Calling all Discus keepers!

[fishlady]

Re: Calling all Discus keepers!

i am noooooo way an expert by any means....but this is my experience with discus

in the discus forum on here i have pics posted of them......

http://houstonfishbox.com/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&t=6538&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=50

so that's my story and i'm stickin to it.......

fishlady- your Discus are great.  They seem a bit high maintenance, but they're so beautiful in return :)

mine don't make me jump thru hoops to keep them happy....they are layed back as i am....if i were going to breed them it might be different....but i don't have any inclination to do that.....so they are happy the way we are i guess....

[wesleydnunder]

Re: Calling all Discus keepers!

Glad to see you looking at discus, Karen. I doubt you'll be less than happy with them.

Can you mix discus and if you do does it matter which types go together?
If you keep the popular hybrids you can pretty much mix and match as you like. Wild discus should be kept with others of their type.

What is the most inexpensive place/way to buy them? Â I assume it's to buy a group while they are juvies (recommendations of where to buy them?)
Juvies will be the least expensive way to go. As pointed out in earlier posts, they need pristene water and several feedings a day, so can be a little more work than adults. Dan usually has a great selection, and if he doesn't have what you want, can usually get it for you.

If I buy them as juvies can they still go in a bigger tank and be grown up in it instead of growing them in a smaller tank and then moving them? You CAN grow juvies out in a large tank. For novices, I reccomend growing juvies out in a bare bottom tank. A couple of reasons for this:
1) Bare Bottom is much easier to keep clean than, say, a fully planted display tank, plus it's easier for the juvies to find food on a bare bottom.
2) Once juvies become comfortable in their new home, they begin to establish a pecking order. The dominant fish will chase the subordinate fish away from the food. In a fully planted display tank, it's common to see a subordinate fish hiding behind some plants, and not getting any food. In a smaller bare bottom set up without hiding places the subordinate fish seem to have more access to food, and show better growth.
Juvies get daily 50% water changes, Adults get 50% partials every other day in my tanks.

Water changes: How do you do your water changes? Â Do you age your water and bring it up to temp in garbage cans?
I use a python and run from the tap directly to the tank. I temper the water at the tap before I close the valve and add Prime as I fill the tank. As mentioned, your fish will likely do fine in Houston tap water. Some folks insist on RO for their discus, I don't. In fact, studies have shown that juvies grow out better in harder water with a decent TDS than soft, low-TDS water.

Plecos, can you keep any of them with discus? Â I was thinking we would get a 55g with 5 or 6 discus, a school of cardinals and I'd like a pleco or two if they can be kept with discus.
I keep ABN and otos with my discus...never had a problem from either. I also have schools of cardinals, harlequin rasboras and green fire tetras with my discus.

Where's the best place to buy food for them?
Most lfs carry frozen blood worms, beef heart and brine shrimp. I make my discus food, usually about 6 months supply at a time and freeze. Discus need a varied diet. Frozen is good, but they also need vegetable matter and some form of vitamin supplememnt to help keep them from dietary deficiencies.

Read all you can, online and books. I suggest Bleher's Discus, the most complete book on the species I've read. Dan is also a ready resource and doesn't mind helping you as you go.

Good luck, Karen!

Mark

Do you think that homemade recipe would be good for any cichlid?  I've been thinking about making food for my Paratilapias....  Just curious on your thoughts.

I feed the same prep to my julies, loaches and leleupis as part of their diets. I make the snails and shrimp a similar mix that is higher in veg. but still contains 30-40% protein. The ABNs love that mix. I've never kept the paratilapia so am not positive about their requirements but I feel that most omnivorous cichlids could eat the prep as part of their diet.

Mark