Check out the new pics I posted of my Discus! I just got several juveniles in from an online fish store (first time buying fish over the net). They are doing great and getting lots of color! Te few original ones i had in my tank are getting really big and swim together all the time!
Does anyone have any useful advice for keeping Discus and/or breeding them. I have kept them successfully so far and have only lost one. I know they are not the easiest fish to keep but they are by far the coolest freshwater fish in my opinion!
New Discus!!
4 posts
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dizzcat - Posts: 648
- Joined: Tue Jun 24, 2008 2:30 am
Very pretty fish! I don't know anything about them, so can't give advice. I would love to turn my 30 gallon into a Discus tank, but alas, they are too expensive for my budget.
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a70m1c - Posts: 51
- Joined: Wed Nov 12, 2008 3:39 am
I just got rid of all my discus to the local fish shop.
was losing one evey 6 months. would just stop eating. i dont know why. i did everything as per my advice below.
if any could correct me on anything or point anything out i would like to hear!
Advice:
PH: 6 to 7. The only way i could get my PH to this level was to use peat filtering and lots of driftwood. i also found changinging from gravel to sand helped as well.
Soft water: if you are using peat this will help.
Worm your discus! but worming tabs, crush them up, mix with food like blood worm or brine shrimp, re freeze and feed once every 2 to 3 months.
Use good food and varry diet.
Feed Blood worm, Brine shrimp and always substitute with a high quality flake/ granule.
caution not to feed to much bloodworm! discus love bloodworm and dont know when to stop eating. this WILL cause swim bladder problems.
Never over feed, you are better to underfeed! feed twice daily instead of one big feed. and fast your discus at least one day a fortnight, if not once a week.
Discus are hard to sex, some say the males upper lip protudes more.
here is another method: http://www.zestweb.com/articles/sexing/sexing.html
I have found no method to be re-assuring.
Your discus will pair up by them selves in their own good time. when they do you will notice 2 become "unsperable" the male will often swim close to the female the chase off all other fish that come close including other discus.
They will pick a rock, glass tank side, pot etc and begin pecking at it to clean it while defending the area around. they may "clean" for anything from a few days to a month.
They lay small light brown eggs, anything up to 200. the fry feed off the parents skin secetions and take bay brime after 2 weeks.
parents remain protective and aggresive.
also note that in an all female tank, or when no partner is avilable, female discus have been known to lay eggs with out a partner (or course no fry will result)
was losing one evey 6 months. would just stop eating. i dont know why. i did everything as per my advice below.
if any could correct me on anything or point anything out i would like to hear!
Advice:
PH: 6 to 7. The only way i could get my PH to this level was to use peat filtering and lots of driftwood. i also found changinging from gravel to sand helped as well.
Soft water: if you are using peat this will help.
Worm your discus! but worming tabs, crush them up, mix with food like blood worm or brine shrimp, re freeze and feed once every 2 to 3 months.
Use good food and varry diet.
Feed Blood worm, Brine shrimp and always substitute with a high quality flake/ granule.
caution not to feed to much bloodworm! discus love bloodworm and dont know when to stop eating. this WILL cause swim bladder problems.
Never over feed, you are better to underfeed! feed twice daily instead of one big feed. and fast your discus at least one day a fortnight, if not once a week.
Discus are hard to sex, some say the males upper lip protudes more.
here is another method: http://www.zestweb.com/articles/sexing/sexing.html
I have found no method to be re-assuring.
Your discus will pair up by them selves in their own good time. when they do you will notice 2 become "unsperable" the male will often swim close to the female the chase off all other fish that come close including other discus.
They will pick a rock, glass tank side, pot etc and begin pecking at it to clean it while defending the area around. they may "clean" for anything from a few days to a month.
They lay small light brown eggs, anything up to 200. the fry feed off the parents skin secetions and take bay brime after 2 weeks.
parents remain protective and aggresive.
also note that in an all female tank, or when no partner is avilable, female discus have been known to lay eggs with out a partner (or course no fry will result)
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cedricandcandy - Posts: 134
- Joined: Tue Nov 04, 2008 1:36 am
Great discus rcgman! Your tank is looking really good. I've only been keeping discus myself for about 4 months now and have never bred them yet.
They are in a fairly heavily planted tank together with small schooling fish. I keep my pH at 6.5 using a pH buffer and driftwood. I feed them twice a day (sometimes 3 times with lesser amounts). Discus are grazing feeders and as such it is better to feed them less more often, rather the one large feed.
They are in a fairly heavily planted tank together with small schooling fish. I keep my pH at 6.5 using a pH buffer and driftwood. I feed them twice a day (sometimes 3 times with lesser amounts). Discus are grazing feeders and as such it is better to feed them less more often, rather the one large feed.