UK Discus Association

Anyone Recommend...

Sun, 07 Mar 2010 21:24:40 +0000

just wondering if you would consider in keeping a black ghost knife fish in with discus i have seen a tank on the internet with them in with the discus??

any ideas?

thanks jay

What Wood?

Sun, 07 Mar 2010 17:21:00 +0000

Hi all
now all is well in my tank (newest discus settled in after their QT), I would like to add some over head branches into the tanks to copy the flooded forest look,
I don't want to use bog wood or mopani because they are are to large, I want it to be really spindly if that makes sense, and without any of the wood reaching to the bottom of the tank. I know this would mean fastening the wood to the top of the tank which is not a problem.
Any ideas what I could use? I've read that some native trees can be used for this but I need some wisdom on what is safe and how to prepare it.

Brian.

How Best To Convert 5' Reef Tank To Planted Discus

Sat, 06 Mar 2010 21:56:52 +0000

Hi, I currently have a 5'x2'x2' foot with 4' sump (4 section) full marine reef setup, with 2x 250w MH lamps. I am considering changing this over to a planted Discus tank. Mainly because I prefer the look of planted aquariums and also hope to reduce the running cost by using low energy aqua ray lamps and not buying salt.
Any ideas on choice of mechanical and biological filtration options and how best to utilise the sump would be greatly appreciated. Andy

Are They White Butterflies

Sat, 06 Mar 2010 13:15:06 +0000

Hi Everyone

Been away for a while getting my Discus straight.
Had a few teething problems as you know as Ammonia went through the roof when put them in and took 3 weeks and plenty of water changes and care , then nitrite came through for a week and finally the tank and the Discus settled, without me losing any of them. I was very happy.
As my previous thread one of them went dark. He is still dark but no spotting . He seems to be dark orange among one other aswell. The others are yellow with Snakeskin marking's.I am a bit disappointed as bought these from Chen as 'White Butterflies' but I am sure they ARE NOT.
Please look at the pics I post later and let me know what you think and if anyone has any pictures of their WB's i would be happy to see.
My Discus have not been fed anything with colour in as far as I know except Beefheart from Chen which may have a colour enhancer in, not sure and white worm, but two are orange and the others yellow. NOT what I was wanting, although i do love them all.

Where Do You Guys Get Your Plants From

Fri, 05 Mar 2010 11:52:39 +0000

Hey peeps.

I've been looking on the post where you've all posted pictures of your tanks and they all look bloody awesome. But where do you all get your plants from? The tall bushy one's im on about. All the plants in my LFS's are small or tall but skinny. Some of the plants you guys have make the tank look so nice. I want plants like them. Do you get them from your LFS's or online? If online can you let me know the website so i can have a look to see what there is.

Thanks in advance.

White Worm?

Thu, 04 Mar 2010 22:38:43 +0000

just noticed i have little white worms on the front of my glass what are they and how can i get rid of them.

Algae Problem Due To Too Much Light

Thu, 04 Mar 2010 11:55:27 +0000

Hey peeps.

Need help with a little problem im going to come up against. I am going to be setting my tank up next weekend when i get it and am going to put white sand in it. I will also be getting a few plants. A few months ago i had a problem with my old tank with algae. It was because i was having the light on for 12 hours a day sometimes more. Once i cut the time of having the lights on the algae wasn't a problem anymore.

BUT

Plants need light to grow and stay healthy. So how do i go about having the light on long enough for the plants to grow healthy but not on for too long that i get algae?

Any advice and suggestions will be appreciated.

Thanks in advance guys.

My Discus N Their New Tank

Tue, 02 Mar 2010 17:17:48 +0000

tell me what you think of my tank and my dicus

any ideas and comments will be appreiciated

Unfortunately I Am Departing From Discus

Tue, 02 Mar 2010 11:43:18 +0000

Hey guys and girls.

I regret to inform you that I am having a break from keeping discus. Not my choice, believe me. I came into a bit of financial difficulties and was forced to sell my tank and the discus and move in with my girlfriend to save money. So the tank and fish are gone and i am now living with my girlfriend.

Her Aunty told us that she is throwing out a perfectly good conditioned Fluval Roma 200 with pumps, filters, heaters etc. She's moving house. She asked if we wanted it and we said yes. But only if we dont have discus, i got told. My girlfriend doesn't like the amount of money that i spend on the discus and keeping them. So she said we could have the tank as long as we have no discus and keep normal tropical fish instead. Like red tails, plecs, neons, platys, clown loaches, fighters etc.

BUT I'VE GOT A PLAN.

When the fish start dieing off, which eventually im sure they will, i am not going to replace them like i used to when we used to have tropical fish. Then when we're down to the last 4 or 5 fish, i change the set up and parameters of the water and get some discus. It's bound to work.

So ill still be logging into the forum to gather up tips and ideas that you guys post and eventually i will post my own tank on here once i have got discus again.

Until then.........Au Revoir.......Adios.........Goodbye.

Beefheart

Mon, 01 Mar 2010 20:27:35 +0000

http://www.forum.ukdiscus.co.uk/public/style_emoticons/default/tongue.gif im thinking about making my own beefheart, just wondering if anyone has any idea's on making a good healthy and well balanced beefheart mix for my fish??

360Litre Is Up And Running

Sun, 28 Feb 2010 19:01:53 +0000

they look much better in my 360litre abit lost at the moment big change from a 100 litre to a 360litre:P theylle soon get used to it, i have a few other little fish in there that will be comeing out soon. i will be adding some rams and a few sterbai corys and few small size plecs.

i will upload a few pictures when they are all settled in.

i thought they would stay in the corner for the 1st day but they went into the corner for 5-10mins and out thet came

My Discus Today With Pics,

Sat, 27 Feb 2010 16:46:15 +0000

Hi there,

This is a show of my Discus, I hope you like them,

Pics 13/02/2010

[IMG]http://i275.photobucket.com/albums/jj285/Chema_Alcala/02_2010/DSC_0038.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]http://i275.photobucket.com/albums/jj285/Chema_Alcala/02_2010/DSC_0030-1.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]http://i275.photobucket.com/albums/jj285/Chema_Alcala/02_2010/DSC_0027-2.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]http://i275.photobucket.com/albums/jj285/Chema_Alcala/02_2010/DSC_0026.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]http://i275.photobucket.com/albums/jj285/Chema_Alcala/02_2010/DSC_0023.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]http://i275.photobucket.com/albums/jj285/Chema_Alcala/02_2010/DSC_0021.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]http://i275.photobucket.com/albums/jj285/Chema_Alcala/02_2010/DSC_0019-1.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]http://i275.photobucket.com/albums/jj285/Chema_Alcala/02_2010/DSC_0017-1.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]http://i275.photobucket.com/albums/jj285/Chema_Alcala/02_2010/DSC_0016-1.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]http://i275.photobucket.com/albums/jj285/Chema_Alcala/02_2010/DSC_0015.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]http://i275.photobucket.com/albums/jj285/Chema_Alcala/02_2010/DSC_0014-1.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]http://i275.photobucket.com/albums/jj285/Chema_Alcala/02_2010/DSC_0001-3.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]http://i275.photobucket.com/albums/jj285/Chema_Alcala/02_2010/DSC_0079.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]http://i275.photobucket.com/albums/jj285/Chema_Alcala/02_2010/DSC_0057.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]http://i275.photobucket.com/albums/jj285/Chema_Alcala/02_2010/DSC_0055.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]http://i275.photobucket.com/albums/jj285/Chema_Alcala/01_2010/DSC_0004.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]http://i275.photobucket.com/albums/jj285/Chema_Alcala/02_2010/DSC_0040.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]http://i275.photobucket.com/albums/jj285/Chema_Alcala/02_2010/DSC_0093.jpg[/IMG]

Regards!!!!
Chema

Worming Advice?

Thu, 18 Feb 2010 21:11:49 +0000

Hi,

New to the forum - I'm just looking for some advice on whether I need to worm my discus. I have ten 2"-3" cobalts and am currently growing them up in a 350l tank. I've had the fish for a couple of months and they look very healthy, eating well and have grown quite noticeably since i got them, the only thing is I have noticed the odd one or two flicking their fins very occasionally - could this be a sign that they need wormed? According to the breeder I bought them from they had been wormed, but they share the tank with a few keyhole cichlids I've had for about a year that have never been wormed. Any advice welcome.

Cheers,

Graham

Two Pod Filter

Wed, 17 Feb 2010 00:18:37 +0000

Hi I have just bought a two pod water filter. I use water stright from the tap so i know that one of the filters should be corbon to rid the water of chlorine etc, but what should the other one be? any suggestions would be appreciated. thank you

My New Setup So Far

Sun, 14 Feb 2010 14:41:40 +0000

Tell Me What You Think

front of glass is abit dirty on the outside aint got round to cleaning it yet but will do

tell me any ideas if you got any of what i else i could do

Green Slime Over Gravel....

Sun, 14 Feb 2010 13:29:12 +0000

Hi, I have been having trouble with green slime carpeting the gravel and glass. I have a 4ft tank with a male& female with 12 young approx 2 months old, The tank has very few plants, no CO2 and the light is on for no more than 7 hours a day.
I gave the tank a good clean yesterday and the slime is there again today and it looks awful. The fish seem fine, no obvious signs of stress etc.

how can I get rid of this?
thanks
Mike

Looking For That Perfect Fish

Fri, 12 Feb 2010 15:32:36 +0000

Hi all, this isn't so much an out and out question, it is more food for thought that might produce some interesting answers.

It may only be me but I find myself browsing Asian discus breeder's websites looking for the NEXT GREATEST pattern or strain, reading lots of books and magazines wishing I owned the grand champion 2009. This has lead me to dislike some of my own discus from time to time because they didn't match up to these amazing pictures we see.
To be honest I've even considered giving some away just so I could have the space in the tank to go after that NEXT GREATEST fish.
Good news is I didn't, and I'm so glad I've stuck with my first batch of discus (6 fish a year an a half ago, since added three more sensible purchases over the last 6 months).
For the last 6 months I have been at home due to ill health and in that time I have had the opportunity to really spend time watching my fish. The individual behaviour of each of my fish has become a joy to learn and watch, the fish I once considered giving away are now my favorites because they're different.
The Blue Marine that was the runt of the six has grown into a 5" cage fighter, yes he's (don't know the sex for sure!) missing a bit of his fin from all the bullying he had when young and yes he didn't turn out as blue as I would have liked, but the pleasure he brings me when any of the other fish cross his patch is brilliant to watch, they may well be bigger than him but boy does he show them whats what. Then there is my two Checkerboards, and again yes they didn't have that perfect pattern and a bit to much peppering, but for sheer presence in a tank, a 7" discus always looks good. I could go on with more but I won't.

What I'm really trying to get at here is that if we were to stop and take a good look into our own tanks, and really appreciated our own discus for the fish they are, our obsession for the next greatest discus might slow down a bit. Let's take a time out and be happy with what amazing discus we already own.

In the future I intend to get a much larger tank and the discus I first started out with will be the most prized, yes I may add one or two more, they might in your eyes be that perfect discus but my runt of a Blue Marine and my peppered Checkerboards will always be my perfect discus, because they were the ones that taught me how to watch, learn and look after these majestic fish properly.

Does the perfect discus exist? Yes! and it is probable already in your tank?

Looking forward to your responses.

Brian.

Driftwood! Advice!

Thu, 11 Feb 2010 19:46:06 +0000

could i use any piece of driftwood thats on a beach, and if yes how long should i soak it for before adding to my tank.

jay

Community Tank

Thu, 11 Feb 2010 19:35:45 +0000

Hi guys and girls.

At the moment i've got 7 discus and about 20 cardinals. And 3 bristlenose plecs. I really like clown loaches and corys but dont know whether to keep it just a discus tank or turn it into a communal one. (think thats how you spell communal)

What are the pro's and con's with having a communal tank? Does anyone advise against it?

Thanks

Sterilising Nets And Pipes

Wed, 10 Feb 2010 20:29:55 +0000

Evening all,

what's the best way of sterilising nets / pipes. Just going through the fish house and doing a big clean over everything, including the fish.

I assume PP, but is there anything else?

cheers

Tim

Glass Cleaner In Discus Tank

Wed, 10 Feb 2010 18:38:11 +0000

hi all im looking for some advice oh what would be good as a glass cleaner in my discus tank which is 450 litre im thinking of cats that dont get to big or what other options are there

Flourite Red

Tue, 09 Feb 2010 17:43:20 +0000

Hi everyone

Was wondering if it would be ok to use flourite as a substrate in my discus tank ,its just that when i checked what was in it ,it seemed to have a lot of metals in it .....cheers....Mark

New Set Up 6Ft Tank & 5Ft Sump

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 16:28:26 +0000

Hi all

I have on order a 6ft tank with 5ft sump on its way. This should hold around 750litres, and according to the equation I can hold 16 discus (?)

I was going for a bare bottom tank but with this amount of water, I was wondering what you would do??

Please let me know.

Thanks
George

Transporting Discus

Sun, 07 Feb 2010 15:13:03 +0000

Hi everyone,
can anyone give me any tips on the safest and best way to transport large Discus without causing them too much stress?.
Regards Derek

Ehiem Professional 3

Sat, 06 Feb 2010 16:58:41 +0000

I am contemplating up grading my external filter to either an Ehiem Professional 3 e 2078 or 2076.

Does any one have any experiance of either filters and do you think the 2078 is too much for a 100 gallon aquarium?

I currently have an Rena XP3 running my Rena 350.

Also what is considered the best way to install an un-matured filter to a mature tank? Run both filters in tandom for a few months or put the matured media from the old filter to the new filter?

Many thanks

James

Slime Algea Aaaarrrrrrr!

Fri, 05 Feb 2010 21:37:55 +0000

I have a case of reocuring slime algea that i cant seem to shift. I did a complete 3 day blackout a few weeks ago and removed all of it and it seemed to work but it looks like it is coming back again. I have covered one of my bulbs (its a jewell so unfortunatly both bulbs have to stay) and it seems to slow it down. My tap water is rubbish (8.4 ph with high solids) so i am using 80% ro/ 20% filtered tap mix.
I do 10% water change twice a week, have a large interal jewell filter and a large eheim wet/dry filter so water quality is not an issue.
So what do i do to either eliminate it or slow it right down? what is a good bulb colour for a jewell tank that doesnt make algea bloom?
I cant be the only discus keeper to have suffered from this problem.

A Favour

Fri, 05 Feb 2010 00:10:35 +0000

Hi all,

Hope I am OK to post this?

as you have perhaps read, I am currently in the early stages of fish house mk2. Is there anyone who would be kind enough to give me a guided tour of their fish house so I can pick your brains and help me with my learning curve. I am especially interested in plumbing / pipework / air rings and sumps as well as appreciating other peoples fish and systems.

If anyone can help, please PM me, i'd love to hear from you. I am in Sheffield, but don't mind travelling.

many thanks in advance

Tim

Quaranteening My Fish

Thu, 04 Feb 2010 11:41:18 +0000

Hi guys. I've probably spelt quaranteen completely wrong but hey.

I've been reading over a few of the posts and have noticed a couple of people suggesting quaranteening the fish before introducing them to the tank. Is this a MUST do? Im just worried as i haven't quaranteened any of the fish i've got.

How do you quaranteen them? Do you have to add a solution to the water? Have it at set temp? etc. But then i suppose im fuc*ed anyway as i haven't got a spare tank to put them in.

They all seem to be ok without me putting them in quaranteen but i dont want to carry on doing it incase there's a chance it could do more harm than good.

Rocks Ok To Use?

Wed, 03 Feb 2010 09:18:50 +0000

Hi guys. Before i buy any i wanted to check they are ok to use in a discus tank. I was thinking of buying some slate and sandstone. I've had sandstone in there before and didn't seem to have any problems but have never had slate in the tank before. Are they both ok for discus set ups?

Thanks in advance.

Bio Media

Sun, 31 Jan 2010 16:39:02 +0000

Hi all

I am in the middle of building a bio filter and was wondering if anyone had any thoughts on what type of media might be better than others ..cheers Mark

Silica Sand

Sun, 31 Jan 2010 12:03:43 +0000

I used to have play sand in my tank from Argos and spent about 2 - 3 hours rinsing it and cleaning it out. After a month of it being in the tank algae started to grow which i got warned about if i didn't rinse the sand properly. So i then took all the sand out after the algae was still growing back after clearing it about 4 times. I then found out it was probably growing cause i used to have the lights on for about 12 hours a day. Sometimes more.

I've now got the smallest amount of sand in the tank and only have the lights on for about 6 hours a day. 8 at the most. But it still doesn't look the same without sand and plants in there. I've got about 4 pieces of bog wood in there but no sand or plants.

I was going to buy little plant pots to put plants in and weigh them down with something so they're just sitting on the base of the tank. But now i might go for sand again but this time silica sand. Im under the impression that silica sand is perfectly healthy for fish tanks without rinsing and cleaning it out as much as play sand. Is this true? So if i was going to put silica sand in the tank i wouldn't have to rinse it out as much as i did with the play sand? If i was going to put sand in again i wouldn't have to buy plant pots cause i could bury them in the sand.

Plant Pots

Sun, 31 Jan 2010 11:40:19 +0000

Hey guys.

I am after some small plant pots to go inside my tank to put some plants in. I have just got enough sand dusted over the base of the tank but no way near enough to dig the plants into so they dont float around. My plan is to get some small plant pots, put the plants in them, then put a little bit of gravel in the pots to keep the plant in the pots. If that makes sense. Only problem is, i dont know where to buy small enough pots to put the plants in.

Any ideas?

Thanks in advance.

Microscopes

Sun, 31 Jan 2010 00:07:13 +0000

I am thinking of getting a microscope, something which will give me digital images (so I can put the images on here and ask what they are lol). I cannot spend a fortune, but would like to get the right piece of kit. I was just looking at a bresser with an LCD screen rather than eye pieces, up to X1600 magification for �180 delivered. Is this the sort of thing I would benefit from or are there others which would do a better job for "bug hunting" etc.

cheers

Tim

Advice Plz

Sun, 24 Jan 2010 22:35:07 +0000

hi all
I am new to discus and need some advice, I picked up my first 2 discus a week ago they settled very quickly I have since added 2 more but I am having trouble at feeding time, they wont eat anything that isnt blood worm I know they were fed a varied diet at the shop i got them from and saw them feeding before I bought them but now they will ignore anything else.
Any advice you could give would be greatly appreciated thanks

Just A Few Pictures

Sun, 24 Jan 2010 21:58:17 +0000

I've finally got my camera back, so finally I can post a few pictures of some of my fish.

The yellow crystal is only a juvenile, the rest are 5.5" and 6.0"

All comments appreciated.

Brian,

Juvenile Trying To Feed.

Fri, 22 Jan 2010 18:23:01 +0000

The other week I added a 3.5" juvenile Red Turq to my collection.
When the little fellow saw my Cobra Snakeskins he dashed across and tried to graze off of them. They told him where to go pretty quickly!
While watching today I noticed that one of my Checkerboard was looking a lot darker towards the middle & back of it's body, I then noticed the Turq again trying to
graze, strange thing is the Checkerboard was loving it, it kept curving it's body to protect the Turq and was more than happy to let it carry on.

Anyone every heard or seen something like this before?
The Checkerboard is mature but is yet to pair off, any clues???

Brian.

Advise Plz

Thu, 21 Jan 2010 21:21:12 +0000

my tank size is 350 litres what amount water change is best i do 75 litres twice a week is this enough or not enough should a do more in litres

Water Changes

Thu, 21 Jan 2010 19:45:24 +0000

i got 2x25 litre drums

i see someone said the other day the heat and put an air stone in the water before adding. can anyone walk me though this as when i do it the water is cloudy by the time i add it to my tank. i dunno why you can just add it after you re-min the water, been doing it for year and never had one die or get sick

New Fish House

Thu, 21 Jan 2010 16:51:44 +0000

Hi All,

finally got the green light to build a new fish house (well acutually a garage) 28' x 15' x 12' high. Double brick, concrete floor and apex roof with rafters (storage above through loft hatch). So assuming I sell my TVR this spring to make room, what do i put on the floor? (12" concrete base). I can stud the walls and use 6" celotex type insulation, same with the ceiling and then plasterboard it all and paint with waterproof paint. Also, does anyone recomend splitting the room in 2, (ie. growing on section and a breeding section). Final question, does anyone have any basic info on a central system (got individual at the moment with 15 tanks, but want 4 systems for the growing on and then individual for the breeding tanks). Big old project this on, looking to have something like 50 tanks eventually, but looking forwards to the challenge.

Tim

Discus Veg

Wed, 20 Jan 2010 22:11:45 +0000

Hi there, I thought I would try my disus on my dinner??? Freshly cooked broccoli, with no salt and pepper. and they picked the heads clean.

Last 8 Days Been A Nightmare

Tue, 19 Jan 2010 14:44:36 +0000

Hi all,
I haven't been able to get to my computer for the last eight days, I broke some ribs while trying to go down a snow covered hill stood upright on a bodyboard!
This is the first time back and have been eagerly reading all the last weeks posts.
So glad I can get upstairs now to use the computer, looking forward to more discussion.

Take care folks,

Brian.

Gas In The Water

Mon, 18 Jan 2010 21:15:23 +0000

well i was stupid. I had 20 albino pearl diamond youngsters growing well, seven weeks old. some had even managed to get to 2 inches all perfect shaped and healthy and eating like pigs????? My gas heater with the cold weather had run out of gas and filled my fish house with fumes. Lost all my youngsters with the gas. just about lost 2 adult fish who were gasping for air??? Alls well now.
[Always Learning For My Stupidity.

New Tank For Discus Setup

Mon, 18 Jan 2010 18:51:14 +0000

Hi,

I havent kept discus before but i have a new juwel vision 180 tank which has been setup and running for around a month now. It has T5 lighting and the standard juwel bioflow 3.0 filter and a 300 W Trixie Heater.

The tank isnt cycled yet so i think i am going to add some media from my gold fish tank to speed the process up. Will i need to dose with ammonia doing it this way?

I am getting newly born discus fish in around 3-4 weeks. I have a few plants in the tank, i bought a discus plant collection but only around 5/6 of the plants survived so i am just going to puchase the ones that survived as i dont want a co2 kit. Can you recommend what plants i can get that will survive just on the tropiflora liquid plant food?

What should my water peramters be before i look to add the discus and what temperature? 29oC ?

Also, should i buy some rock/stone? or just lots of plants and a big piece of bogwood?

Thanks,
Danny

Northubrian Water

Mon, 18 Jan 2010 16:27:21 +0000

A few years back when I first started keeping Discus the water in my area was around the 6.8 ph mark out of the tap with Gh and KH of a similar lowish to middle ground. So it was something I was not to bothered about just checking things periodically with a test strip and getting similar results every time. Until that is last year when I changed my aquarium and as a precaution started to do proper regular daily testing again to make sure that things settled down . I found that for some reason the Ph, Gh and Kh were 7.6, 6 and 8, respectively and virtually the same straight from the tap. Nothing I did including gravel changes would bring the Ph down in the tank. ( RO water for various reasons is not an option). So I just left it at that cursing my luck for the sudden change and carried on with the periodic test strip checks. I was mainly looking out for rises in Ammonia and other nasties and not that bothered with the Gh and Kh. which I find difficult to interpret on the strips anyway. I admit that for the past few months I have been a bit lax even on these checks mainly because other than thinking that some Cardinals and Ramirezis that I bought seemed to be doing very well nothing of note was going on in the tank. However today I have done a full check on my tank water prior to buying a couple of new Discus and whilst the Ph is still around 7.6 theGh and Kh have dropped to 3 and 5. I checked the tap water and lo and behold the Ph is down to 6.8 with Gh and Kh similar to the tank. Allowing for the fact that I did the test straight from the tap and without leaving the sample overnight I still think that that is quite a drop. I even repeated the Ph test with a different make of test kit to be certain. All of the other vital measurements were rock or near bottom by the way.

Is there anybody else who lives in the Northumbrian water area North of the Tyne getting similar results. A telephone call to the company was a complete waste of time as they were just not interested. Any information or advice would be welcome. My water change regime is one third to a half every five to seven days. I use Tetra Aquasafe and a Blackwater solution at very change. I am now wondering if the tank water Ph is going to drop as well or if it would be worthwhile trying to drop it with some peat or similar acidifier.

Which Strain Is Hardiest

Mon, 18 Jan 2010 02:36:51 +0000

hi all i am new to keeping discus and was hoping someone could suggest which strains of discus are easier to keep so far i know not to get heckle discus. my water is ph 7.

thanks in advance

I Got An Assassin Snail Today

Fri, 15 Jan 2010 15:53:18 +0000

i got this snail in the post 2day from ebay took like 3 weeks what with the weather anyway by then my snail pop. is now around 200-300 lol i got one snail thinking it was make short work of them in a few weeks............................boy was i wrong assassin is the wrong name for this snail as it couldnt even catch a cold. when it does get near another snail its so blind it just runs over it i think ill go get some clown loach

Advice Please!

Thu, 14 Jan 2010 20:04:14 +0000

Just Wondering If This Sand Will Be Orite For Discus ???

and if you could tell me how many bags i will need to do my tank my tank is 48" long and 14"width the bags come in 9kg?

any idea thanks if you can help..

Pictures Of Aquariums With Sand

Wed, 13 Jan 2010 18:51:16 +0000

Give Me Some Ideas of what to decorate my 360l tank like..

will be greatfull for all the ideas

not just for me but show everyone else what aquariums you are keeping

so mainly this is a post to show off your tanks

thanks

New Discus

Wed, 13 Jan 2010 18:18:36 +0000

new discus finally settled in and eatin well

Yes It Is 6Ft Alex

Tue, 12 Jan 2010 17:11:23 +0000

here the clip of me measuring my tank and yes it is 6ft see.

also can i use a bit of birch wood in my fish tank , found a bit it look like and really good if i attach java moss to it

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RiPg-S13pUQ

Mysis As A Food For Juveniles?

Wed, 06 Jan 2010 19:14:57 +0000

Is wondering about which foods could be used to help grow on young discus,
obviously baby brine shrimp is in there, but has anyone every used Mysis,
they're very small and on the packet they are listed suitable for discus.
Don't know what nutritional value they have or if they can harbor nasties,

All comments appreciated,

Brian.

My Tank Updated

Mon, 04 Jan 2010 20:54:03 +0000

just added fake plants 2 the back of the tank i think it looks much better what do u think
click on link below n let me know
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GRhgvTVQ19A

Happy New Year

Fri, 01 Jan 2010 12:04:38 +0000

Happy new year everyone heres hoping for a happy and healthy one for us and all of our fishie companions

Happy New Year!

Thu, 31 Dec 2009 10:56:35 +0000

Happy New Year to everyone out there!!!

From,

Brian (a.k.a SOSBANFACH)

Gert's Rio Nhamunda Biotope

Mon, 28 Dec 2009 13:58:00 +0000

I am setting up a rio nhamunda biotope

my tank
Dimensions: 321 x 60 x 70 cm (126 x 24 x 28")
Volume: 1348.2 litres, 296.6 UK gallons or 356.2 US gallons

i have 13 Geophagus-sp-aff-altifrons-Nhamunda

there are coming 10 a 12 rio nhamunda discus.

http://i274.photobucket.com/albums/jj245/gert1961/Rio%20Nhamunda/bak-nu-4.jpg
http://i274.photobucket.com/albums/jj245/gert1961/Rio%20Nhamunda/_C240016.jpg
http://i274.photobucket.com/albums/jj245/gert1961/Rio%20Nhamunda/_C240049.jpg
http://i274.photobucket.com/albums/jj245/gert1961/Rio%20Nhamunda/_C240048.jpg
http://i274.photobucket.com/albums/jj245/gert1961/Rio%20Nhamunda/_C240045.jpg
http://i274.photobucket.com/albums/jj245/gert1961/Rio%20Nhamunda/_C240044.jpg
http://i274.photobucket.com/albums/jj245/gert1961/Rio%20Nhamunda/_C240040.jpg
http://i274.photobucket.com/albums/jj245/gert1961/Rio%20Nhamunda/_C240029.jpg
http://i274.photobucket.com/albums/jj245/gert1961/Rio%20Nhamunda/_C240020.jpg
http://i274.photobucket.com/albums/jj245/gert1961/Rio%20Nhamunda/_C240018.jpg
http://i274.photobucket.com/albums/jj245/gert1961/Rio%20Nhamunda/_C200006.jpg
http://i274.photobucket.com/albums/jj245/gert1961/Rio%20Nhamunda/_C200002.jpg
my Rhizophora-Mangrove plants.
http://i274.photobucket.com/albums/jj245/gert1961/Rio%20Nhamunda/Rhizophora-Mangrove-1.jpg
http://i274.photobucket.com/albums/jj245/gert1961/Rio%20Nhamunda/Rhizophora-Mangrove.jpg
http://i274.photobucket.com/albums/jj245/gert1961/Rio%20Nhamunda/Rhizophora-Mangrove-2.jpg

Merry Christmas

Fri, 25 Dec 2009 01:45:31 +0000

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE and a prosperous new year for you all x

Hexamita And Treatment, Please Help

Thu, 24 Dec 2009 08:14:12 +0000

Posted a photo of one of my Discus a couple of days ago with a small hole near its eye, this has now grown to two small holes (see attached pics).
Brian informed me this might be Hexamita and suggested i get some Metronidazole which i now have in the form of 200mg capsules, could anyone tell me what quantities and how this can be administered. I have looked on the net but there seem to be many conflicting dosages and dosing regimes.
Unfortunately i do not have a separate tank to put the fish in, is it possible to dose a complete tank with all fish ?
As my water parameters seem all well and i do a 50% water change every two days might i assume this could be due to poor diet that this has occurred, i don't have any experience with this disease so any help as to cure and prevention would be very much appreciated.

Many Thanks
Paul

l

Small White Hole Near Eye

Tue, 22 Dec 2009 13:51:45 +0000

Discus on the left has a small hole near it's left eye, in the light it looks white and i'm not sure if it is an injury or something more sinister.
Is the dominant fish in my tank and is eating and otherwise showing no signs of ill health, have had some issues with a pleco trying to suck on him/her but removed that fish a few days ago.
Water parameters seem all good and all other fish in the tank are ok, any help gratefully received.
Thanks
Paul

Watch Video And Tell Me What You Think Please

Mon, 21 Dec 2009 17:52:50 +0000

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=drjPC0H4EJU
2x 48 T8s ( with a possbile of 4x if i wanted)
sits on 5cm steel frame i built a cabinet around it to hide it and the sump
6ft x 2ft x 2ft tank size was told its a 700l tank but after filling i say 500l
100l about in sump tank
2x fluval 300w heater
i got 2 yeast base Co2 kits ( rip off to be honest plants grow on their own without it =D)

4 blue discus are year old roughly
rest are 2 years old

i feed them

live brine shrimp,live river shrimp rarely every 2weeks
frozen prawns chop up
frozen mussels chop up
frozen bloodworm
frozen beefheart mix
tetra prima

i do 50l water changes every other day with RO water but at the mo i have been using tap with 6.5 buffer as its to cold for my ro unit outside =S

i have been told by a member they look like their stunted but since i have got this tank and found some1 to sell me beef heart mix (yorkshire beefheart on google) they really have been getting bigger and 2 have paired off and started laying eggs only problem is as soon as female lays them the male eats them from what i have read this may be cause of the other fish in tank??

at the moment im really jelous of all your nice big discus with fat heads i know mine are problemly stunted but i dnt want to get rid of them as their like part of my famliy now can anyone give me some advice to make them get 6inch+

My Tank

Sun, 20 Dec 2009 19:01:57 +0000

This is my tank, I have just planted anubias on wood, my little family has assorted discus, couple of cory's & a baby gold spotted plec
I keep them in 50/50 ro & most of these are newish as I lost 4 beauts through Discus disease.......not nice

Maxine

Algea Eaters And Discus

Sun, 20 Dec 2009 13:31:28 +0000

Have recently had to remove a pleco from my tank as it was sucking on my discus and stressing them out. Funny as in another tank i have a large pleco with four discus and it doesn't bother them at all, does anyone have any suggestions of other types of algae eaters that will not follow this same behaviour and our safe to keep with discus. I have added some micro shrimp but would like to have a couple of algae eating fish as well.

Thanks
Paul

Cloudy Water

Sun, 20 Dec 2009 12:06:57 +0000

Hi folks
Just wanted 2 no if anybody can help me out with the cloudy water issue that i have in my tank. The water has been cloudy from day 1 and has been set up now for about 6 months. I have a juwel trigon 190 with the filter system that comes with it. It has some gravel in it not much and some bogwood. Just would like 2 no way its stayin coludy. Could it be the filter or even the food that is the issue. I have kept fish for years now but this has stumped me as i have never had this problem b4. I even thought that its could be the the beveled glass that was making it look cloudy as this is my first corner tank but maybe am just being silly now lol.

Many thanks
stevie

New Tank

Thu, 17 Dec 2009 00:24:25 +0000

Hi everyone santa came early here and I now have a new tank up and running its a juwel trigon 350 and heres what I have done so far...........
deciding on wood placement and one back wall painted black

wood sealed to bottom to try and prevent dirt traps

plant base layer in and background fully painted

next layer in

half planted

the fellas in and exploring

well there it is for now will post more pics as the plants grow and sort themselves out a bit
I had big plans for a sump and auto top up for this tank but time hasnt been on my side being so close to christmas so decided to just reuse my two externals I already had running on the old tank plus the juwel box but in the new year when we have a bit more time it may well get stripped down again and drilled!!
all comments or criticism welcomed

Sarah

Your First Time

Wed, 16 Dec 2009 01:30:33 +0000

Hi Guys
Just wondering if you all remember the moment you've seen/bought/received your first discus?
Mine arrived yesterday, and seeing them swimming and exploring tank together, I instantly fell in love with them. Same thing happened to me years ago with plecos and now with discus. I guess no other fish will exist for me since now on.
Best of luck everyone

White Silica Sand

Mon, 14 Dec 2009 17:45:26 +0000

Hey guys. Long time no chat.

If i was to buy white silica aquarium sand, how much will i have to rinse and wash it out before introducing it to my tank?

Ill tell ya what the problem is. I bought play sand from argos and washed and rinsed it out over and over and over again. I put a bag and a half of sand in the tank but before i did, i rinsed it out for about 2 hours non stop. So i preseumed that would be enought. It has been in there about a month now and all was going fine but now there is a horrible green coat forming over the sand. I think it was Ivan that warned me about BSA. Think thats what its called. The algae that forms from play sand.

Second Hand Equiptment

Sat, 12 Dec 2009 17:13:51 +0000

I"ve the chance of a bow front tank,hood,lights,external filter,a complete set up.It has been set up for Malawi cichlids since new.I"m aware of the big difference in PH between them and discus,is it possible to use this equiptment for discus after a good clean and renewing the filter materials. Alex.

L046 Zebra Plec

Fri, 11 Dec 2009 17:57:00 +0000

Hi folks can anybody tell me if it would be ok 2 keep a zebra plec in my discus tank ? I like the look of the little fellas and was thinkin about getting 1 or maybe 2 if santa is good 2 me

Thinking About Giving Up The Hobby For A While :(

Wed, 09 Dec 2009 19:08:23 +0000

As above really, I kept the usual community fish for about 6 months before trying my hand with discuss. I never had any real success with them I thought it was down to equipment, tank ect before realising it was just my lack of experience.

Anyway all that was about 12 months ago and I have been keeping happy healthy discuss in my Rio 400 ever since but due to the fact I will probably be leaving the country early next year for work and wouldn't want to leave someone else to care for my fish I feel maybe now is the time to pack it in until my situation changes.

So my real question is where would the best place be to advertise my entire set up and does any have any tips or suggestions on selling it all?

Cheers for any help you can give,

Leon

Seeing Discus In The Wild

Mon, 07 Dec 2009 22:43:56 +0000

Was wondering if anyone out there had any experience of seeing Discus in the wild?

Are there any company's out there that organise such trips?

Why Did This Spate Of Deaths Occur?

Tue, 01 Dec 2009 21:09:15 +0000

I had completely emptied, cleaned, re-set up anfd filled my Juwel 240 tank about 4 weeks ago to prepare for having another try at keeping Discus. The water was either HMA or RO water . The tank received new plants and a strata of "play" sand.
Having checked the water for PH, Nitrate, Nitrite and Ammonia, I re-introduced my other fish to the tank a couple of days ago (they had been in another tank), and I also bought some more fish to supplement them so that hopefully they would all help the setting up of the filter bacteria.
Within 48 hous I have lost about 12 of the fish.!! NONE exhibited ANY distress signals, but when I have turned on the lights- there were many dead.
I ammediately checked my water again.
The PH seemed higher at about 7.6!. Ammonia was present and so were nitrates.
How did this happen in such a short time?
Last night I changed more than half the water for new RO water and all seems fine in water quality now. PH about 7, no Nitrates or Nitrite nor any Ammonia.
Totally confused!!

What Food For White Fish?

Mon, 30 Nov 2009 23:12:53 +0000

Hi all,

bought a pair of white diamonds from Chens, great fish. Want to keep them white, so don't want to feed coloured food such as prima. What does anyone suggest?

cheers

Tim

Some Of My Growing Fish For Breeding

Sun, 29 Nov 2009 13:42:04 +0000

here are some pics of my fish that i am growing on for pairing up. blue turks and spotted leopard and blue diamond.

mark

Cost Of Running A Fish House

Sun, 29 Nov 2009 12:26:31 +0000

hi ya all

as alot will know i have built a fish house and spent alot of money on doing this.
my problem at the moment is it seems that this is costing me alot in elec per week.
i am on a token key and right now I'm putting in about £35 aweek.
this really does seem to have gone up since i have been keeping so many tanks.
when i had my first setup i had 9x 24"x15"x12 tanks in my bedroom all with 100w heaters in.
having since built my fish house i now have 5x18"x18"x18" breeding tanks and 7x48"x18"x18" tanks running.
the breeding tanks are running on a 200w heater in the sump and the 7 tanks are running on 3x 300w heaters and then 1x 300W heater in another tank on its own.
can any one please advise why it is that when i was running 9x 100W heaters it was only costing about £20 to £25 aweek and now in a well built fish house its at least £35 aweek.
this really is getting me abit down as it seems like so much pay out right now for not alot back, the last thing i want to do is pack it all in as i have loved building the fish house and love breeding discus.

many thanks for any good advise
mark

Eggs, And Loads Of 'em!

Fri, 27 Nov 2009 18:36:09 +0000

I posted a question about my discus on the health forum but now know whay my fish had gone dark and sick looking!!!
She was up the duff!!!!
Problem I have is I'm not sure which one is laying- they may both be females?
Have tried to get photo's with spawning tube of both for a more expert opinion!!
Have tried to take some pics, but they have laid at the back of the tank, so getting a pic in focus with correct lighting is hard.(any tips-camera is a panasonic DMC-TZ5)

Matt

Tds Meters

Wed, 25 Nov 2009 09:29:20 +0000

I have just bought a TDS Meter from e-bay - it came with a screwdriver - for calibration -
I have no idea how to do this or what calibration Fluid to use.
Can anyone enlighten me please ?
regards

Robmoor

Titles

Wed, 25 Nov 2009 00:34:52 +0000

Hi could someone tell what the titles mean that appear after some people's names, ie, discus marshal--under marshal etc? Thank you

Ring Leopard And Friends;

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 14:54:10 +0000

Just got some Juviniles from Chen's on Saturday and made a Short Video and took a few Pic's after they had settled in.

[IMG]http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj223/Clipboards/Discus/ringlandothers.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj223/Clipboards/Discus/ringlandycrystal.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj223/Clipboards/Discus/Newguys.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj223/Clipboards/Discus/newguysnov21.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj223/Clipboards/Discus/ringlyellowc.jpg[/IMG]

Video link; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RCQJrlEMpY4

Bog Wood

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 01:31:19 +0000

Hi, I have a piece of bogwood in my tank, and it looks like there is fungus growing on it. This bogwood was sterilised with bleach prior to being put into a new tank, there is no fish in the tank as yet, and i was wondering if this ( fungus ? ) would harm the fish.

Thanks would be grateful for any replys---robert

Beefheart - Home Made Or Bought?

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 14:26:22 +0000

Hi Guys,
Have had a search on here for beefheart recipes and all are very interesting, and I am tempted to have a go.
Up to now I have bought my beefheart mix from chens, and my discus love it, but as you are aware its quite pricey(about �8 for 250g), for what is, i'm sure very cheap ingredients.
Now, like I say, the recipes are interesting some having prawns some having salmon etc, abd I wondered how much these costs in general? the beefheart itself has got to be next to nothing from a butchers I would think???
Obviously I realise its a messy, smelly and possible ground for divorce from the missus if I do have a go, but if it saves a huge amount, personally I'm prepared to get the solicitor on standby and give it a crack

What are your thoughts?

What cost would you say a 250g slab of home made is?

Thanks for replies in advance.

Matt

Oxydator

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 21:07:34 +0000

Hi guys,
I dont really know why, but i purchased an oxydator from e bay in the week. Its a Dr K Sochting and consists of a clay type tube with a ball on top and plastic sealed cup inside. Supposidly you fill it with hydrogen peroxide, which when mixed with water turns to oxygen, releasing bubbles into the tank. What i would like to know is what strength hydrogen peroxide is best, i have 6%, does anyone use one and what is the real purpose ? Are they safe to put in a discus tank. Hope someone can help.

My Fish

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 19:32:13 +0000

At last, my tank is getting as intended.Thanks to markf1fan I have some gorgeous discus now, and all are feeding from my hand, the babies growing every day!!
Sorry for the poor quality pics, (any tips on getting better photo's?)
p.s. the trap at the rear of the tankhouses a very naughty male ram

Enjoy

Matt

Blue Green Algea

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 07:31:59 +0000

Recently returned from working overseas for 6 months to find my tank covered in blue green algea(Cyanobacteria), fish and all water parameters were OK if not excellant so i went about a water change and vacuming the substrate everyday. Took out all the plants and washed them and reduced the light, after two weeks it still kept coming back as bad as ever and after reading a few posts i decided through frustration to dose the tank with an antibiotic called Erythromycin.
Added 2.5mg per liter every two days over a week with daily water changes, totally eradicated the Algea and 3 weeks since have no sign of any return.
I have been doing daily water changes since until my filter bacteria recover but over all it didn't seem to have any effect on my fish or plants and seem to have worked really well.
Wondering if anyone has had similar problems and what you did to eradicate it, i think mine was introduced through new plant additions.
Anyone know of any way to pre-emptively treat new plants for this before adding them to the tank ?
Cheers
Paul

Heater

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 21:49:25 +0000

Hi all,

does anyone know if you can buy non glass aquarium heaters (stainless idiot proof ones for me would be great)- keep breaking mine in my water butts, the cables are not long enough and run dry, and am scared to death of getting a shock. Alex mentioned yesterday about getting a pool heater which is a good idea, but will have to change my setup to do that, but he got me thinking about other options too.

Suggestions please, feel a right donut breaking the heaters, bought cheap ones, "unbreakabe" expensive ones, and still manage to break them, or they just pack up, gone through 6 this year!!

thanks

Tim

Katapang Almond Leaves

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 15:53:15 +0000

Does anyone out there use Katapang almond leaves?

I'm interested in the benefits adding them would achieve. Also how do you add them to your tank?

Heard oak leaves can be used instead, not sure though?

Grateful for any advice,

Brian.

Making Homemade Discus Food

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 14:42:23 +0000

can anyone give me some tips on discus food recipies, i live in thailand and have 2 tanks and a very clean pond all with Discus.
Unfortunatly here the only food comercially available is frozen bloodworm, while my fish are all happy and healthy i feel they could be a whole lot better with a more varied diet.
Would love to here of some recipies for some Discus food mixes.
Thanks
Trang

Ro Water

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 08:49:08 +0000

I am looking for a DIY RO water remineralising mix receipe. I currently use Kent RO Right to re-mineralise my RO water but wondered if anybody is using their own DIY re-mineralising mix as a way of saving money?

Problems With 3 Discus In 7 Discus 250Litre Tank.

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 22:28:39 +0000

Hi,

Have had a 250 litre tank running for over two years, well planted, CO2 injection, EI regime for the plants, and stocked with 7 discus and a shoal of Cardinals.

The last discus went in a year ago.

Up until a couple of months ago, everything was absolutely fine, with no issues in the tank at all as far as I could see.

However, now 3 of the discus seem to have clearly fallen into a 'second division' within the tank, being thoroughly out-competed for food. The remaining fish are in excellent condition, so I am sure this is simply a case of a pecking order that has left 3 of the fish at a disadvantage.

They have gradually lost condition, and are now thin. I do not have the facilties to set up another tank, and fear that if they remain where they are, the inevitable will happen.

I was wondering if there was anyone in my area who could offer them a new home and a second chance in a tank of their own? I live in the Ipswich area, and would be prepared to bag them up and deliver them within a reasonable distance. I would also be happy for someone to collect them from me. There would be no charge for the fish, I simply want to offer them a happier tank.

Beef & Turkey Heart.

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 14:50:23 +0000

could anyone tell me the best way to present beef & turkey hearts'' and what basic things to mix with them plus should you cook the hearts look forward to some help being a( newbe)

Discus Babies;...........

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 16:30:34 +0000

As an early Xmas present, I just acquired 14 Young Red Turq's and also a Mature Pair from a Local keeper who was running out of space.... the Young are feeding well and the Pair have just laid 300+ eggs on 15th Nov.

Link; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yd2lZtroUo8

For The Love Of Lydia

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 10:28:16 +0000

heys guys sorry i dont mean to advertise etc but this is a fund raiser of a little girl that sadly passed on the 13th of july this year !
all details can be ready here.

http://ownz.deviantart.com/art/For-The-Love-Of-Lydia-143786172

thankyou

My New Pair Of Breeding Checkerboards Discus

Sat, 14 Nov 2009 11:54:24 +0000

just picked these up tonight (tuesday )

went to bristol to pick them up on the train
breeding pair of checkerboards discus these have spawned recently but ate the eggs

so will see what happens if they breed again for me

these are keeped in 50/50 ro water and tap water

here's some photo's of them

male 6 to 6.5ins long

[IMG]http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb270/seanie112/male65ins.jpg

the female is 5 to 5.5ins long

[IMG]http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb270/seanie112/female55ins-1.jpg

10mins after putting them in tank
[IMG]http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb270/seanie112/100_1947.jpg

[IMG]http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb270/seanie112/100_1951.jpg

[IMG]http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb270/seanie112/100_1948.jpg

[IMG]http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb270/seanie112/100_1950.jpg

my tanks will look better when i get my hoods made and i have change my light bulbs to the discus tubes

little update taken out the uv internal filter and the plants just the heater and spanwing cone and sponge filter in the tank now
its saturday now

these have been cleaning the spawning cone for the past 2days and showing off with each other
never breed discus before

let us know wot you think

Filter Cartridge Replacements

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 15:11:57 +0000

Does anyone know whether R.O.Man are still in business ? as we don't seem to be able to get through to them. Maybe they've changed the name ?
RSVP thanks

Robmoor

Discus Tank Mate

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 10:28:24 +0000

what you guys have as discus tank mates ?
i have true heros severus with my discus and they are fine with them that fine i have over 300 3" babies

http://i37.tinypic.com/10xu1om.gif

just sold some of these on another discus forum also another batch is in mothers mouth

How Long Till I Can Introduce Discus To Tank?

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 13:16:02 +0000

Hi,
Have set up my Juwel 240 and filled it 3 weeks ago with a mix of tapwater(filtered through a DDA filter) and RO water.
Tank is planted, filtering through the Juwel filter and an Eheim External filter and has a stabilised temperature (from 2 heaters) of 30c.
I have added liquid bacteria accelerant and am now just waiting for the water to mature enough.
What is the consensus on timescale, and should I put in some of my other fish (cardinals, black neons etc) in at an earlier stage to trial water ?

Clown Loaces N Discus

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 20:24:30 +0000

Hi am looking to introduce discus into a 6x2x2ft tank with 4 clown loaches about 5" long , any thoughts on the matter appreciated .also any advice on definate do's or dont's on keeping discus appreciated as i've never kept them before ...thanks ..

Water Parameters

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 16:44:39 +0000

Hi,
Just done a water change,and although fish are all healthy thought I would check my parameters.

My TDS is 135 and Ph is 7.2, which I know is ok, but was amazed to read my GH is at a tad under 4 and KH is no more than 1.5!!!

nitrate/nitrite both zero.

Like I say, fish are happy(eating well out of my fingers) so I'm not too worried, but is there a way of increasing the KH a bit?

I also added kusuri wormer in this change, and Tropic Marin Pro Discus minerals(maybe more of this needed?)

What your opinion???

Qestion About Lighting For New Fish

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 19:18:24 +0000

Hi, sorry if this issue has been discussed elsewhere, but could use some advice from you good people for a forum newbie.

Have introduced a proven pair to a 180 l tank kept bare except for a cone and plastic plant for cover, who have been in for about 10 days now. I'm using 2x39w t5s which the plan was to set to go on between 5pm till 12.
The fish have not been quick to settle in, almost always 'hiding' in the corner around the base of the plastic plant when the lights are on. Naturally I have kept a close eye on water parameters and been diligent with water changes and having kept discus for several years (though never tried breeding before) am fairly confident there isn't a problem in this respect.

However I did assume that the t5s would be mild enough not to upset the fish, given they never seemed to bother the previous inhabitants, but as soon as the lights turn off the fish become far bolder, free swimming, almost feeding from the hand and pecking and cleaning the cone.

So after rambling on for a bit, the main point of my question, am i right to assume the nervousness is likely due to lighting, and what is my best course of action? Should I keep what I have and just wait and see if they get used to it, or should I change for dimmer tubes permanently? Bearing in mind I want to provide optimum spawning conditions whilst still be able to actually see their beautiful colours what lighting would you recommend for me?

My Fish Room

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 16:46:49 +0000

here is some pics of my fish room ive made from sratch its not finshed yet its 16 buy 6 and its going to be used for raising young fish on the breeding tanks are going in the house

Bog Wood

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 15:06:59 +0000

i am getting 16 3in discus next week to grow on in my 6,2,2 house tank. they may be moved or split at a later date. the question is the tank is full of bogwood and there is a good number of small l numbers in the tank would it be best to remove the bogwood or keep it in the tank

My New Tank

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 14:41:00 +0000

Hi all,here is a couple of pics of my new tank that i set up in august,its a juwel rio300,im waiting to get my discus after xmas.[IMG]http://i779.photobucket.com/albums/yy79/laragirl_2009/DSC00051.jpg[/IMG]. [IMG]http://i779.photobucket.com/albums/yy79/laragirl_2009/DSC00050.jpg[/IMG].