Have a good day mate !!!!!!!!!!!

Lucky Escape

Fri, 25 Jul 2008 12:39:22 -0500

just about to feed my fish and noticed that the base of the wooden cabinet was wet,so opened the cupboard where the external pump is and the pump has leaked water all inside the cupboard,mopped up the water and turned pump off,but the cabinet has swollen at the bottom,and also on the upright supports where they join to the base.
its a chipboard and laminate construction built cabinet that came with the tank,i also had a sponge filter running in the tank at the same time so ill use that untill i get a new filter,not going to use an external again that leak has put me off,if i had not of noticed it when i did could of had nearly 50 gallons all over my floor ans as i live in a flat the pensioners underneath could have had some seriuos water damage to there property.so what internal filter would anyone recommend and should i replace the stand or will it be ok once it had dried out.it just aint been my week one bad thing after another
mister-t

Its All Gone Quite...

Thu, 24 Jul 2008 07:40:13 -0500

Hi All,

The forum has been a bit quiet recently.

Lets see what everyone has been upto ? Lets hear about your projects , update on your fish and tanks , news on breeding, been on holiday ?

Lets hear from everyone about everything.

Its all about putting the life back into this thing and bashing those keyboards !

As for me, I have been busy with my discus tank. The fish I picked up from Golan (Untitled) have now come out of quarantine and have been added to the main tank. They have settled in well and are all eating. Pictures soon , I know I keep promising but this time round I am on it !

Waqar

Another Hma Question!

Wed, 23 Jul 2008 12:27:21 -0500

hi all
great site here by the way!!
Been keeping discus ... well 3 for several 5 months now (we're bulinding up slowly)
My tap water is soft, so no need for RO. The pH 7.4ish so suitable for discus too.
Just decided to invest in a HMA filter to help with my water changes. As i understood it HMA water should take all the nasties out of tap water e.g cholirine and metals etc, but not alter the pH.
However, the HMA filter is producing water at pH8.5, even after running through 70plus gallons. Why is this happening??? what should I do?? i don't want to put it in the tank as it may mess up the existing balance in my tank.
Any ideas would be greatly appreciated? has anyone else had this problem??

cheers

Happy Birthday Sye, Andy & Miller

Mon, 21 Jul 2008 16:39:45 -0500

Hope you all had a great day

I Have Hma Filter And Water Questions

Mon, 21 Jul 2008 13:39:01 -0500

Hi

I need some advice about the HMA filter that I've just bought, what I want to know is:-

1. Is it better to be outside, connected to the outside tap?

2. If it is better outside can it be put straight into a water butt then used until the butt is empty, or would the water in the butt need aeriating until empty?

3. Or is it better to be put under the sink area and connected into the water supply either by a "Y" connector or straight into the water pipe?

4. Do you need to run any water off to waste before you start to use it?

5. Is it okay for drinking (my son hates the taste of our tap water), for example filling the kettle for a brew, filling water bottles, filling a jug in the fridge?

6. Where is the cheapest place to get new filters (the unit has already come with a 5 micron filter, carbon block and chlorplus filters plus an extra 5 micron filter and carbon block)?

7. Am I okay still using Prime in the water changes as there is other benefits to Prime than just a dechlorinator?

8. Is it a good idea to put a little tap on the end of the out pipe in case of leaks?

Thanks in advance for any help and advice regarding the above.

Is Beefheart Mix A Complete Balanced Diet?

Sun, 20 Jul 2008 12:56:03 -0500

I got some Beefheart mix from Mark Evenden at Devotedly Discus and since they've been eating it they've gone off most other foods. Don't get me wrong, they look great and seem in tip-top health I just wondered, is a good quality Beefheart mix all the Discus need for growth and good health or do I need to make sure they're eating something else in their diet?

Confusing Water Test Results

Sun, 20 Jul 2008 11:59:01 -0500

i have just conducted a water test on 4 different sources of water very confused by the results,i have not tested for gh as i have no test solution left and all tests where carried out using the nutafin test kit
ok test 1 was carried out on my 36 gallon bow front,occupants are as follows 4 clown loach.decor is gravel and slate caves,filter is a fluval3 internal
ph5 nitrate20 amonia0 nitrite0.1 kh60.all water is from tap and add aquasafe dechlorinater

test 2 was carried out on my 50 gallon tank,occupants 4 discus,completely bare tank,filter is a aquapro 2-sp external.ph7 nitrate5 amonia0 nitrite0 kh80,all water is filtered through an hma filter

test 3 is from tap ph7 nitrate5 amonia0 nitrite0 kh60

test 4 is from hma filter ph7 nitrate10 amonia0 nitrate0.1 kh7

all tests where carried out before a water change,i seem to be getting very conflicting test results from different sources of tested water,can anyone explain the reason this

thanks for any advice

Im A Bit Confused

Sun, 20 Jul 2008 11:17:55 -0500

Do Females lay eggs without the presence or interest of a male?

I ask as I have 2 discus that I've had for about 3 weeks and 1 of them started laying eggs an hour or so ago but the other one isn't interested.

Right Then.

Sun, 20 Jul 2008 11:05:27 -0500

So the show is comming up, I can get a flight down to Southampton. Is anyone passing that way or lives nearby that could pick me up form the airport? Or is there a Train or summat? Just testing the water, I haven't booked a flight yet.

Aqualife 450 Arrived

Sat, 19 Jul 2008 04:46:06 -0500

Just about to set up my new discus setup - its an aqualife 450, it will have minimal live plants
and bogwood etc.., Fish will be Discus and corries!!

Large Forum Meeting Of The Discus Scene- Diskusportal.de And Diskusfor

Thu, 17 Jul 2008 04:38:55 -0500

Diskusportal.de and Diskusforum.com are holding a joint Discus meeting in the Mercure Hotel Duisburg City.

The two largest german online discussion sites about the �King of the Aquarium Fish�Diskusportal.de and Diskusforum.com, invite you to a joint discussion during the 7th. International Discus Show.

The meeting is being arranged by the moderators of the above discussion groups.

The date of Oct. 04, 2008 and the location, Duisburg were chosen because of the concurrent 7th International Discus Show and the 11th Show Fish and Aquarium Show.

Participants can expect the largest Discus meeting in the German speaking region.
Numerous national and international experts on Discus have been invited along with all fans of the Discus fish.

From experienced breeders to hobbyists, everyone who attends will be able to gather tips and knowledge about the care and breeding of the �King of the Aquarium Fish�.
In addition to this the members of the online groups will have the chance to get to know each other face to face.

The occasion of the discus meeting will offer a perfect opportunity to learn more and exchange ideas about innovations in aquarium science.

For all discus fans, this will be the greatest highlight of the year. In addition to many interesting personal discussions with experts in the field, a excellent buffet and a raffle will complete the evening.

Cost of the buffet is 25 Euros

Registration can be done at www.diskustreffen.de. (please register early as the number of participants will be limited.

Date: October 4th 2008 starting at 7 pm
Location:
Mercure Hotel Duisburg City,
Landfermannstrasse 20,
D-47051 Duisburg

About Dikusportal.de

Diskusportal.de is the first online magazine on the topic of discus fish in the German speaking region. It offers, in addition to extensive information, the most active user group on the �King of the Show Fish�. The Discus portal is always up to date and heavily visited due to its high traffic forum.
Date of founding of the Diskusportal.de was October 11, 2001

Number of current members is 3904 ( as of 5/5/2008)

Contact:
Herr Cengiz Karabeyaz
Telefon: +49 (0)341 140 655 0

About Diskusforum.com
The "Diskussionsforum f�r Diskusliebhaber" is a well moderated and friendly discussion group for fans of the discus. Here, topic such as care, illnesses of discus fish and their treatment are discussed. A data bank with feedback reports on experience with other fish in common aquariums and addresses of dealers and breeders, completes the site. A calendar of events and large photo gallery keep the members up to date.

The Diskussionsforum f�r Diskusliebhaber was founded May 1, 2005.
The current membership is 1022 (as of 5/5/2008)

Contact:
Herr Patriz Hilsenbeck
info@ph-diskus.de

Artemia/ Brine Shrimp

Sun, 13 Jul 2008 15:05:30 -0500

Can anyone tell me how to keep them alive after 3-3.5 days?

I ask because I want to give my adults a treat. i want to grow them to 15mm or there abouts.

Have you grown them to that size? If so, can you give any helpfull hints?

Thanks in advance,

Mark

Ro Water Storage

Fri, 11 Jul 2008 13:09:27 -0500

Hi All

I am planning on storing some RO water in food safe cannisters overnight in my stone shed outside.
Would this be okay without doing anything else like running an airstone through it.
Also how long would it be safe to store the water like this before any problems may occurr.
Any advice would be great.

Regards
Andy

Beefheart Recipe

Thu, 10 Jul 2008 04:29:50 -0500

Just ordered a beefheart, i have one recipe from atlantis aquatics, but wondered if any of you have made up your own, or have you tried this one and can recommend it.

Cycled Tank

Mon, 07 Jul 2008 16:21:46 -0500

When can you tell that a cycled tank is ready for discus
sorry for asking such a basic question
Thanks

Juwell Vision 450 Or Rio 400 ... Ok For Discus?

Sun, 06 Jul 2008 16:29:09 -0500

Hi - my first post on here. Have kept trops for some time, and now considering a predominantly Discus set up. For various reasons I'm keen on either a Juwell Rio 400 or even better Vision 450. This comes complete with internal Jumbo filter.

So ... will this be ok for Discus? What sort of substrate should I go for? And I'm not keen on fitting up some complicated RO system in the house. On the other hand, I'm more than happy to add an external filter and indeed expect to need to. Perhaps an Eheim using peat?

Any thoughts would be much appreciated.

Water Composition

Fri, 04 Jul 2008 07:41:14 -0500

Hi,

Just recently joined the forum. I am in the planning stage of a discus setup. I had to pack in marines (senior citizen), so the power companies won! I did attempt to keep discus some 20odd years ago, but didnt know enough (no instant info on the web, like there is now!.
To one of many questions, well two really:

I have tested a mix of 50%/50% RO and tapwater which came out with a PH of 7, if i used a 75%RO/25% tapwater, and "if" this resulted in a PH of just under 7, would this have the necessary minerals etc to keep discus in?

Do you guys/gals use a chemical means of achieving the required PH?

Appreciate any information shared

regards Brian

Looking For A Book

Fri, 04 Jul 2008 04:29:52 -0500

Can anyone recommend a good book, i want one on different discus, their origins, colourings and markings etc.

A Quick Question

Thu, 03 Jul 2008 07:04:11 -0500

Do Bristlenose eat brown as well as green algae?

New Shop

Wed, 02 Jul 2008 15:04:25 -0500

Hi All

As you all know Essex Discus is moving to a high st shop, so at the moment we are now closing for about 6 weeks until the new place is open and up and running
my new place will be at the following address

Wild Water Aquatics
515 London Road
Westcliff On Sea
Essex
SS0 9LJ

We will be stocking the following fish ,Tropical,Marine,Inverts,Coldwater and lets not forget Discus and Reptiles, thier will also be a full online shop were you will find over a 1000 products from all top brands.

Mark

Quicky On Waterchange Temp!

Tue, 01 Jul 2008 12:35:27 -0500

Hello all, just a quicky. I am changing approx 10% water in my tank daily but have always been unsure as whether to pre heat it to the tanks temp, or put it in as it comes out of the hma filter.
Any thoughts/ advice wlecome.
Cheers
Chris

Stocking Level Query

Thu, 26 Jun 2008 15:22:47 -0500

Hi could anyone help please I am a bit confused with stocking levels . I understand the 10 gallon per discus stocking level, I am intending to buy a 69 gallon aqarium and understand I would be able to keep six or seven discus would I be able to stock any other fish as well as I'd love to have a large shoal of cardinals. Any help suggestions would be very gratefuly recieved. Thanks Mark.

Quick Question On Lighting

Mon, 23 Jun 2008 15:53:23 -0500

Just looking for some general feed back on how many hours a day people keep the lights on for their tank.

Not worried about watts per gallon or any of that stuff, just how long. 8, 10, 12 hours a day?

My Water Stats Are They Ok

Sun, 22 Jun 2008 14:05:27 -0500

first of all great site,not sure if this is the right place to post this,so sorry in advance if its in the wrong place
all my tests are done with the nutrafin liquid test kits,
ph=7 nitrate=5 nitrite=0 amonia=0 gh=140 kh=70,not sure if gh and kh are to high or low,would like an easier method of testing for those two.all my water is filtered through an hma filter and water temp is a constant 30c
thanks for any help
mister-t

Discus Fish Secrets By Rob Clarke

Sun, 22 Jun 2008 12:58:33 -0500

Has anyone bought this book by Rob Clarke in the States?

Any good?

Feeding Discus

Tue, 17 Jun 2008 02:25:31 -0500

Hi all,
I feed my discus 3 times a day on various foods, beefheart, tetra prima, flake and frozen bloodworm and daphnia. However they always appear hungry for more. How much should they be fed ?
On Sunday i purchased 15 medium cardinal tetra and by this morning i am down to one. My discus are attacking them, biting them in half ? Is this due to hunger or are they just not accepting new small tank mates. It is becoming expensive.
Interested in your comments.

Tank Size

Sun, 15 Jun 2008 11:23:38 -0500

Hi everyone,

Still getting everything together for Discus tank. Got a rio 180, but having seen it filled with wood, few plants, there does not appear much room for fish, about 5 I'm after.

So if I went for a 4' tank is it better to go for more depth or height?

Can't decide between rio 240 and 300, or rena 300. What do you think?

Thanks for your expert help,

Hoovering Your Bottom

Sat, 14 Jun 2008 15:00:25 -0500

Can I have peoples recommendations for the best way to clean a gravel/sand substrate. Commercial product or home made please?

Sorry for the title.

Mark's Fish House Journal

Sat, 14 Jun 2008 11:15:43 -0500

hi ya all

just thought i would do a post with start to finish of my new fish house, i have brought a 10 x 8 apex shed with tongue and grove and not over lap as i wanted the best possible. i put the shed up on Tuesday and then today i have put in 50mm polystyrene. i have on order so far 6 x 18x18x18 tanks drilled for my breeding tanks of which i pick up next week built by ND Aquatics. i will be putting in also 2 x 60x24x18 tanks and 6 x 48x18x18 tanks. i will post more pics and news as i go through with it. any question or great tips before i get to the next stage would be great.

mark

next stage is to polystyrene the roof and then over lay with ALUMINIUM FOIL BUBBLE WRAP INSULATION over all of the polystyrene.

Water Qaulity

Thu, 12 Jun 2008 06:13:12 -0500

Hi

I have read tons of stuff about water qaulity & i must admit i still dont fully understand.
As i am new & a complete novice i am trying to learn as much as i can.
I have just bought a RO unit & with my first water change my ph has changed from 7.5 to 7 with a 25% water change. So looking good so far i am aiming to get it to around 6 or 6.5.
I have just got a TDS meter & tested the water & it is reading 3.00 is this good or bad.
In other words what is the ideal reading & what should i do if it is too high & also what to do if it is too low.
Any advice would be appreciated.

Regards
Andy

Happy Birthday

Wed, 11 Jun 2008 15:08:04 -0500

Hi Kenny,

Is it correct you are a year nearer your bus pass today.

Have a good 'un.

Fluval 305 & Peat Media Advice Please

Tue, 10 Jun 2008 16:14:16 -0500

Sorry if this has already been covered in previous posts but can anyone offer advice on the following

I have a 240 litre tank, approx 4 x 1.5 x 1.25 feet, running a Fluval 305. It's fine gravel with a sandy area to a depth of about 2.5 inches with some Amazons and Anubis at the moment, although I plan to have a lot more plants (medium rather than heavily plamted). The tank's been running for 3 weeks now with 15 Cardinals and 4 Adolfi cats, all doing fine. I'm using HMA filtered water only. My tap water is @ PH8.2.

I'm not planning on putting any Discus in this tank until I get back from my hol's in a couple of months time which will give the tank plenty of time to fully cycle/mature.

In the meantime I'd like to reduce my PH to around 7.

Can anyone give me advice on the use of Peat media in the Fluval 305?

How much? How often to change it, etc?

I only need some ballpark figures because I've got plenty of time to tailor it before I get the discus.

Any feedback appreciated.

Seachem Prime

Mon, 09 Jun 2008 16:49:44 -0500

been reading quite a few posts on the forum about using prime so I invested in some last week ,a large bottle not realising how little is needed to be added to the tank.
I saw a difference this week already,fish are eating a lot better,they were greedy before but more so now lol
they seem to be colouring up better & just looking at the water the tank has that look about it if you know what I mean
well impressed ,would not use anything else now.

Pectoral Fins And Annals To Become Black

Mon, 09 Jun 2008 13:03:59 -0500

Hello again,

Another question .

When I bought my Stendker Solid Fire Red, they had both pectoral and anal fins transparent, now they are black ...

It must be something related with water or with food, Do you have a clue of what will be ?

Thanks,

Hello From A New Member

Fri, 06 Jun 2008 07:56:14 -0500

Hi all

My name is Andy & i am a new member from West Yorkshire.
I am a complete novice & only purchased an aquarium around 3 months ago.
After putting some various small types of fish in the tank i decided i wanted something a bit more special.
One day when i went to the local pet shop i saw a tank with some discus in i was amazed how colourful they were. I came home & studied a bit on the internet to find out a bit more about these great looking fish.
After finding out a bit of background i decided i had to have some & got 2 discus that where about 3 and a half months old. One is a blue diamond the other is a red melon i have had them for about 3 weeks now & spend hours staring into the tank watching them. They are doing well & seem very happy but i think i have got discus fever. I have discovered from reading various articles that discus are shoaling fish & should be kept in groups of 4 or more. The tank i have at the moment is a 44 gallon tank 100cm wide 65 cm tall & 45 cm in depth.
I have 7 Neon Tetra's 7 Harlequins 5 Black widow Tetras 2 corries 2 plecs 2 swordtails in the tank at the minute plus the 2 new discus. Would i be overcrowding the tank if i added 2 more discus.
Any ideas or advice would be of great help.

regards
Andy

Advice On Size Of Tanks For New Fish Room

Wed, 04 Jun 2008 13:11:57 -0500

hi ya all

I'm about to start building my new fish house and need some good advice on size of tanks going in, the fish house will be 10x8 and so far i have on order 6 x 18" cubes drilled and 2 x 5 foot x24x18 (360L) tanks drilled coming, what i would like to know is I'm thinking of getting 6 x 48x18x18 which holds (215L) each, could some one please give me advice on how many 2" to 3" fish i could keep in the 48" tanks and maybe also the 5 foot tanks. i want to make sure i have plenty of growing on room from the start.
as much advice needed please.

many thanks mark

Dilemma

Tue, 03 Jun 2008 12:40:48 -0500

Just been around to the LFS look at the Discus They have only got small ones about inch up to 3 which they want �45 for Yellow and white ones [Crystal Diamonds]2 inches �55 and red and white ones think there snake skins �75 2 inches Theres one that is actually 4 inches hiding in the back �80 The assistant measures the discus from bottom to top rather head to base of tail very worrying
The good thing is the LFS about ten min from the house and there water is the same as mine Ph 7.4 bad thing is rip off price and small fish i was aiming for 4 inches been as its my 1st discus tank
Never Tried Mail Order so this option worries me i know they Guarantee to arrive live but does that barely alive and not going last longer than a few days and you cant see the fish till they arrive but you do get better choice and good size fish for you Dosh
So i cant make my mind up which to go for and i was hoping for some advice from all you fishaholics
Thanks in advance

Great News - Granddaughter.

Mon, 02 Jun 2008 04:26:03 -0500

Hi Folks

Sorry I have been away for a bit.

My youngest daughter has just given birth to a baby girl at 8 1/2 lbs.

There were a few complications, but mother and daughter and doing fine now.

I am off to Poland tomorrow for their show and I will be back in 7-10 days with lots of photos and news from several visits and shows I have done over the last 2 months.

Look forward to meeting and greet freinds old and new.

D.

Discus Health

Sat, 31 May 2008 14:51:27 -0500

hi all,
im after a bit of advice, one of my discus has lost its colour it also has white spots on the base of its tail. Does anyone know what this is and what i could do about it. It is swiming and eating as normal, i have about 12 discus and all the others seem ok.

Ro Filter

Tue, 27 May 2008 14:09:29 -0500

Hi all,I have just bought an RO filter it was cheap because it came with no instruction manual. it has three pipes coming out of it. one is black which i think is the mains in. it has a green pipe and a red pipe does anyone know which one is which ?
The unit says: aquatic nature, taste and odor removal - is this a proper RO filter ?

Ich On Clown Loaches I Cannot Get Rid Of

Tue, 27 May 2008 08:49:48 -0500

hello everyone,
this isnt about discus but i hope someone can help. alongside my new proposed discus bio tope i have a 3 foot community tank and in it amongst other things are two young clown loaches. immediately after bringing them home i realised that they had whitespot. No suprise i thought they are notorious for it.So, i raised the temp to 27c added a half dose of whitespot plus and waited a few days then added the second dose and waited for the protozoan cycle to end. Guess what.... still there! i have redosed these fish 3 times now and kept the temp at 27, they are still ok and look very happy. It was definately ich as it spread to two of my 3 spot gouramis but they are cured. Also the whitespots on the loaches have been dissapearing and reappearing in different places. They are really only visible on fins now where as before you could see them on the body. Can anyone explain this? thank you.

AL

Indian Almond Leaves

Tue, 27 May 2008 07:25:52 -0500

Hello,

What do you think about the use of these leaves in Discus aquariums ?

QUOTE

Scientific Name: Terminalia Catappa Leaves
Common Name: Indian Almond Leaves, Tropical Almond Leaves, Sweet Almond Leaves, Wild Almond Leaves, Sea Almond Leaves, Catappa Leaves, Java Almond Leaves, Ketapang Leaves.

Indian almond leaves have been widely used by Asian breeders of tropical fish (Arowana, betta, discus etc) to stimulate breeding and promote health and vitality in tropical fish. Other beneficial use of Indian almond leaves include:
Simulate black water condition which is the natural environment for the tropical fish.
Enhance fertility of fishes
Contain humic acids and tannins which have anti-bacterial & anti-fungal properties.
Contains chemical that will bind with ammonia in the water.
Contains calcium needed to activate the muscles and to develop strong bones, teeth and scales.
Enhances the natural color of the fish
Lowers the pH of the water and absorbs harmful chemicals.
Adds essential trace elements to the water.

Recommended for all fresh water fishes kept in small containers without filters, specially during transportation.

Dosage: Put one leaf in a 10 - 15 gallon tank. Discard the leaf after 1 week and replace with a new leaf.

Discus Spawning!

Mon, 26 May 2008 13:30:53 -0500

Hi everyone,
I have two turquoise discus amongst a group of 6 which have recently paired up (both about 5-6 inches long - fairly young?). Whilst doing a water change I noticed they were gaurding approximately 50 eggs. Sadly 2 days later they ate them. They've just started laying eggs again although I cant visibly see the male fertilising them - although he's going through the motions. Is this normal? Are they likely to be successful this time? If they are whats the best thing for me to do with the parents and the young? Their living with another 4 discus and 3 shoals of tetra will the young survive or should I move them to a nursery tank? Help!!!! Many thanks Phil

Hello From Canada! Need Your Help!

Sat, 24 May 2008 18:45:06 -0500

Hello Everybody!

Nice to meet you all! It is very nice place you have here. I am writing this post to ask you for some help.

I know you all love exotic fish and everything related to their life. My friend Jennifer loves it too. She also loves wild dolphins and she has a lot of passion for our friends from the ocean. She even made small video and entered Microsoft�s �Share Your Passion� Contest. Now she is one of 25 finalists.

Please have a look at her video and if you like it (and I am sure you will), please, vote for her and ask your friends to vote too. Please, do it now! The contest is running till June 1st, 2008.

By the way, you can win some prizes if you vote.

Here is the link and her video title is
"My Passion for the Ocean, and Those Who Live There"

http://www.microsoft.com/canada/home/conte...on/default.aspx

(Cut and paste the link above to your browser)

Thanks a lot in advance.
Together we will make our planet a better place for people and for animals.

Starting Out

Thu, 22 May 2008 04:24:05 -0500

Hi i introduced myself earlier on the forum thought i would start asking a few questions to get going in the right direction.

I have a 240 litre tank, i filled it with water last night, a mixture of RO water and tap water about 60/40 ratio, the water where i live (Lincoln) is very hard, i understand about PH, its the water hardness i am struggling to get to grips with, ie what should the soft water reading be ideally and what is the soft water classified as ie gwh or something else, is there any other water parameters i have to consider? and finally could you recommend a good test kit.
I am in no hurry to stock fish i realise that i have to learn the basics of water chemistry first.

Thanks for your time and patience, any help would be appreiciated.

Thanks Mark.

Help

Wed, 21 May 2008 16:55:43 -0500

ive just noticed one of my corydora sterbai is missing an eyeball, it looks like it has been done recently as its still red where it was, the fish still looks fine, its swimming and eating ok, i wondered if there was anything i should look out for that may harm the other fish.

tia
mark

Pro-more Pro-growth

Wed, 21 May 2008 08:28:09 -0500

Hi,
I have been given free samples of pro-more and pro-growth but without any instruction as to what to do with it dose,how often and the like could someone please shed some light on the matter for me.

cheers
lee

Did I Get A Bargain?

Tue, 20 May 2008 08:46:08 -0500

i just bought this

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...N:IT&ih=016

bargain you think?

Newcomer Here Wanting The Go Ahead

Mon, 19 May 2008 17:50:11 -0500

hello there, I hope you dont mind a message out of the blue from a stranger but i'm new to this discus game and quite unsure of a few things.my name is al and i'm new to this forum. About 2 months ago i purchased a 240 litre tank and have cycled it with corys and bristlenoses. I have recently added a dozen rummy noses and soon to add a dozen cardinals. I live in cumbria which has very soft slightly acidic water and i have been gradually increasing the temp till it reaches 30. i have a generous amount of experience with tropical fish but never kept discus before. this tank is planted and has a substrate of pea gravel. i have heard discus can be messy eaters which is why i have an army of corys as a clean up crew. I intend to keep 6 discus in this tank along with the other fish and i have been thinking of getting them in at about 4 to 4 and a half inch. Does all this sound ok. I hope so.

Thank you for taking the time to read this i look forward to your replys. AL

I Need Re-assurance

Mon, 19 May 2008 11:34:23 -0500

hello everyone, my name is al and i'm new to this forum. About 2 months ago i purchased a 240 litre tank and have cycled it with corys and bristlenoses. I have recently added a dozen rummy noses and soon to add a dozen cardinals. I live in cumbria which has very soft slightly acidic water and i have been gradually increasing the temp till it reaches 30. i have a generous amount of experience with tropical fish but never kept discus before. this tank is planted and has a substrate of pea gravel. i have heard discus can be messy eaters which is why i have an army of corys as a clean up crew. I intend to keep 6 discus in this tank along with the other fish and i have been thinking of getting them in at about 4 to 4 and a half inch. Does all this sound ok to you well experienced discus heads. I hope so.

Thank you for taking the time to read this i look forward to your replys. AL.

Ph, To Change Or Not To Change?

Mon, 19 May 2008 09:26:40 -0500

Hi , just in the process of setting up a tank for some discus (4ftx1.5x1.5) I have had the tank up and running for about 5 weeks now, it appears to ba maturing well, with 17 cardinals and 7 corys. I'm almost ready to purchase the discus, but have a reservation about my pH before i do. My tank's pH7.85 is higher than ideal for discus, the other water parameters appear fine, ammonia 0, nitrite 0, nitrate <10ppm, the water is soft (<3 KH 35ppm KH/GH) I use a HMA to filter my tap water (which also gives a pH of 7.85, according to my digital pH meter).The LFS i plan to buy the fish from keeps their discus in pH6.5ish. What should i do??
Lower the pH with buffers?? (although this option doesn't seem popular reading other threads)
Use peat to filter?
Use Ro water to mix with the HMA to lower the pH?
Nothing... and let the discus adapt.
or any other bright ideas

Whatever i do opt for i understand the importance of maintaing constant water parameters. At this point in time i'm just looking to keep the discus happy and healthy rather than breeding them.

cheers
neil

Water Never Clear, Please Help

Mon, 19 May 2008 09:01:09 -0500

Hello, I have a problem with the water never being clear in my tank. It has never been 100% clear since day one, and recently it has been getting worse and worse... I assume I am having an algae bloom of some sort, and I assume this is in part due to the fairly high nitrate levels... but don't know what to do. The tank is in our office and I am a little embarrassed of how it must look to visitors.

The photo was taken one day after cleaning the tank, and it is pretty murky (greyish green water). I am at my whits end and I really want to fix this once and for all - whatever it takes. Please help!!
http://www.forum.ukdiscus.co.uk/post-a4396-tank.jpg

My setup:
- 340 gallon
- setup time: 9 months
- filter: Eheim Pro Wet / Dry Canister 2229
- media: Eheim Ehfisubstrat
- 2 Eheim heaters set to temp of 29 C
- white sand bottom with a large piece of wood and one medium size onion plant (Crinum calamistratum)

Test results:
- pH 7.5
- ammonia 0
- nitrite 0
- nitrate 30

Stock:
- 6 discus (about 10 cm each)
- 1 bristlenose pleco (about 12 cm)
- 9 cardinal tetras

My routine:
- cleaning: 50% waterchange and sand vac 1/week
- the past two weeks I have swithced to 25% waterchange 2/week - no change
- lightbar is on 10 hrs per day, the tanks is no where near a window in center of room

Thank you very much for any help!

New Tank For Beginner

Mon, 19 May 2008 06:32:38 -0500

Hi there,

I'm totally new to this but I've always been interested in purchasing a tropical fish aquarium for my lounge and now I can finally afford it I'm looking to get a big one.

I'm tied between the Juwel Vision 450, Rio 400 and the Rena 600 at the moment. Am I right in saying that bigger aquariums are sometimes easier to look after than smaller ones?

Thanks.

New Setup Questions

Sun, 18 May 2008 17:00:33 -0500

I`m about to setup a rena 450 5 x 2 x 2 approx Discus tank, I have kept discus previously
fairly succesfully i`d like to think, this time I want to incorporate some live plants but I must stress
I only want a few, I like to concentrate on the discus, any ideas on what substate i should go for
and how far I need to go in terms of altering the setup I am used to, to be able to accomodate some plants?

Scarlot Spotted Discus

Fri, 16 May 2008 17:07:47 -0500

Has any one got hold of any scarlott spotted as yet, only tried contacting john via phone but possibly may have wrong no. to contact him on

New Tank Set Up - Ro Or Rodi?

Fri, 16 May 2008 07:51:30 -0500

Hi,

I am going to take the jump and start keeping discus, I have 5/6 years experience of keeping tropical fish and my parents have also got a tank.

I used to have tiger oscars the last one reached a whopping 13" before departing so i have ok experience,

I am setting my tank up for discus, i have tested ph and it is sat at 6.3 is that too low?? I have adjusted my thermostat to 28 degrees is this correct? I have obtained plants which will survive in this temp. I should also say that my tank is 4ft and it runs with a tetra tec ex1200 external filter. I know that dicus don't like currents so i have angled spray bar towards back of aquarium and reduced flow to airstones.

There is a lot of talk of RO or RODI systems - the 1st question i have is do i need one? I live in the central belt of scotland and our water here is fairly soft 2 degrees whatever that means and 2) if i need one which one should i go for?

Also how many discus do you propose i get as i also want some corys to clean up and some tetra's for the finishing touch?

sorry to ask so many question, but any advice would be gratefully appreciated,

Many thanks

Andrew

Royal Discus St Helens, Merseyside

Thu, 15 May 2008 05:55:58 -0500

Does anyone know what has happened to Dominic & Dawn of Royal Discus , St Helens, Merseyside.?
Have Not been able to make contact.
Robmoor

Bens New Stendkers

Fri, 02 May 2008 07:14:00 -0500

"sunshine Pleco L014"

Wed, 30 Apr 2008 04:50:16 -0500

Hi Folks,
Just curious, does anyone keep a "Sunshine Pleco" with discus.
Ben.

Brown Hair Algae

Mon, 28 Apr 2008 06:04:39 -0500

Please Advise

What causes Brown hair algae

The Best Way

Sun, 27 Apr 2008 05:42:58 -0500

just lately i have set up a sump filter that is running 4 x 124x12x15 breeding tanks , the problem i have is that the ph level in the tanks are 7.9 to 8.1 . could some body please tellme the best way to lower the ph .i am useing a ro unit which then i re mineralise it with trace element salts .by the way the filter has been running for roughly 9 weeks and all the other parameters are fine thanx regaurds mark

Grey Tufty Algae?

Fri, 25 Apr 2008 12:05:24 -0500

H all,

Although every plant I try to grow seems to wither away and die, I am quite succesful at cultivating algae. Firstly it was the green stuff, but since reducing the length of time my lighting was on, all has been fine. Now I have noticed that clumps sooty grey tufted bits of plant growth have started to appear on bogwood. Is this some sort of algae? If so what am I doing wrong?

My water parameters are 30c temp, 0 ammonia, 0 nitrites, 5 nitrate, 7.5 ph, 4.48 Gh and 3.36 Kh. The only thing I didn't test is phosphate, but that's normally at acceptable levels.

Regards, Steve

First Ever Discus! Swimming On It's Side

Thu, 24 Apr 2008 10:26:04 -0500

Hi - I am new on the forum and hoping to get some help as I am new to the discus hobby also!

I have just got two new discus and while one seems to be ok, the other one is laying on its side in the corner on top of the water. Any ideas?

Aquarium: 450L, A - 0, N - 0, N <20, temp. 28C. Discus moved in yesterday - aquarium well settled (3years old).

Svetlana.

Joining The "wild Side"

Sun, 20 Apr 2008 09:48:26 -0500

On Wednesday i will become a member of the Wild side of keeping Discus.
I am buying a pair of Nahmunda Reds, and a Blue Heckel. They have been in a settled aquarium for several months with other Discus and are eating a whole range of different foods.
I do have the fish-house and i would really like to try and breed the pair, is there any special needs to these fish for breeding?? At the moment my PH is 6.4 in the breeding cubes, with a TDS of 80. Does anything need to be changed in order for these wonderfull fish to breed??

I will post pics when they settle down

Ph Levels On R O Water

Sat, 19 Apr 2008 12:58:14 -0500

after running off some ro water i checked the ph level and it was 8.1. could some one tell me why it is so high, the tds is 3 so i know the membrain is ok, is possable the the other cartrages need replacing?. i have used the r o unit from new roughly 4 months thanx
regaurds mark

Condensation On Ro/hma

Thu, 17 Apr 2008 11:15:14 -0500

hi all, has anyone got any good ideas to eliminate the condensation that accumulates on the hma/ro pipes and the units themselves in the fish room? my floor looks like a swimming pool lol. i think the incoming water would need warming or some sort of insulation on the pipes ? any ideas welcome.

Stocking The Tank

Wed, 16 Apr 2008 03:56:32 -0500

Right ,I am one stage further in the set up,have sorted out how to do my terracing, substrate on its way,plants in a couple of weeks,need to start thinking of the stocking.
Plan A is add 8 cories(haven't decided which yet-any advise welcome),leave these for 2 weeks,add some cardinals/rummynose tetras-leave for 2 weeks,repeat with the tetras so I have a decent shoal.My main concern now is how many discus when I introduce them.the tank is five foot & obviously I will be purchasing smaller discus initially but when they have reached full size was thinking maybe 8 in total-does this sound o.k.
Last question I dont want to go to am LFS for the discus ,anyone near Newark that deals with quality discus,bearing in mind my wife has expensive tastes as well so need to compromise

A Little Help Regarding A Heater...

Tue, 15 Apr 2008 21:19:09 -0500

Hi there, I had purchased a Juwel Rio 125 aquarium second hand.

But I'm having a bit of difficulty with the heater, the adjustment turns quite far around although there are no markings to say which temperature it's set at.

When the red light comes on it would stay on (not come off, then adjust it's self later)
Same with if i turned it so the light was off, it would stay off and not come on.

Trying to get the temperature correct but it's proving difficult

Anyone help at all by any chance?
In the terms of a guide or how many clicks clockwise / anti-clockwise is what temperature.

Thanks in advance, hope to get a possitive reply or I'll have to get rid of it and buy a fluval tronic like my other tank.

Kind Regards,
Stephen

*PS*
I've included a image from a eBay auction to what it looks like:

Ro Water, What To Add?

Mon, 14 Apr 2008 15:19:38 -0500

Hello everyone,
Still planning my rio 180 for some Discus. Few questions
1. I was looking at ro units today. Went to Maidenhead aquatics had a chat with head guy, he said ro unit takes ph down to about 6.2, but it can fluctuate, don't quite understand how, and if it does how do I keep it stable?

2. Also I want to use same water for my tropical tank, but ph too low. Man told me I would have to add minerals to BOTH discus water and tropical water, to put minerals back in. Is this correct?
3. He also said the minerals for tropicals would bring ph back up to what they need. Is that correct?

Thanks for your help,
Jackie

Sump Pump !

Mon, 14 Apr 2008 09:32:21 -0500

While I have my system stripped down ready for my new tanks too arrive I was thinking of upgrading my sump pump, I use a Blagdon one at the moment but its not very reliable and a bit noisy so I was thinking of one of these !!!!
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/EHEIM-COMPACT-3000-A...1QQcmdZViewItem

Are they along the same lines as the Hobby pumps Eheim do ?
Or does anybody use another kind that they could recomend ?

My new system will be around 150 gallons when finished so needs to be able too pump it round 5 tanks !!!!!

18" Cubes For Sale

Sat, 12 Apr 2008 12:38:40 -0500

Hi all

I came across this on ebay if anyone is interested

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/2x-Discus-Breeding-C...1QQcmdZViewItem

Wild Green T's For Free

Sat, 12 Apr 2008 04:09:25 -0500

HI all

About 3 weeks ago i saw a add in my local paper and it read something like this.

Free to good home two round tropical fish bought 2 days ago but no longer required due to moving aprox 3-4 inches round contact ************
buyer to collect.

of course tropical and round mean two things rays or Discus only two that came to my mind anyway so i rang the number two be greeted on the end of the phone by someone who said something like hello dick here and dick he was. Had no idea about these fish what so ever he got them from a mate of a mate etc anyway i went to look only to find two stunning wild greens i asked him if he was sure he didnt want anything for them bagged them and left with a huge smile on my face took them home put them in quarentine but now they are in my bringing on tank with some others in the collection including the 5 heclkles i got not so long back either cant wait for them to grow a bit so they can go in the big tank.

Anyway i have added some pics of them let me know what you think but remember i didnt pay a penny for them.

One Of The Great Posts In March

Thu, 10 Apr 2008 14:54:19 -0500

Hi Folks

There were many great posts in March, one of my favourites was the one by Mark1fan.

Congrats to Mark for his topic starter http://www.forum.ukdiscus.co.uk/Pictures-Tanks-t8787.html

If you have more candidtates for great post or great helper then just pm the link and I will take a look at those most popular ones submitted.

Dont forget you can rate many of the topics now too.

p.s. get your fish pics up, at marks post http://www.forum.ukdiscus.co.uk/Pictures-Tanks-t8787.html

Ph Pen Faulty ?

Wed, 09 Apr 2008 15:20:32 -0500

hi guys, i have just bought a ph pen, i have always used the liquid test kits before. now when i test my water straight from the ro the liquid test says ph 5, which im sure is correct and as i would expect. when i test it with the pen the pen is telling me it is ph 7 , which im sure is wrong. i have calibrated it with a 6.8 fluid and also with the 4.3 fluid that came with it. any ideas folks or have i bought a c--p pen. regards jim.

Feeding Time

Tue, 08 Apr 2008 15:42:12 -0500

I started feeding my discus Ocean Nutrition Discus Food...

I would like to know your opinion on this food as it is very expensive and will not try to invest for long on this (Admin: If you do not allow such 'adverts' please remove it as you deem necessary as I do not know if allowed to mention it)

Middleton Discus

Tue, 08 Apr 2008 04:04:40 -0500

Does anyone know if Brian Middleton still breeds Discus.If so i need a contact number for him.I dealt with him 12 odd years ago and need to get in touch.

Canister Filter

Mon, 07 Apr 2008 16:36:07 -0500

HI THERE I NEED SUM HELP ON A CANISTER FILTER IM JUST ABOUT TO UPGRADE FROM A RIO 180 TO A JUWEL VISION 260 AND WOULD LIKE A CANISTER FILTER AS HAVE SMALL BITS FLOATING AROUND MY TANK I CHANGE MY WATER 25% TWICE A WEEK WITH HMA AND KEEP ALL MY JUWEL FILTERS SPONGES UP TO DATE BUT JUST DONT THINK THE JUWEL FILTER IS UP TO THE JOB DO I GO FOR THE FLUVAL 305 OR A EHEIM WET DRY 2227 OR IS THERE ANY THING BETTER HOPEING YOU CAN HELP MANY THANKS MARK H

Delete Post

How's My Water?

Mon, 07 Apr 2008 12:45:18 -0500

Hi just in the early stages of setting up an aquarium, so am full of questions at the mo.
I've tested my water and get the following results
<3 KH
35ppm KH/GH
Ammonia 0 ppm
nitrite 0 ppm
nitrate 0ppm
pH 6.5 - although this seems to rise to pH 7.5 after filtering through HMA.

Is this all looking good, or should i ideally be looking at altering any of the above?
I'm not convinced by the pH test kit, the colour chart is very subjective!! would a digital pH meter be advisable? if so can anyone recommend one?

cheers
neil i'm sure i'll have plenty more questions soon!!

My Visit To Chens Discus

Sun, 06 Apr 2008 15:08:34 -0500

Hi All,

Well I had my first visit to Chens today , and can honestly say it was an awesome experience. I arrived around 11 o clock and disturbed a very tired Francis who was shattered after his delivery trip yesterday, very generous of him.

As Francis has delivered out most of his fish yesterday the stock is quite low at the moment. First saw the quarantine area but all fish now out of quarantine. In the same room there were some beatufull breeding pairs. That pair of yello crystals is mamaxing Francis really coming along nicely. Also there are some blue diamond pairs again one of the best quality I have seen and also pidgeon blood and checkerboards. In the next tank some nice selection of white snankeheads and melons. This is when the stock is at its lowest , I would love to be there when they are teeming with quality discus. Then Francis showed me his new fishroom which I think is coming along very well. Good Job dude !

At the end I saw the only two wilds Francis has left and my o my , first time I had the experience if seeing some reasonable wilds closely. The man himself gave me advice no to mix the domestics with wilds to avoid potential risks otherwise I would have definately bagged those up !

Then we had some detailed discussion and I snatched some valuable tips again thanks. As a result I now feel very comfortable and confident about my discus .... a relieved person.

I really liked some blue diamonds, most of them were paring up or pairs so didnt want to spoil their chances as I am not into breeding. ( YET )
I was lucky to find a very nice single blue diaFond and a big one too ! Francis was kind enough to let me have it as it was in the paring tank where it high potential of becoming a pair soon. Francis chose a lovely yellow crystal for me , just intime too !

Francis I know bob was gutted but I dont feel sorry for him as he had that best pair

So I ended up with a lovely blue diamond and a yellow crystal. Determined to go back and chose when fully stocked.

Only writing this due to my amazing experience no other reason,and I highly respect this guy. Really very helpfull and generous and a pleasure to talk to and meet.

The only bad thing : I thought I had charged my camera battery , but found out in the car that it is nearly dead. Someone unplugged the charger and now no one is owning upto it !

Was able to take a couple of pictures only. I was able to capture a male doing a very unusual thing, even first for Francis - Will let it out when I post the pic later on.

The fish are settling in very well.

Many thanks again mate

Waqar

Discus Delights Hamper ?.

Sun, 06 Apr 2008 15:02:47 -0500

Hi i'm likeing the look of Discus delights hamper from what i can make out it's all differant flavors ??.Can anyone post a picture of what you get inside ?? as all i can find are pictures of the outer box.What short of food items do you get in a box.is it flake ? pellets ? freze dried ?.Is it floating food ??,sinking food ??,sink slow,or cover all areas of the tank food ?? top,middle,bottom.How meny of you discus owners use it ??.

Hma Filter Increases Ph

Sun, 06 Apr 2008 13:53:03 -0500

HI
Just bought myself a two stage HMA filter for the tap water. The untreated tapwater is PH6.5, however, after filtering it through the HMA it rises to PH7.5. Why is this?? is it because the filter is new and just needs running in?? Any advise would be appreciated, cheers.

Dither Fish?

Sun, 06 Apr 2008 06:59:36 -0500

Hi,
In anyones experience, will dither fish help stop quarrels in the discus tank or are the simply to bring shy fish out in the open?